Spin-on conversion for the Mazdas

[trixman]

Are you sick of the cartridge filter on you Mazda? I would be.
I came across this procedure to convert. Let me know what you think.

Anyhoo, Here is the link. This guy did the conversion to a spin on. Pics too.

http://www.mazda6tech.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=47&Itemid=1

Thought I'd share.

 

[globey]

This will work on Ford 2.3's too. I have one. I don't know if I would suggest doing this as it could void certain parts of your warranty if your car still has one.

 

[CBDFrontier06]

I read on a Mazda forum that if your engine suffers ANY kind of oil-related failure, your warranty won't cover repairs if you do this modification. "Oil Restriction" was specifically mentioned.

Why would anyone be sick of the cartridge-type filter? It's no harder than a spin-on. You just have to use the correct tools (cap-style filter wrench instead of Channel-Lock Pliers) and have a general understanding of how not to crossthread the housing.

 

[trixman]

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This will work on Ford 2.3's too. I have one. I don't know if I would suggest doing this as it could void certain parts of your warranty if your car still has one.

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Hey the miles pile up quick. After warranty period is over, you could spend 3 or 4 on a filter instead of 10. No more planning ahead to get a filter from stealership or online merely to do an oil change.

And no worries about the O-ring getting pinched.

Let's face it. It's a ploy to discourage the average Joe from bringing their car anywhere but the dealership.

 

[CBDFrontier06]

Well, I'm as average as any Joe I know and I'm not the least bit deterred by this setup. It's actual purpose is to be slightly more enviromentally friendly by keeping all the oil-filled steel canisters out of the landfills. Due to anti-backflow designs incorporated into a lot of traditional oil filters, many end up at the landfill half-filled with oil. Not the case with the cartridge filter. Granted, it doesn't completely solve the problem but it's a step in the right direction.

Since I don't buy Fram filters, I wouldn't be paying $3 - $4 regardless of style. My cartridges cost $6 at my dealer...pennies when compared to the cost of the oil I use. For me, stopping at my dealer's parts department is actually more pleasurable than fighting my way in and out of the local Sprawl-Mart.

Give yourself a good learning experience and crawl underneath and change your own cartridge (if you own a car that's so-equipped). They're not the devil, I promise. You just have to pay attention to what you're doing.

 

[tripleM]

Since when is it $10 for the OEM filter? Only a moron in a pinch who had to have a OEM would pay that much.

I got my OEM filters for $3.00 in packs of 10.

& re: the pinching of O-ring: isn't there 1 in the cannister also that you can pinch ?

 

[CBDFrontier06]

Concerning the o-rings, yes they can be incorrectly installed, so I nipped that in the bud by simply not removing the drain plug. I don't see the point, really. Put on the wrench and remove the canister in the same manner that you'd remove any other oil filter, do your thing, and replace it. One less o-ring to worry about, IMO.
Concerning the big o-ring on top of the housing...make sure to lubricate the o-ring AND the mating surface on the engine, as the o-ring needs to spin freely agains the mating surface as it seats. It will bind up if it's dry.

 

[kkreit01]

FYI -- the Wix/Napa Gold Cartridge filters sell for slightly over $3 from our site sponsor (Fleetfilter.com). The Spin-ons are over $4. I checked yesterday. The Napa Gold (WIX) have done well in this application.

 

[tripleM]

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Concerning the o-rings, yes they can be incorrectly installed, so I nipped that in the bud by simply not removing the drain plug. I don't see the point, really. Put on the wrench and remove the canister in the same manner that you'd remove any other oil filter, do your thing, and replace it. One less o-ring to worry about, IMO.
Concerning the big o-ring on top of the housing...make sure to lubricate the o-ring AND the mating surface on the engine, as the o-ring needs to spin freely agains the mating surface as it seats. It will bind up if it's dry.

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Yes for the cannister this is a good idea.
However, in the case of the cartridge, I think the concern is cracking the filter housing cap by cross threading or stripping the housing cap bolt.

 

[CBDFrontier06]

I had become a little concerned with the setup when I kept reading horror stories on a Mazda 3 Forum. Several guys on there have new engines now from a housing failure.

So I just asked the parts manager what he had witnessed, and he said "you're going to run into problems when you use channellock pliers to tighten the housing..especially if you overtighten it". That pretty much told me everything I needed to know. The simple truth is that if you overtighten, crossthread or use tools that are horribly mismatched for the task, you can expect problems.

I've read several peoples' comments wishing they had made the housing out of metal, calling the plastic housing 'junk'. Just imagine the problems people would be having had they made the housing out of aluminum. The first time you crossthread it, you're seriously screwed. Prepare to call a tow-truck or take a cab to the dealership to order new engine fittings.

I bought a cap wrench, torque wrench and an extra plastic housing (just in case) so I could do this at home, and it was a snap.

 

[dwendt44]

A similar conversion has been done on Honda Gold Wing motorcycles- the 4 cylinder ones - for many years with no real problems.(works on other Hondas that use the same cartridge filter as the Gold Wing and some Yamahas.

A spin on filter will flow just as well as a cartridge type.

 

[tripleM]

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I bought a cap wrench, torque wrench and an extra plastic housing (just in case) so I could do this at home, and it was a snap.

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Yes: same here.

 

[trixman]

Hey don't shoot the messenger. It's an option.

Obviously for some it makes sense. I didn't see any threads for spin-on to cartridge conversions. LOL

I have a friend that has that setup and it is a PITN for him. His cap bolt is just about rounded inside where the hex wrench goes . An oil filter that renews all moving parts everytime IMO is better.

The link is for those who want a step by step guide for an alternative.

What you spend on extra parts (just in case...)could easily put into the conversion.

 

[CBDFrontier06]

If Mazda would produce a spin-on adapter and include it under my 100K warranty, I might have bought one by now. Since oil-related issues have been the cause of more than a few non-warrantied catastropic engine failures over at Mazda3forums, I'll stick with Mazda's design and get all my engine work done for free if the need arises.

 

[trixman]

If you DIYed the OC and the cartridge housing cracked.

The engine is yours to pay for anyways, whats the diff?

 

[tripleM]

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If you DIYed the OC and the cartridge housing cracked.

The engine is yours to pay for anyways, whats the diff?

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Obviously you haven't seen the stories of Mazda trained technicians doing that? Goto the mazda3 forums to see.

 

[tripleM]

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What you spend on extra parts (just in case...)could easily put into the conversion.

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What extra parts? An extra plastic cap? that goes for $10.

Everything else you should have in your tool box anyhow.

 

[CBDFrontier06]

After performing my first oil change andassessing the housing myself, it's clear to me that in order to crack it, you'd 1)have to be TRYING to, or 2) be a huge ignoramus in the way you do all things mechanical. If there was a flaw involving the housing, they would have changed the way they they've been designing it since 2004. If you install it using the correct tools and a little common sense, it works as well as any spin-on.

 

[BGK]

I have a Saturn that uses a cartridge filter with an aluminum threaded housing. I have had no problems with it at all. If Mazda uses a plastic oil filter housing they need to switch materials asap.

 

[trixman]

Moreover, it is a dealer part. The 2.0 engines use this set up.

If there is a warranty claim, the Ford/Mazda has to PROVE that modification, if you can call it that, caused the problem.

SEE Mag-Moss act.