Printable View
So what weight oil to use? I usually use Royal Purple synth 10W30 in my VW... but I've been told that dino is often the best bet (fiscally) for the Miata.
So I'm reading my enthusiasts manual and it mentions two different oils - 10W30 for the US (CAFE standards!) and 20W50 for the rest of the world! What in the hell do I use?
And as for filters, I've been instructed to use only Mazda filters.. why is that?
I run Mobil One synthetic 20W50 in the POS! Vivid’s gets 5W30.
I am told the Mazda Filters have an Anti Drain back Valve that helps fight oil starvation on startup, which is good because they mounted the freaking filter on it side! :roll:
Also, I dont know how much of a difference it makes, but the mazda filters have a round gasket and the others have a flat one...
I'm running Castrol GTX 10W30. IMHO, the most important thing is to change your oil and filter on a regular basis.
I also run OEM filters. I read something on the pointy board about some aftermarket filters causing low oil pressure problems because they are physically larger than stock. For a few bucks more, go OEM.
:shock: Kinda Bling Bling for a CB! :PQuote:
Originally Posted by sammm
The Oil Filters aren't real expensive! :wink:
Sammm how much cheaper were those non-OEM filters?Quote:
Originally Posted by sammm
Mazda Speed PN's
B6Y1 14 302 9A $3.80 Filter
9956-41-400 $0.40 Gasket - Oil Pan
Can I get a Team CB decal now???
Treibenschnell be sure to get a new gasket (crush washer) for the pan drain plug.
Of course you can! All you gotta do is ask! :DQuote:
Originally Posted by onething
Must have been back in the good ol days last time you ordered a filter, I ordered some today from Mazda Motorsports :Quote:
Originally Posted by onething
B6Y1-14-302 -9A $4.15ea. :wink:
That is why I ordered a lifetime supply back in the day :mrgreen:Quote:
Originally Posted by POS Racing
I switched to Royal Purple about a year ago. Can't say I notice any difference, but I guess I gave in to all the hype.
" but I've been told that dino is often the best bet (fiscally)"
While synthetic is more expensive, the Miata needs less than 4 quarts (3.7??) to help offset that cost.... I am now a Mobil 1 guy, 5w30 until someone talks me into a different weight (20w50 POS??)
Wait a minute looks like I were corn-fused! :drunken:Quote:
Originally Posted by bigDstars
Vivid gets 5W30 Mobil One
The POS with 151,000 miles gets the 15W50 Mobil One :oops: Sorry.
The Cadillac get gets 20W50 Dino since it was around during the time of the dinosaur!
The Expedition gets 0W30 Dino, whatever is cheap since it's on a 36 month lease then it's someone else problem. :wink:
It's just sooo hard to keep track! :roll:
I believe it was Flyin96M who recommended the 15W50 to me for the POS to fight lifter tick! I know I get more miles out of an oil change between HLA Noises (lifter tick), and the car seems happy with it! Plus it says "Racing Formula" right on the bottle! :albino:
YMMV
Umm... unless you're running a 50-gallon-sized oil filter, a typically oversized filter ain't going to cause low oil pressure problems. :?Quote:
Originally Posted by sammm
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.
Hmmm, I thought that the lighter weight oils were the cure for HLA lifter ticking :!: I use either 5w30 dino with oil/filter changes @ 2000 miles or 5w30 Mobil 1 with oil/filter changes @ 4000 miles. I always use filters made by Champion Labs (I think). They make many of the filters sold by other names (STP, WalMart brand, and others). At $1.99 it doesn't hurt the bank account when changing frequently.
:?: Here's my question: How can someone that uses Mobil 1 filters qualify for TEAM CHEAP BASTARD :?: :wink:
I would agree with you, but on 10W30 Mobil One the POS really liked making the dreaded HLA noise. For some reason the POS likes the thicker stuff, I have no ideal why but even at MSR last week with close to 2,800 on the current oil / filter the HLA was almost non existent. May just be voodoo magic but its happy!Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark52
Because using Mobil 1 filters is cheaper than buying a new engine? :P :wink:Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark52
I used to religiously use Mobil 1 every 5k and Mazda filters.
I heard that Mazda changed the design on the filters and the new design was not as good. Upon reading various online reviews, Purolator and Mobil 1 filters seemed to be the best made. Pep Boys had Purolator filters on sale 2/$5 so I stocked up. They are running the sale again this week BTW. I chose the filter for the Mazda Millenia which is the same thread size but slightly longer.
As for oil I was noticing oil loss of a quart every 3k miles or so. No noticable leaks or burning. I think my rear main seal is the culprit. Anywho, Mike Kuhn recommended Castrol High Mileage since I have 126k on the clock. Still using about a quart every 3k but with more frequent oil changes using dino oil every 3k I don't worry about it. As for the viscosity breakdown, I'm also not worried since I don't track it often enough and the oil gets changed more frequntly than the Mobil 1 did.
I ended up using Castrol Syntec 10W-30 with a Mazda oil filter. It was easier than I thought it would be. Since I run at high RPM's almost daily (70 mile round trip to work) I think next time I'm gonna use Mobil synthetic and one of their filters. I used the Mobil 1 for years on my Passat but then switched to Royal Purple... ( no real difference... ) but on the Miata I think the Mobil synthetic might be the answer. I'm still getting some lifter noise, so I may use the goopier 20W-50 next time.... we'll see if the noise keeps up.
SAE 10W-30 Above -25C (-13F)
SAE 5W-30 Below O°C (32F)
This is from my handy service manual. I had no HLA noise on this car until a hot restart at the end of the track day at MSR. Gassing up on the way home I noticed I was a little less than a quart low. I will stay with 10w-30 or something near it. What I gather form the filter talk here and on the other board is stay away from the cheapest (Fram?) filters.
Yup I have been using 15W-50 for almost 2 years and have no lifter tick. Well she will tick a bit after running hard at MSR, but it stops before I am back to my parking spot. Befoer switching I tried everything with little to no results. I also use the Purelator Pure One filter for the Honda like Iain does. Not only did Mazda change the filter design and size for the Miata but so did Purelator :? I like the larger size of the Honda filter and it even says it has the anti-drainback valve right on the box :D Bottom line, is it is cheep insurance compared to ruining a good motor.