Reply With QuoteI have a Miata Oil Filter wrench that I got for x-mas a few years back.
I have never tried it, but you are welcome to try it. You can come by and pick it up, or I can bring it to the next tech day.
Oil Filter trouble
Okay, don't laugh or criticize but I finally got around to my first oil change. The dealer told me they changed the oil before I picked it up but with hindsight there's a credibility issue. I've had the car 6 weeks and put close to 2000 miles on it so anyway...
Wal-Mart carries my oil so I grabbed a filter there too. But the only one they had was a Fram. Not my preference but it must be better than nothing. Drained the oil and tightened the plug. I go to remove the filter and WTF! that thing is so hard to grab. Ha ha, I think, I can use the cup style wrench from the old Protege. Hmm, no, Mazda has changed something and the Mazda supplied wrench no longer fits the Mazda filter. (maybe the dealer actually did change the oil) So it didn't matter that I bought the Fram since I never changed it.
At the last tech day, someone told me about an alternate Mazda filter that is longer and should provide more surface area, etc. Might have been Tim the Teacher but I didn't write down his name or the filter details. Does anyone have a tool to fit the Mazda oil filter? Does anyone know the alternate filter info?
I have a Miata Oil Filter wrench that I got for x-mas a few years back.
I have never tried it, but you are welcome to try it. You can come by and pick it up, or I can bring it to the next tech day.
I have a vice-grip style oil filter wrench. When I switched to using a different filter brand, the OEM socket style shown above no longer fit.
The vice-grip style works really well too. Bought it at HF for next to nothing. You're welcome to borrow it but I live in Plano.
Would increased surface area cause decreased oil pressure? My Miata had a big old Napa filter on it when I bought it, and I seem to remember an increase in oil pressure when I switched to OEM.Originally Posted by droptop
Someone (probably a pointy person) once pointed out that Mazda selected the filter they did for a reason. They could have used the same filter as they used in the Millenia, but they made a choice to go with the smaller one. I don't know why they made that choice, but they did. I for one have chosen to stick with the choice they made. With that said, I am completely un-qualified to be handing out advice!
I use the oil filter made for Hondas... larger oil filter with and it has the check valve that the Mazda requires for it's filters.
Oh I forgot about those pliers style filter wrenches!I may have to try one.
Once I settle on a filter, I might buy another cup wrench. They seem to work well. Or maybe I'll be singing the praises of the other wrench.
From a long time ago...
Umm... unless you're running a 50-gallon-sized oil filter, a typically oversized filter ain't going to cause low oil pressure problems.
However, an oversized oil filter can provide some useful benefits over a stock-sized filter, especially one as dinky as the OEM Miata one. For a car that gets autocrossed, time trialed, or tracked often, I'd definitely recommend a larger filter. Here's a short list of some of the benefits:
1) Larger oil capacity.
2) Better oil cooling due to the larger can surface area.
3) More filter medium, resulting in less oil flow restriction and longer serviceable life.
4) Longer engine oil usage.
Now #4 ain't that important (you do change your oil regularly, don'tcha?), but #1-3 can be important, especially for long autox courses, time trialing, or open track, where the car sees extended high rpm usage. High rpms mean high oil pressure. The higher the oil pressure, the more likely it is that the filter bypass valve opens, in which case the oil is completely unfiltered. Oiling systems have filters for a reason.
Using a larger filter means more filter medium for the oil to pass through, which mean less restriction and less pressure buildup on the "dirty" side of the filter, which means you have a higher likelihood of continued filtration during extended high rpm operation.
Slightly improved oil cooling at the filter and more oil capactiy are both secondary benefits of a larger filter, as both will allow lower oil temperatures during extended high rpm running.
Last, I firmly believe anyone who does autox/time trial/open track owes it to themselves to use full synthetic oil, as it - like the commercials say - better withstands viscosity breakdown at high temperatures.
I typically use Mobil 1 0w40 in my car, along with Mobil 1 filters. I think the OEM Miata size is M1-110, but I use '97-'03 Honda Prelude-sized filters (M1-104 in the Mobil 1 range), as they fit the Miata and are about 1.5 times the size of the OEM filters.
Thanks for digging that up... it was a very good read.... now should I trust Iain's advice? Was it tested in a wind tunnel?
I certainly have no question about the benefits of a larger filter. I was an oil nerd in my previous job.
Well, that and I don't enjoy getting bitch slapped. :P
Altiain may not have a wind tunnel... but he can be kind of a blow hard!Thanks for digging that up... it was a very good read.... now should I trust Iain's advice? Was it tested in a wind tunnel?
Wow Somebody's looking to get bitch slapped.Altiain may not have a wind tunnel... but he can be kind of a blow hard!
Nah... he's too busy bitch slapping Moti over on theWow Somebody's looking to get bitch slapped.Altiain may not have a wind tunnel... but he can be kind of a blow hard!board!! Besides, we're the rooting section!!!
Nah... he's too busy bitch slapping Moti over on theGo Altiain... It's your Birthday! It's your Birthday! Go Altiain... It's your Birthday!
Oh no... wait... guess that's Onething
No, I don't have a wind tunnel... but I did get to play with A&M's wind tunnel last summer for a project I was working on. Not that it has any bearing on this thread.
Besides, I'll be the first to agree with 3Bean that I've been known to be umm... a little forceful with my opinions sometimes.
Iain
"We don't stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
Hell that's why I like ya!I'll be the first to agree with 3Bean that I've been known to be umm... a little forceful with my opinions sometimes.
But how do you FEEL about any subject has never been a question in my mind.Besides, I'll be the first to agree with 3Bean that I've been known to be umm... a little forceful with my opinions sometimes.
I use the M1-110 with no problems ....longer and easier to grab.
I have been away from the board for awhile because of an inury to my elbow. Damn Vicodin is great but makes me WOOZY!!!
I live where even the coyotes won't go...
You should warn your loved ones....you're not going to be a happy camper when you stop taking it. I was angry for several days.
You mean you have to stop taking it?!?!?!You should warn your loved ones....you're not going to be a happy camper when you stop taking it. I was angry for several days.Bummer!
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