[Arkady Archie Vestel]

This forum is a life saver again. Replaced dozens of air filters in my day and have never run into the issue I did today. I purchased the Fram CA11114 replacement and I struggled for 30 minutes and could not get it to fit into the groove on the driver side. Felt as if I compressed it anymore the plastic would just snap. I will try tomorrow to jostle with it the way some people noted but I will probably go out and purchase the NAPA Gold replacement as people don't have nearly as much of an issue with it.

 

[ndccpf1]

I too had the troubles getting filter in and re-aligning the top cover. Appears the top cover has tight clearances for fit but.... looks like the plastic (top and bottom) deforms due to heat causing re-install challenges !

 

[spicegirl16]

Do the 1.6 and 2.0 engines take the same air filter?

 

[bangster]

Yes, 1.6l and 2.0l (and now the 1.5l) use the same air filter.

 

[HayaiKuruma]

Do the 1.6 and 2.0 engines take the same air filter?

Right there in your owners manual. A free PDF version for all 7+ billion people to download is available online.

 

[bangster]

But...doesn't the 2.5 have a flat panel filter?

 

[Arkady Archie Vestel]

This forum is a life saver again. Replaced dozens of air filters in my day and have never run into the issue I did today. I purchased the Fram CA11114 replacement and I struggled for 30 minutes and could not get it to fit into the groove on the driver side. Felt as if I compressed it anymore the plastic would just snap. I will try tomorrow to jostle with it the way some people noted but I will probably go out and purchase the NAPA Gold replacement as people don't have nearly as much of an issue with it.

UPDATE: I did replace with the NAPA Gold and it is definitely a much better fit. I still had trouble with the screw hole on the bottom right however it was a significant improvement from the FRAM.

 

[gatorgibson]

Just replaced the filter today. It seems the more maintenance i do on these cars the more i realize one or two things, Ford wants it to be a pain in the ass so you will take it to them, or, the engineers at Ford needs some schooling! Replacing batteries and air filters/cabin filters should not be this difficult!

 

[mrmikesdeuce]

I believe you are correct, as the old filter appears to be compressed.
I will try putting the other end in first. But I'm not sure how that will help considering I had it in and properly seated.
I am open to any suggestions . Maybe putting it in the way you suggest will compress the new filter?
Just to clarify, my only problem is putting the top cover back on so the screws line up. I have some time because I put the old filter back in which only has a few bugs on it after 14,000 miles.

When I had my '14 2.0 Titanium I put a K&N airbox kit on it. When I traded the car, I put the stock cover back on. I bought a '17 MKC and put the K&N filter in it. Every time I took a air box cover off, I had problems aligning the screws. Twice I was able to get all screws aligned, but I had to trade in the Escape with one screw not attached properly. Try starting the two outermost screws first. They are harder to reach. Once you have them started, you can reach the two inner screws and bend the plastic enough for alignment.

 

[piper]

Air Filter

I also had a hard time installing my Motorcraft air filter. The Tech at my dealership told me to use dish washing liquid on the rubber end, I did, a little push and done.

 

[centex]

Old thread but the 'issue' has been the source of complaints on many others about air filters, and I've poo-poo'ed it as a 'non-issue', just use a touch of (water base) lube on the snout.

Well, the problem finally hit me at 50,816 miles - went to do the heretofore easy OEM air filter swap and that puppy just did not want to go in.

Air box shrinkage, sloppy air-filter manufacturing tolerance, whatever, who knows, who cares.

The easy 'fix' .... use a single-edge razor blade to quickly and neatly trim 1/8" off the filter's soft rubber snout .... the grooves on the inside are the perfect guide to keep it straight and 'square'.

In it went with the 'normal' snug and airtight fit, no fighting.



(Dad used to tell me ... "work smart, not hard". Thanks, Dad, never forgotten ! ;-)

 

[HayaiKuruma]

Old thread but the 'issue' has been the source of complaints on many others about air filters, and I've poo-poo'ed it as a 'non-issue', just use a touch of (water base) lube on the snout.

Well, the problem finally hit me at 50,816 miles - went to do the heretofore easy OEM air filter swap and that puppy just did not want to go in.

Air box shrinkage, sloppy air-filter manufacturing tolerance, whatever, who knows, who cares.

The easy 'fix' .... use a single-edge razor blade to quickly and neatly trim 1/8" off the filter's soft rubber snout .... the grooves on the inside are the perfect guide to keep it straight and 'square'.

In it went with the 'normal' snug and airtight fit, no fighting.



(Dad used to tell me ... "work smart, not hard". Thanks, Dad, never forgotten ! ;-)

Yep, I have used a deburring tool in the past to accomplish the same results.

Wow, only 51,000 miles. I’m envious. And I’m in the rust belt.

 

[PaulOinMA]

No trimming necessary. Read my post on page 2. Very easy to install new filter.

 

[centex]

No trimming necessary. Read my post on page 2. Very easy to install new filter.

Yes, thanks, I'd noted that, but also noted that my (filter) pleats are always straight and preferred to keep 'em that way. :laugh:

Nothin' wrong with more than one 'solution', eh ?

 

[Timberline]

I bought the Fram replacement prior to reading any of these air filter threads and ran into the same "too long" problem. I noticed that the old OEM filter was slightly twisted indicting that some compression took place. I then stuck the new filter in my woodworking bench vise which has a very long throat and "pre-compressed" the filter. It then popped right in.

 

[nationalwheel]

I used a couple drops of motor oil to lube the gasket, practically installed itself after that. The guy at the Ford parts counter told me that tip, said they're always hearing about it from buyers. The dishwashing liquid is a good idea also.

 

[Roche]

I've been getting the Motorcraft air filters from Amazon. I insert the (open) intake side first and then with the palm of my hand I gently but firmly push the closed end forward and then down until the lip fits in the groove. I then just move the top cover around until it drops into place on all sides. Takes a few tries but if you take a flashlight and look at each tab to make sure there is no gap before tightening the screws, you should be fine.

Exactly my experience. It's a 'finicky' installation, one that a tire dealer did not do correctly (2 out of 4 screws) after they told me I needed an air filter replacement for I the filter I replaced 5k miles ago......

Moral of the story - if it's finicky for your average DIY guy, no service tech is going to wrestle with it for 15 minutes. Always verify correct installation no matter who does the job.

 

[jleeo]

Two dinged fingers, a vocabulary lesson and some car wax on the rubber ring later, I finally muscled that Motorcraft rascal into the box. It does seem the box is deformed from heat, exacerbating the problem. Will try the NAPA filter next time, taking a utility knife and soap (for filter and mouth) before tackling again. No way on earth an oil change guy is going to fight his way through a proper installation.

 

[No S Cape]

Yeah I bought a purolator recently and noticed it was a bit too long. Yeah I probably could have forced it in, probably crushing it a bit but I was hoping to find one that fit like it was actually the right length. I noticed the one already in it, probably put in by a quick lube shop my daughter had oil changed at, had cut the rubber gasket off but that seems like it might allow dirt/dust/sand to get sucked in so I may buy several different ones and see if one seems to fit like it's was made for it without a modifying. Wish me luck!

 

[Cclark]

Always use OEM air filters. They have more filter material, stiffer and less likely to deform causing MAFS issues. The rubber is stiffer than other filters so it takes some effort to install.
It is not uncommon for aftermarket filters to loose their cone and allow unfiltered air into the engine.
If you use K&N be sure not to over oil it or prepare to replace your MAFS