[F87source]

Introduction:

In this article I will be reviewing the Malo industries billet aluminium oil filter housing lid, yes I know this is a mouthful so I might use the terms oil filter cap, or cap interchangeably. But, before I begin this review I wanted to mention that not all caps are made equal and although the caps may seem like a simple design and there is not much that can go wrong that could not be further from the truth, and it is vital to your engine health to pick a well designed cap. This is why I am proud to have been able to help Malo industries design this cap by pointing out shortcomings of other caps to them so they can eliminate those shortcomings in this cap to ensure that this cap is as perfect as possible. I have yet to install this product, but I will be providing an update this spring/summer time when it is installed. I also wanted to extend a big thank you to Malo industries for sponsoring my review, I will however remain as unbiased as possible during this review.


Credits:

Images used in this review are all property of their rightful owners as credited below each image, I am just using them for the purpose of this review but if you (the owner of the image) would like them removed please let me know via pm. Otherwise thanks to the owners (I made sure to credit your online name and link where I found the photo) of the photos, without you this review would be so much more bland.


Disclaimer:

Any technical advice, installation instruction, or product installation is done so at your own risk I will not be responsible for personal injuries, injuries to others or any living being, or any damage to your car, or any property damage.


Index:

1) Fitment

2) Quick overview - Quickly summarizes the features of this cap with images

3) Bmw oil filter housing and stock cap design - the extremely technical break down of how oil flows through the stock oil filter housing and how the stock cap works, read through this if you are keen on knowing these details it will really be the best way to understand why the malo cap is the best option available. It is broken down into 6 subsections for easier understanding.
a) Section 1: Oil filter housing (OFH)
b) Section 2: Stock cap
c) Section 3: Bird cage
d) Section 4: Oil bypass
e) Section 5: Expanded view of the oil bypass
f) Section 6: Interior of the stock oil cap


Fitment:

Fits the following bmw engines: N54/N55/S55/N51/N52/N20/N26

You can purchase the cap here: https://maloindustries.com/

In black, blue, or red anodized finishes.


Quick Overview:

Before we jump too far into the technical details regarding cap construction and oil flow and what makes each cap different let’s take a look at a quick overview of the product for those of you who do not care about the technical details and don’t want to skim over the entire post for details on this product.



Credit: F87source


Credit: F87source


Credit: F87source


Credit: F87source


Credit: F87source

So let’s discuss the features of the cap that I personally have:

1) Black anodized finish (personal preference of color to maintain stealthiness in the engine bay): this is a hard anodized finish that should withstand the heat without color shifting, as per malo industries they have tested this cap in high heat situations (baked at 320ºF) without issue.

2) Diamond texture around the circumference of the cap. It is extremely difficult to explain the texture of this pattern because with gloves on it feels “sharp” and really “bites” onto the glove material providing exceptional levels of grip, which will be extremely nice to have when removing this cap during oil changes when it likely will be oily. Without gloves the texture is rough but it is not sharp to the point where it will cut your palms or provide any levels of discomfort. I really really like this finish because it provides such a high level of grip that will be extremely nice when doing oil filter swaps.

3) 19 mm hex on the lid: this provides an easy way to remove the oil filter housing cap without the need of a tool.

4) Proper German Sägezahn thread and o-ring groove, so this means there will be perfect mating between the cap’s threads and the oil filter housing so no leaks. The dimensions are also perfectly copied from the stock cap so everything will fit perfectly.

5) Torque specs on the inside of the lid so you have a reminder of what the proper torque specs are and allowing for the exterior of the cap to remain clean and stealthy.

6) Made in Canada again this is a really nice touch as you are supporting a business in North America. The company itself also provides exceptional customer service and impeccable levels of quality control from my experience looking at my personal cap, unlike forigen manufacturers with US based vendors that are more concerned with mass production over quality.

7) CNC construction from a solid piece of 6061 aluminium.

8) Packaging was very nice with the cap being wrapped in a foam wrap material around the threads and body of the cap to avoid damage, and additional paper wrapping and stuffing to ensure the cap remains safe. Shipping was also extremely quick with Canada post expedited shipping - this also means if you are an American buyer you will not have to pay import charges and duties like you would with Fedex or UPS if you choose this as your shipping option.

9) *Now this is the critical one, this is the thing that makes or breaks any cap.* Has the proper supports for the oil filter bypass base plate unlike most other caps, and the way that it is designed the supports do not restrict oil flow to the bypass.This is an extremely critical feature that should be present in all oil filter caps otherwise the base plate can fail and result in oil bypassing the oil filter causing improper filtration and excessive engine wear. Skip to section 6 to learn more if you are interested.

10) Price: the pricing on this cap is less than all of the other caps (the only ones are the ecs cap and wiestec cap) with proper oil bypass base plate supports.

Overall this is a quick summary of why this cap in my opinion is the best option currently available to purchase for your bmw, if you are interested in how oil flows through the stock oil filter housing and what critical errors other caps have, feel free to read the technical details below, if not this ends the quick overview of this cap.


BMW Oil filter housing and Stock Cap design:


Ok now lets discuss the technical details about the oil filter housing (OFH) and stock bmw cap, this will allow us to understand what to look for in an oil filter cap replacement and why the Malo industries cap in my opinion is one of the best if not the best one available. We will do so in small subsections to avoid as much clutter and confusion as possible.


Section 1 - Oil filter housing (OFH):


Credit: HappyDude https://w ww.youtube.com/watch?v=6f8wiclHpPE

So from this first image you can see the oil filter housing on an N55 bmw m2, this housing is shared among all the engines listed in the fitment section. Here is a realoem link incase you want additional confirmation: https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/par...&q=11428683206

Now examining this OFH you can see a few key structures marked by arrows of various colors (note there were no technical names I could find for some of these objects so I created my own names for them):

1) The first is labeled 1 in red and shows the holes where the oil will enter the OFH after being picked up from the sump. This is the outer rim of the oil filter housing and separated from the inner rim by the oil separation rim/tube labeled 4. The oil in this outer region is dirty unfiltered oil.

2) The second is labeled 2 in blue and this is the entire circular outer region surrounding the smaller inside tube labeled 3 and denoted in green. Arrow 2 shows the oil out hole and this is where the oil leaves the OFH after being filtered by the oil filter. Oil in this area is clean filtered oil.

3) The third is labeled 3 in green and is the small circular tube in the image. This is the oil drain hole allowing oil to drain out of the OFH and into the oil pan when you unscrew the oil filter cap. This functions to prevent spillage of oil from the OFH when doing oil changes, and is always plugged up by the oil drain plug on the bird cage when the filter is installed.

4) The fourth is labeled 4 in yellow and is the surrounding metal wall or tube that separates the oil inside from the oil outside of the OFH, this is called the oil separation rim but I will refer to it as the “tube”, or “rim”. The end of the oil filter that is not seated on the birdcage also slides around this tube to seal off the oil flow path so no dirty oil can get past without going through the filter.


Section 2 - Stock cap:


Credit: Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Bapmic-114275.../dp/B0798LDT41


So here is an image of the stock cap, as you can see this is when it is fully assembled and how you would find your stock cap after removing the filter. So let’s pull out that center bird cage and further examine this part.


Section 3 - Birdcage:


Credit: Eschmacher https://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1548912

So this is a close up image of the birdcage (which is pointed to by the red arrow). Now lets break this part down:

1) The bird cage itself (pointed by the red arrow): this part supports the oil filter from the external pressure of the oil flow, without this part the oil filter will collapse on itself and the pleats will fold over blocking oil flow. Since this part is easily removed from the stock cap during oil filter removals (if you push the cage to one side while pulling the filter off) it can be accidentally discarded if your oil was changed by a quickie lube shop, so make sure this part is still in the car. If it is missing you will have oil pressure losses that can damage your motor. This part also helps direct oil flow to the oil out portion of the OFH as discussed previously, because the top of this bird cage is sealed and the bottom portion allows the filter to stick out a bit and sit around the OFH tube or oil separation rim as discussed before. This means the oil only has one way to leave the OFH and that is through the filter and into the core of the bird cage which is a hollow tube, then from there the oil flows downwards and out of the OFH through the oil out hole labeled 4 in the OFH section. The flow of oil is shown by the green arrows.

2) The next part of the bird cage is labeled with the orange arrow and this is the oil drain plug. This part of the bird cage is a long spike like point with an o-ring at the end and its job is to plug the oil drainage hole (object 3 in the OFH break down) preventing oil from draining out of the OFH while the engine is operating, and it allows the OFH to be drained of oil when removing the cap to change the oil filter thus preventing spillage. This is an extremely critical part because if it was missing the engine would loose oil pressure, not such a significant amount that the engine would blow up instantly because the size of this orifice is smaller than the oil outlet port so there is less flow through here, but there would be enough pressure loss that vanos issues would occur. This is such a common issue that individuals experiencing vanos issues often check to see if this part is missing due to quickie lube oil changes. Another concerning issue with this part is that the drop in oil pressure will not be detected because the oil pressure sensor comes before the oil enters the OFH, so this issue often goes undiagnosed for long periods of time which can cause engine damage. Here is a link to a video if you want to learn more: https://ww w.youtube.com/watch?v=wXPxqAW5OMI&list=WL&index=5&t=6s

3) The last part of the bird cage that is important is the oil bypass that is located ontop of the cage, we will discuss this in more detail shortly - but it is an extremely vital component of the bird cage and this is what most aftermarket caps do not support properly. But the direction of oil flow through the bypass is shown by the blue arrow, and as its name suggests this direction of oil flow bypasses the oil filter.



Section 4 - Oil bypass:

So as alluded to in the birdcage section the oil bypass portion of the birdcage is an extremely vial part. To look at this part we will have to look at the top of the birdcage.



Credit: Eschmacher https://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1548912


In the image of the top of the bird cage we see 2 critical areas - note this is an aftermarket cage as shown by the lack of part numbers however for demonstration purposes it is similar enough:

1) The first area is pointed to by the red arrow and is the smaller circular “dent” this is the oil bypass valve. The purpose of this valve is to allow oil to bypass the oil filter (via the blue flow arrow shown in the birdcage section) in the event that the oil filter gets clogged (from infrequent servicing), some of the pleats are folded over, or if the oil is too thick during cold starts and cannot easily pass the filter (again for you 10w-60 guys our engines were not made for it so stop using it just use a high HTHS 40 weight oil and you will be fine on track, for you daily drivers you will not need anything thicker than a 30 weight regardless of how hot your ambient temps are if you oil temps are getting so hot that you think you need a thicker oil on the street you must have an oil cooling problem). But essentially this bypass allows additional oil flow in the event of oil filter restriction - you do not ever want to have to rely on this valve because it means something has gone terribly wrong with your oil filtration system and you bypass all filtration so dirty oil is circulating back to your engine, but it is there to prevent engine failure from oil starvation.

So how does this valve work? It works by having the valve sit on a spring with a certain spring constant that depresses when a certain amount of pressure is reached - i.e. the pressure that would denote improper oil flow as designated by bmw. When the actuation pressure is reached this pushes the bypass valve downwards allowing oil to flow over the top of the oil filter (which would not normally happen when the valve is closed) and down through this hole into the center of the bird cage as previously discussed, and down into the oil return portion of the OFH again as previously discussed. This is a reason why the OEM birdcage is the best because aftermarket designs like the aluminium uro tuning one has a spring constant that is too high meaning alot more pressure is required to push the valve down, and the valve itself is much smaller in diameter meaning less oil can flow through it.

2) The next component is shown by the blue arrow and it is the circular piece of plastic surrounding the oil bypass valve, this component is called the oil bypass valve baseplate. The function of this part is to ensure oil does not go over the top of the oil filter and down the hollow center of the bird cage to the oil out portion of the OFH during normal operation (aka the oil bypass flow path). It also has a hole in the center for the bypass valve. This component is extremely critical to your engines health because if it is missing or improperly seated (due to broken tabs) unfiltered oil can bypass the filter and cause excessive wear on your engine. We will further expand on this part in the next section as this is the part that most oil filter caps don’t properly support.

Section 5 - expanded view of the oil bypass:


Credit: Fritz Ramos https://w ww.youtube.com/watch?v=EYhJ-RzVK7I&t=238s

This image shows the oil bypass base plate (pointed to by the blue arrow) being removed so we can see the internals of the birdcage. But what we notice is that there are extremely small clips (as shown by the red arrows) on the oil bypass base plate that holds it onto the bird cage. These clips however are the weakness of this oil bypass assembly because over time due to many heat cycles these clips get brittle and can crack and fail. This means the oil bypass valve base plate can come loose (especially since the bypass valve is sitting on a spring which constantly pushes the base plate upwards) and no longer provide a proper seal and unfiltered oil can bypass the oil filter unintentionally which causes excessive engine wear. However bmw did come up with a solution to this which we will see in the next section, but in essence it is supporting tabs on the inside of the cap which pushes up on the base plate preventing it from coming loose even if the tabs failed. This is a design that Malo has also incorporated into their cap (upon my request during development so I am happy to say I was able to contribute to this cap) and a design that many other companies have failed to do as we will discuss later. Also note on some metal caps with a metal bird cage (the Uro one) it has a poor tolerance oil by pass base plate so oil can slip through the gaps even with the base plate clips being fully intact, so that is why I always recommend using an OEM bird cage.



Credit: Fritz Ramos https://w ww.youtube.com/watch?v=EYhJ-RzVK7I&t=238s

This is another image of the bypass disassembled even further and you can see the little black posts which is being pointed to by the blue arrow, this is the oil bypass valve. The red arrow is pointing at the oil bypass valve spring. This is the spring that pushes up on the oil bypass valve and that in turns also pushes on the bypass valve base plate and can cause it to be dislodged. But the spring is another reason to buy an oem cage because aftermarket caps may have springs that are either too stiff and won’t actuate when needed or too soft and opens when it is not supposed to.



Credit: Fritz Ramos https://w ww.youtube.com/watch?v=EYhJ-RzVK7I&t=238s

This image shows the bird cage completely dismantled, you can see the spring, and the oil bypass spring seat (where the spring sits) pointed to by the green arrow, the oil bypass spring seat supports (it supports the spring seat and the upper portion of the drain plug) pointed to by the red arrow, and the hollow interior of the bird cage where oil flows to the oil out portion of the OFH.


Section 6 - Interior of the stock Oil cap:


Credit: The Wrench Lab https://w ww.youtube.com/watch?v=3I161rdlCEE

This is the final section and investigates the design of the stock cap’s interior.

1) First we see the green arrows which are pointing to the birdcage support latches, this is what the bird cage latches onto inside of the cap. The sole purpose of these tabs are to hold the bird cage inside of the cap so when you unscrew your oil filter cap from the OFH the bird cage and the oil filter comes off with it. Now, since this is a plastic part it is able to flex around the little inserts of the bird cage and provide an extremely tight grip onto the cage meaning you cannot pull the bird cage out in a straight motion, the only way you can pull out the bird cage (without break anything) is by pushing it to one side to disengage the tabs. With an aluminium cap like the malo industries cap the tabs cannot bend so the ability for it to grip onto the cage is weaker than stock. However that does not mean it is bad because once the cap is fully screwed on the oil drain plug will be seated and pushing up on the bird cage and the cap will be pressing down on the top of the cage, and the oil filter will be slid around the oil separation tube in the OFH, so there is no where for the cage to move. Plus there is enough retention strength for the bird cage to be pulled out every time meaning the oil drain hole in the OFH will be unplugged to properly drain the OFH. Also the fact that the bird cage is easily removable can be seen as a benefit so you can remove the bird cage every oil change to inspect the bypass base plate, without the bird cage retention mechanism marring up the bird cage’s plastic every time. On some tightly fitting bird cage supports you can see plastic is shed from the bird cage during installation videos, this likely is not a good thing because you are damaging the cage and it will prevent frequent checking. Here is a video from malo industries showing you the bird cage retention strength and what the cap looks like during a filter change.



I would also like to add an additional comment, most people see cage wobble and they immediately think that is a bad thing, well that is not necessarily true. The stock cap has some cage wobble as well and that serves to help the oil drain plug self locate the drain hole in the OFH easier, and it allows the oil filter to be able to slip over the oil separation tube in the OFH. Without the wobble it would be a bit more difficult to seat the oil cap on the first try.


Edit - May 13, 2021:

After I was talking to malo industries a little bit more about cage retention strength and throwing ideas back and forth about how to make sure that the birdcage stay within the cap no matter what - even though it has not been an issue on their oil filter cap compared to the competitors out there which do leave the bird cage within the filter housing. Malo industries has now improved their bird cage retention mechanism by adding a groove to the bird cage supports . This means that when you unscrew the oil filter housing lid during oil changes the lid will rotate and catch onto the birdcage locking it in so it never stays stuck in the oil filter housing. This little update in the design of the cap essentially guarantees the bird cage will always come out of the oil filter housing and the oil will drain from the housing instead of spilling all over the place.

So another reason why the malo industries oil filter housing lid is the best on the market with this update you will never have to worry about oil spills during filter changes if the bird cage were to remain stuck. This also shows that malo industries cares about bmw owners and enthusiasts by constantly striving to improve their products based on feedback instead of just ignoring any potential issue, they strive for the best without compromise and their products reflect that.


Here is an Instagram video demonstrating the new update:



2) The red arrows point to the oil bypass base plate support tabs (there are 3 on the stock cap). Now this is the incredibly vital feature that almost all aftermarket cap oil filter housing lid companies do wrong by leaving them out entirely. The function of this feature on the stock cap is to support the bypass base plate so it does not pop out of place if those little tabs fail due to heat cycling, the second function is to set a height that the bird cage needs to sit at so there is space for oil to flow to the bypass region. Most aftermarket oil cap companies think it is only a height setting tool so they integrate a little stop on the bird cage retention brackets to make a 2 in 1 design because that saves some cnc time. However those little tabs that are integrated into the bird cage retention mechanism do not support the bypass base plate because it does not make contact with it as they are on the outer edge, so the result is a base plate that can fail at any time during an oil change resulting in loss of filtration and engine damage. If the user does not check the bird cage during oil servicing this can go unnoticed for a long period of time. But on a stock cap and the malo industries cap the bypass base plate is supported by these tabs and thus even if the brackets on the base plate were to fail it cannot be dislodged.


Credit: F87source

Here is an image of the malo industries cap and its interior, as you can see the red circles show each of the supporting tabs and they are placed all around the circumference of the baseplate providing even better support than stock. This way the base plate cannot tip or slide around, it is perfectly supported. You can also notice that these bypass base plate supporting tabs are in line with the outer bird cage supporting tabs meaning no to minimal oil flow is restricted to the bypass valve. Whereas on some other caps with bypass base plate supports the supports overlap the gaps between the bird cage supports resulting in some obstruction to oil flow to the bypass valve. The malo design is truly the best designed in this regard. Also with this cap due to the proper bypass base plate support you can frequently check the baseplate and only replace the bird cage when the base plate has failed unlike with other caps without the proper supporting tabs where you will have to preventatively replace bird cages to avoid unexpected failures.


3) The orange arrow points the circular bump in the middle of the cap, now what most people do not understand is that this is a functionless part of the cap left over from the injection molding tool, just like you would see on a tupperware container. It does not touch the bird cage or the bypass in anyway and does not offer any support. This should be evident in the fact that it is shorter than the bypass base plate supporting tabs which dictate the lowest the birdcage can get, so therefore the bump does nothing.


Overall this summarizes my review of the malo industries billet aluminum oil filter housing lid, I hope this was able to inform you on why this cap in my opinion is the best option currently present. Please let me know if you have any questions.

[F87source]

Coupon Code: F87source

I have an update for you guys, Malo industries has given me a 5% off coupon code for everything in their store to share with you guys - that way you guys can save some money on cool mods!

Note: I do not make any money, commission etc with this coupon code.


Malo Industries Oil filter housing cap update:




Malo industries has recently released a new oil filter housing cap with a redesigned exterior and a few updates to the internals, these are small updates that further improves the original cap and cements this cap as the best one on the market imo. However if you owned the first generation cap an upgrade is not required. The original cap is still incredible, this new one just has a few updates but does not obsolete the original cap. Now lets discuss the changes further.


1) The new oil filter housing cap is a hexadecagon in design just like the original oil filter housing cap, and will utilize the same oil filter housing tool. This design was due to the huge demand from customers due to its more aesthetically appealing design.

2) The oil filter retention mechanism has been updated as well. In the past few months I have been talking to malo industries and what was discussed was that the oil filter housing cap should have a better filter retention mechanism. So that when you are removing the cap the oil filter and birdcage should come out every single time and not remain stuck inside of the housing preventing oil from draining and creating a big mess (this can occur with other aftermarket caps due to their retention tabs not being sufficient at holding on to the bird cage). To do this malo implemented a notch in the birdcage retention tabs keyed to lock into the bird cage when turning the cap counterclockwise. This design will not allow the birdcage to be stuck behind in the oil filter housing making sure it is removed with the cap every time.



3) The oil bypass base plate supports have been reduced in number to 4 equally spaced tabs that still perfectly support the oil bypass base plate which is critical. But now allows for even more oil flow to the oil bypass in the event it is required.

4) The O-ring groove on the second generation cap has been increased in diameter, this way it ensures there are absolutely no oil leaks if an old O-ring is reused. The difference is really minor and again doesn’t make the original cap obsolete, the reason why this change was implemented was because a few users have reported that their oil filter cap was leaking when an old O-ring was reused. This is expected because you cannot reuse old O-rings as they deform once the cap is torqued down. However malo wanted to address this issue so that when you get your new cap you can pop it on and use/test it temporarily without having to go out and buy a new filter. However it is still 100% necessary to change your O-ring every single time you remove your oil filter housing cap to prevent leaks, and it is still 100% recommended you install a new filter with your new cap. This update was to ensure no one ran into any issues just in case they neglected to use a new filter, which is occurring.


Overall this is a really nice little update package to what was already the best oil filter housing cap on the market imo, and I am really happy to see it!

[XutvJet]

Do people really have issues with the OEM cap?

[F87source]

Originally Posted by XutvJet

Do people really have issues with the OEM cap?

The stock cap can crack due to age, not sure about it's frequency. But this item is more of an aesthetic and convenience upgrade done right (because it properly supports the bird cage).

[tenkies]

I bought the EAS version and wobble on the cage was total crap. The cage would actually fall out of the housing after doing a test fit. Had to end up returning it. The Malo looks like it fits a bit better

[F87source]

Originally Posted by tenkies

I bought the EAS version and wobble on the cage was total crap. The cage would actually fall out of the housing after doing a test fit. Had to end up returning it. The Malo looks like it fits a bit better

I didn't know EAS had a cap, do you mean ecs?

There's also an instagram video I linked if you want to see cage retention.

[tenkies]

Originally Posted by F87source

I didn't know EAS had a cap, do you mean ecs?

There's also an instagram video I linked if you want to see cage retention.

Sorry, you are correct ECS. For some reason ECS's version has another set of inner teeth at the base of the oil cap so the cage never fully seats in the housing.

[F87source]

Originally Posted by tenkies

Sorry, you are correct ECS. For some reason ECS's version has another set of inner teeth at the base of the oil cap so the cage never fully seats in the housing.

Those are the bypass valve base plate supports. It is a critical part of the design.

[tenkies]

Originally Posted by F87source

Those are the bypass valve base plate supports. It is a critical part of the design.

ECS's design has that inner ring too tall and the outer ring can't grip the cage enough to hold it securely and the cage just comes off when the filter is installed.

[F87source]

Originally Posted by tenkies

ECS's design has that inner ring too tall and the outer ring can't grip the cage enough to hold it securely and the cage just comes off when the filter is installed.

Oh I see.

[XutvJet]

An OEM BMW oil filter housing caps is around $40 and no worries about how well the filter cage will attach to that lid. I've got to admit, I looked and looked and I don't see any evidence of OEM BMW oil filter housing caps breaking unless you install an incorrect oil filter (too tall) and/or over-torque it dramatically. There are lots of reports of the caps leaking, but the cause is almost always the result of the owner using non-OEM thinner o-rings, reusing old and brittle o-rings, or the o-ring getting twisted.

When using a metal oil filter housing cap, one should be very careful when torquing because now you've got metal vs metal and there is a possibility of damaging the oil filter housing if you get too aggressive with the torque.

I'll never understand why people over-torque these caps or drain plugs. It's hardly any torque for either. Simply tighten the cap on with the correct torque and then take a paint pen and mark the cap and housing. From then on, you know how far to go with tightening by lining up the two marks.

[F87source]

Originally Posted by XutvJet

An OEM BMW oil filter housing caps is around $40 and no worries about how well the filter cage will attach to that lid. I've got to admit, I looked and looked and I don't see any evidence of OEM BMW oil filter housing caps breaking unless you install an incorrect oil filter (too tall) and/or over-torque it dramatically. There are lots of reports of the caps leaking, but the cause is almost always the result of the owner using non-OEM thinner o-rings, reusing old and brittle o-rings, or the o-ring getting twisted.

When using a metal oil filter housing cap, one should be very careful when torquing because now you've got metal vs metal and there is a possibility of damaging the oil filter housing if you get too aggressive with the torque.

I'll never understand why people over-torque these caps or drain plugs. It's hardly any torque for either. Simply tighten the cap on with the correct torque and then take a paint pen and mark the cap and housing. From then on, you know how far to go with tightening by lining up the two marks.

Like I said before these caps are an aesthetic upgrade but done properly compared to other aluminium caps. Don't forget N54 guys with upgraded intake manifolds don't have the room for the oil filter tools so they need an upgraded cap with the hex on it.


There are zero risks of damaging the OFH if you hand thread the cap on and then use a torque wrench just like how you are supposed to with the stock cap and any other bolt on the car.

[F87source]

So here is an improvement recently done on these oil filter housing lids to further improve the filter retention mechanism. I have update the original post but also included the section below for easier reading. But this really does make their oil filter housing cap the best in the market there literally is nothing that compares imo.



Edit - May 13, 2021:

After I was talking to malo industries a little bit more about cage retention strength and throwing ideas back and forth about how to make sure that the birdcage stay within the cap no matter what - even though it has not been an issue on their oil filter cap compared to the competitors out there which do leave the bird cage within the filter housing. Malo industries has now improved their bird cage retention mechanism by adding a groove to the bird cage supports . This means that when you unscrew the oil filter housing lid during oil changes the lid will rotate and catch onto the birdcage locking it in so it never stays stuck in the oil filter housing. This little update in the design of the cap essentially guarantees the bird cage will always come out of the oil filter housing and the oil will drain from the housing instead of spilling all over the place.

So another reason why the malo industries oil filter housing lid is the best on the market with this update you will never have to worry about oil spills during filter changes if the bird cage were to remain stuck. This also shows that malo industries cares about bmw owners and enthusiasts by constantly striving to improve their products based on feedback instead of just ignoring any potential issue, they strive for the best without compromise and their products reflect that.


Here is an Instagram video demonstrating the new update:

[dtmurf]

Originally Posted by F87source

Introduction:

In this article I will be reviewing the Malo industries billet aluminium oil filter housing lid...

Nice article, very informative whether or not you are in the market for a aftermarket oil filter cap. Thanks!

[Resoelg]

Originally Posted by F87source

Those are the bypass valve base plate supports. It is a critical part of the design.

Another great write up. Thanks!
Buying this along with the Turner Oil pan drain plug.
Cheers
GL

[F87source]

Originally Posted by Resoelg

Another great write up. Thanks!
Buying this along with the Turner Oil pan drain plug.
Cheers
GL

No problem.

[F87source]

Originally Posted by dtmurf

Nice article, very informative whether or not you are in the market for a aftermarket oil filter cap. Thanks!

Thanks for the kind words I appreciate it!

[F87source]

So here is an update to the malo industries oil filter housing cap, I also put it in post 2 as well:

Coupon Code:

I have an update for you guys, Malo industries has given me a 5% off coupon code for everything in their store to share with you guys - that way you guys can save some money on cool mods!

Note: I do not make any money, commission etc with this coupon code.


Malo Industries Oil filter housing cap update:




Malo industries has recently released a new oil filter housing cap with a redesigned exterior and a few updates to the internals, these are small updates that further improves the original cap and cements this cap as the best one on the market imo. However if you owned the first generation cap an upgrade is not required. The original cap is still incredible, this new one just has a few updates but does not obsolete the original cap. Now lets discuss the changes further.


1) The new oil filter housing cap is a hexadecagon in design just like the original oil filter housing cap, and will utilize the same oil filter housing tool. This design was due to the huge demand from customers due to its more aesthetically appealing design.

2) The oil filter retention mechanism has been updated as well. In the past few months I have been talking to malo industries and what was discussed was that the oil filter housing cap should have a better filter retention mechanism. So that when you are removing the cap the oil filter and birdcage should come out every single time and not remain stuck inside of the housing preventing oil from draining and creating a big mess (this can occur with other aftermarket caps due to their retention tabs not being sufficient at holding on to the bird cage). To do this malo implemented a notch in the birdcage retention tabs keyed to lock into the bird cage when turning the cap counterclockwise. This design will not allow the birdcage to be stuck behind in the oil filter housing making sure it is removed with the cap every time.



3) The oil bypass base plate supports have been reduced in number to 4 equally spaced tabs that still perfectly support the oil bypass base plate which is critical. But now allows for even more oil flow to the oil bypass in the event it is required.

4) The O-ring groove on the second generation cap has been increased in diameter, this way it ensures there are absolutely no oil leaks if an old O-ring is reused. The difference is really minor and again doesn’t make the original cap obsolete, the reason why this change was implemented was because a few users have reported that their oil filter cap was leaking when an old O-ring was reused. This is expected because you cannot reuse old O-rings as they deform once the cap is torqued down. However malo wanted to address this issue so that when you get your new cap you can pop it on and use/test it temporarily without having to go out and buy a new filter. However it is still 100% necessary to change your O-ring every single time you remove your oil filter housing cap to prevent leaks, and it is still 100% recommended you install a new filter with your new cap. This update was to ensure no one ran into any issues just in case they neglected to use a new filter, which is occurring.


Overall this is a really nice little update package to what was already the best oil filter housing cap on the market imo, and I am really happy to see it!

[MASHCT]

Just ordered the Malo! Thanks for the awesome write up!

Wish I saw this before I ordered the Burger Motorsports/BMS cap. It's a real nice cap but it is missing the valve seat tabs, too. I was hoping to round-out my BMS oil thermostat lid & caps but the Malo is on its way.

Now if Malo would make an oil filler cap, coolant cap & washer reservoir cap, blue anodized, we could really dress up our plasticky-engine bays.

[MASHCT]

Also - this needs a sticky.

[F87source]

Originally Posted by MASHCT

Just ordered the Malo! Thanks for the awesome write up!

Wish I saw this before I ordered the Burger Motorsports/BMS cap. It's a real nice cap but it is missing the valve seat tabs, too. I was hoping to round-out my BMS oil thermostat lid & caps but the Malo is on its way.

Now if Malo would make an oil filler cap, coolant cap & washer reservoir cap, blue anodized, we could really dress up our plasticky-engine bays.

No problem, glad my review could help!

Yeah the Malo cap really is the best on the market imo! I remembered seeing him talk about developing the caps so I dm'ed him on Instagram and helped him design (gave him my thoughts on where normal caps went wrong etc) this cap so it would be absolutely perfect!

I'll talk to Malo about possibly making those caps, but the last time I talked to him he was a bit busy so it might take some time.

[wheela]

Thanks for taking the time to write this up! It was very informative, and I've definately learned alot about a seemingly simple part.