Coming from reciprocating engines, traditionally, the oil filter is on the bottom side of the engine. I am going to be changing my oil this weekend on the 13b and it is mind boggling that the filter is sitting on the top of the motor in the opposite direction. Does this make a giant mess when you go to take it off? How exactly does it trap impurities/grunge/metal flakes mounted at this angle? Are they desinged differently on the interior? I was looking around for a writeup on different viscosity oils to use with stock port/ mildly modified (mostly bolt-on) 13b's as well as some tips and tricks. I just don't want any surprises. Anything would be much appreciated. I know there are probably other threads that have bits and pieces of good info but nothing consolidated. I'm sure that I am not the first one to wonder why its in this location. If possible I want to run a Purlator or Napa Gold/Wix. I havent checked to see what is currently on there, but it very well may be the stock Mazda filter, which I have heard is also more than adequate to get the job done.

 

No mess, easiest oil change ever, just let it sit a while so that it drains back down. Use Mazda OEM filters

 

Done and Done! Thanks for the quick response and for easing my mind.

 

You don't have to get MAZDA filters. There are other perfectly suitable options. Puralator PureOne is one example and it's as convenient as your local Advance Auto. I wrap a rag or towel around the fliter base to catch anything that might drip, but very little does.
Just as any other engine, use the appropriate viscosity for your climate. The key with rotarys, especially the FD, is that most suffer from a little fuel dilution over time. Additionally your not able to drain the oil as completely from a rotary as with most piston engines (oil is stranded in rotors and coolers) so oil changing intervals should be closer.

Search under terms "Oil change" in titles for more info..

 

You can also punch a small hole in the top side of the filter (go easy and not in the center of the top) before you remove it. That helps it drain faster..

 

Here is the lubrication circuit on an FD:



You can see that the oil pump on the front cover draws oil from the pickup, then pushes it through the oil cooler and then up to the filler pedestal. If it doesn't return to the pan through the relief valve it will flow through the block and the e-shaft, then finally out through the turbo oil feed line or the oil metering pump.

Interestingly enough, Mazda actually put the oil filter at the front of the engine, on the bottom, for the 2009+ Rx-8. Those engines have a much more sophisticated oiling system than the FD.

nah they look like the oil filters for any other shitbox 4 cylinder piston motor

 

FWIW, the oil filter for a 2nd gen fits, works and has more surface area, and unlike the Mazda 626 which also fits/works, it's too TALL so using a filter cap-wrench is a PITA.

:-) neil

 

Beware of the center punch filter to drain!. There is a check valve in many filters which can and has fallen into the oil line going to the motor, blocking it completely.
Best is to crack the filter to break the vacumn, remove fill cap, let it drain while you check all your belts and hoses or have a coffee. If you are in a hurry use the rag around the base method.
Use only Mazda OEM filters. They are specifically designed for the rotary, where aftermarket are made to work on many vehicles. Mazda used them on all their race cars including the 4 rotor LeMans and IMSA motors and never had an oil issue. I have used them for over 30 years on all my race and client cars and have never had an oil related failure due to filter.
Just my two corner seals, and experience.
Cheap insurance.
BTW Mazda filters designed for their recips are not the same spec as the rotary filter, which has more filtering area than most other filters twice or three times their size. Do not let that little can fool you, it is an exceptional piece of engineering.

 

I need to add to the punch hole method, which was SOP waaay back. The reason quick lube places stopped doing it, they bought far too many rotary engines. Our shop had seen two of them in one year. Customers came in with seized motors, they had just had their oil change at fast lube places because of the $10 special they were running, (I told you it was a long time ago).
We pulled the filters to find a round black plastic disc sitting on top of filter mounting bung blocking the port. If you did not look closely, which when they were turning the job around in 10 minutes we reckoned they did not, it looked like a hole. Good for us we got two motor jobs. None of those places in Tucson bought a rotary after that.
We stopped using that procedure the first time we saw it, not wanting to have to build a motor for free. That was when we found the crack the vacumn procedure.

 

I use Bosch (Filtech) filters and I'm running SAE 60 oil with higher than normal pressures - no issues

Not sure who makes the stock "Mazda" filter

 

Let's see the proof

 

Also interested in these differences. I'd be surprised if MAZDA didn't use the same filter for engines other than the 13bREW.
MAZDA filter is good, but so are others IMO. Regardless you rarely hear of oil related engine failures. More important is regular and closer change intervals. Particularly if your running the OMP.

Side note....I also have no sympathy for anyone who takes a car to a "Quicky Lube" type place to save $5. You have no idea what they're putting in or who's doing it. I've seen everything from stripped drain pans from over-tighten plugs, failure to change filters (just cleaned off the old one to make it look new) and cars that were barely half re-filled with oil. And I know of at least one local chain store that hires right out of work-release.