The is the BEST Oil Filter for your car OEM Mazda / Aftermarket / Performance

[G ~ MINI]

I mentioned i would post and talk about Oil Filters.
Lets start by doing a 101 on Oil Filter. I watched this youtube a while ago.
The 13 best and worst oil filters .
Btw...when i started to track more i moved to using the K&N performance gold (HP - 1002)
I think i may have found an even better oil filter than the K&N ....

Here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzCqjZgIMBk

He does mention K&N is cardboard filter membrane but is actually a synthetic blend similar
to what is in the K &N Air filter


After this i'll find a post what is in a OEM Mazda oil filter to compare with the above filters .
Then dig into whats the best way to protect against wear n tear / metal debris in your engine oil
and best way i think to trap this metal shaving produced by wear n tear than filters do not trap.
If its a good idea to extend your oil change interval from mazda recommended interval

[TheMAN]

TLDW

sticking to OEM filters, because they work and are very good

[G ~ MINI]

TLDW

sticking to OEM filters, because they work and are very good

I agree ... OEM Mazda filter just as good as if not better, than all filters in that youtube and very good oil filter (was on that for 8 years)

[G ~ MINI]

Like i mentioned to TheMAN , Moazda OEM is good oil filter ( I was on that for 8 years)

In the Youtube link below ...They tested long interval oil filter and others... i absolutely do not agree with extending the oil change interval
even though a oil filter can filter more. Who cares if a filter can longer ... You do not want to extent you oil interval.

Now what is the difference between a regular filter like Mazda OEM Filter and or some higher end filters (And Race oil filter)
This is the only youtube i can find of mazda filter being taken apart : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2pb-jvjnX0

Like mentioned in this video link ... there is no anti-drainback valve. Which is probably OK on a new engine, but as the miles pile on,
the oil that is held in the oil passages in the engine will eventually start to flow back thru the oil pump and end up in the sump.
Currently the Fram series of filters has an anti-drainback valve, Purolator and some other aftermarket filter makers have started to
put anti-drainback valves in .. Like K&N performance gold and Royal Purple® premium oil filters, WIX racing oil filter, Fran HP series ,
Amsoil and others . Why a anti-drainback ... Every time your engine is shut off, the valve keeps oil from draining out of the filter.
This allows the engine to receive oil immediately upon start up. Something else in higher end and race oil filters is a by-pass valve
and a high flow filter medium (faster flowing oil) . The bypass valve – otherwise known as a pressure relief
valve – is an integral part of the oil filter. The valve is designed to open when the oil filter becomes clogged or when the oil is too thick.
)If you stick to the interval that wont happen). The oil then goes straight to the engine to prevent starvation and damage.
In the first video link you saw how some by-pass where flimsy and some more sturdy and this will affect how that valve works
in certain conditions.

Bottom Line is if you enjoy aggressive driving, completing in autocross , time attack , or like to push the car on open track events
you should consider a better oil filter , high flow filter medium, better drain back valve and by-pass valve construction and dont dont
exceed your oil change interval.

Myself ... on top of using a better oil filter (im on the K&N HP-1008) as added precaution i also use a magnetic drain plug :
https://www.mishimoto.com/magnetic-oil-drain-plug-m12-x-1-75-black.html#features

Here is something unique from Japan .. SARD Racing oil filter with a magnet in the oil filter.
https://www.nengun.com/sard/racing-oil-filter-mag

[TheMAN]

you're making a mountain out of a mole hill... an anti-drainback valve is only needed if the filter is inverted or sideways... the filters on all the 3s, of all 4 generations are installed with the thread size facing upwards... oil is ALWAYS in the filter regardless of whether an anti-drainback valve exists or not... on older mazdas, such as the protege, the oil filter is installed sideways directly into the engine block... on the rotary engines, the oil filter is installed on the top, with the threaded side facing down... in both of these cases, a good anti-drainback valve is needed... on the 3, no

mazda europe and USA gave the OK for 16000km oil change intervals, under certain conditions... this applies more widely for the 3rd and 4th gen... Mazda Canada doesn't recommend beyond 12000km oil change intervals because of the cold climate... cold climate introduces a lot of condensation moisture into the oil, and possibly also fuel wash down because the engines run richer during winter... the only place in canada I would ever consider OK for 16000km drain intervals is in vancouver and victoria (and area), where the year round climate is very mild

at the end of the day though, you and I can argue all day long about the pros/cons of extended intervals... that doesn't matter... taking oil samples at the end of the recommended intervals, then having an oil analysis done will help determine how much more oil life is left based on your driving conditions/habits/engine condition.... extending intervals based on true data needs to be done gradually (each time getting the oil analysed), till you still have a small safety margin left... this is the only safe way

[G ~ MINI]

you're making a mountain out of a mole hill... an anti-drainback valve is only needed if the filter is inverted or sideways... the filters on all the 3s, of all 4 generations are installed with the thread size facing upwards... oil is ALWAYS in the filter regardless of whether an anti-drainback valve exists or not... on older mazdas, such as the protege, the oil filter is installed sideways directly into the engine block... on the rotary engines, the oil filter is installed on the top, with the threaded side facing down... in both of these cases, a good anti-drainback valve is needed... on the 3, no

mazda europe and USA gave the OK for 16000km oil change intervals, under certain conditions... this applies more widely for the 3rd and 4th gen... Mazda Canada doesn't recommend beyond 12000km oil change intervals because of the cold climate... cold climate introduces a lot of condensation moisture into the oil, and possibly also fuel wash down because the engines run richer during winter... the only place in canada I would ever consider OK for 16000km drain intervals is in vancouver and victoria (and area), where the year round climate is very mild

at the end of the day though, you and I can argue all day long about the pros/cons of extended intervals... that doesn't matter... taking oil samples at the end of the recommended intervals, then having an oil analysis done will help determine how much more oil life is left based on your driving conditions/habits/engine condition.... extending intervals based on true data needs to be done gradually (each time getting the oil analysed), till you still have a small safety margin left... this is the only safe way


Thanks ... Thats why your the man !
I agree on taking oil samples , but one after each oil change maybe extreme , hence why i use a magnetic oil plug. Analyze oil at major maintenance intervals or if plug show something unsual.
The whole reason of the this post and others ... is to get you thinking of your car, the engine, your drive habits, and how that could change your interval or not.

So here what do you think of this agreement about anti - drain back valve?
Yes they matter. Without one, the head pressure in oil galleries above would "backflow" through the filter and you'd lose that oil pressure prime when you next start the engine.
Even with a vertically-mounted filter, a good ADBV is important. in keeping those oil galleries above the filter primed with oil.

[Johns 08 3 GT]

TLDW

sticking to OEM filters, because they work and are very good

Only OE on all my family Mazda's (and OE on my Ram when I had it)

Heck, the Subaru guys love the 09+ RX8 filters.

[TheMAN]

So here what do you think of this agreement about anti - drain back valve?
Yes they matter. Without one, the head pressure in oil galleries above would "backflow" through the filter and you'd lose that oil pressure prime when you next start the engine.
Even with a vertically-mounted filter, a good ADBV is important. in keeping those oil galleries above the filter primed with oil.

read what you said, and think about that very carefully... you'll see that is complete nonsense, because it's clear that engineers know better than you, since there are some OEM filters for some cars out there that have no anti-drainback valve at all, yet it's fine

oil always will always follow gravity when there's no pressure... if an oil filter with its opening is facing upwards and installed that way, oil will always be retained in the filter... who cares how much is there, there's always something, and it's enough to give the top side of the engine some oil right as it fires up... even if oil drains through the filter (which it won't for the most part), it wouldn't make it go dry... there are several drainback holes in the head that lead directly into the block, and straight down to the pan... oil won't really reenter the oil feed galleries once the oil has pumped out of them... like for example, a small pool of oil sitting in the head, won't really back flow back under the cam journals into where the oil feed holes are... it'll find a path of least resistance instead, which are the large oil drain holes around the sides of the head

[G ~ MINI]

read what you said, and think about that very carefully... you'll see that is complete nonsense, because it's clear that engineers know better than you, since there are some OEM filters for some cars out there that have no anti-drainback valve at all, yet it's fine

oil always will always follow gravity when there's no pressure... if an oil filter with its opening is facing upwards and installed that way, oil will always be retained in the filter... who cares how much is there, there's always something, and it's enough to give the top side of the engine some oil right as it fires up... even if oil drains through the filter (which it won't for the most part), it wouldn't make it go dry... there are several drainback holes in the head that lead directly into the block, and straight down to the pan... oil won't really reenter the oil feed galleries once the oil has pumped out of them... like for example, a small pool of oil sitting in the head, won't really back flow back under the cam journals into where the oil feed holes are... it'll find a path of least resistance instead, which are the large oil drain holes around the sides of the head

Got it !

I didnt write that ..it was a copy and paste from Bob is the oil guy website/ forum.

[G ~ MINI]

So....

Bottom Line is if you enjoy aggressive driving, completing in autocross , time attack , or like to push the car on open track events
you should consider a better oil filter , high flow filter medium, better drain back valve and by-pass valve construction. Most if not all
better high flow filters with have a better filter medium , by pass and and anti drain valve. And dont dont exceed your oil change interval.

Some oil filters to consider :
K&N performance gold
HKS magnetic
Blitz racing
Cusco sport magnetic
Sard Magnetic
TRD sports
Fram, Wix , others also made a higher flowing oil filter.

[TheMAN]

think very carefully about "high flow"... usually that means less filtering, because that's less resistance..... something you don't really need for the street... for racing, probably, because oil pressure might make the bypass valve open, thus no filtering at all... a "high flow" filter, might cause some filtration to continue to happen, as the bypass valve might not open

[G ~ MINI]

think very carefully about "high flow"... usually that means less filtering, because that's less resistance..... something you don't really need for the street... for racing, probably, because oil pressure might make the bypass valve open, thus no filtering at all... a "high flow" filter, might cause some filtration to continue to happen, as the bypass valve might not open

Yes , you are correct !
Thats why im digging deeper into these high flow filters.
Is it more filter medium per filter or reduced medium resistance increasing the flow.
Filtration of regular filter medium vs high flow filter (microns they filter) and
is putting a magnet in the filter a way to catch stuff when the bypass opens up.

[G ~ MINI]

Now here is another option for those you want better filtration (a bigger better filter)
who push their car aggressively ( results in higher oil temp and pressure ) especially if
you track/autocross alot...
It maybe over kill , but it can save you an engine rebuild.

You can add a oil cooler relocation kit from GRASSROOTS (in North York).
If you drive a Speed 3 you know the turbo will raise all your temps.
And same goes for anyone who likes to keep it in gear and close to redline all the time
The oil temps will go up and you can cook your oil.

https://grassrootsparts.com/collections/new-arrivals/products/chevrolet-oil-cooler-kit

The benefits , the obvious is lower oil temps, but the relocation can hold a larger filter
and also easier to remove the filter and change your oil. So more flow medium , more oil
adds about a .4L to your capacity. Plus you can also add/attach oil pressure and oil temp gauges to the kit.


Bottom line... how ever you do
Keep your oil Cool and Clean ....