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Justin K wrote:Hi Guys,

Can anyone tell me the correct technique for removing the oil filter from a na mx5. can't get at anything!
Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Justin

from the drivers side - stick your left hand down between the engine and the chassis - reach down till you feel the filter.

Now - reach your right hand down around the front of the engine - below the intake until your hands meet at the filter. Now turn the sucker anticlockwise as hard as you can. You may need to put a rag on the filter for grip.

It should just turn off. When you replace the filter only turn it until it is hand tight - do not screw it on to all buggery.

Buy a K&N filter they have a nut on the back you can fit a socket on so next time you should have no issue!

might have to stab it with a screwdriver

Really hard to decribe but ...

I've got a filter removal tool. It's a 150mm long square tube which has a loop of about 40mm seat belt type material attached. One end takes a standard 1/2 inch socket drive. With a few socket extension pieces I can get the belt wrapped around the filter and use them to tension up the belt around the filter by hand. Need to jack up the car and remove the driver's side front wheel. The extensions run through a small gap above/behind the upper control arm bushes. Then I put a ratchet on the extensions and give it everything I've got. Usually crushes the filter, but it comes off. Takes me less than 5 minutes now, first time took me two hours.

I've tried self-clamping tools before but they always slip. If it's a Mazda filter then I believe Mazda sell a socket which fits over it, but I've never seen it.
The rumour is that the K&N filters are crap compared to Mazda OEMs.

MX5 Mania sell the wrench which fits onto the factory filter and when you use this it is a cinch. The wrench only costs about $15 but it saves heaps of *&(#%^)^(*^_ing. I also find it is easier if you jack the car up and remove the front drivers wheel. It has taken a few oil changes but I think I have got it down to a precise art now

Good luck

Dan

Lesson of the day....stick to using genuine Mazda filters

Last one I had was a Ryco something or rather. Took 2 people half an hour, with the car jacked up, to get the damn thing out.

For a bit more room you can remove the alloy support that holds the intake to the block.

or do what dv8 did & swap out the whole engine for another

I tnever takes me more than 5 minutes to remove an old oil filter - by hand - but then again I never overtighten them in the first place - only tighten them using light hand pressure - when my hands will slip slowly on the filter casing as I'm doing it up, then it is tight enough.

Yeah stab it!

To hand tighten/loosen easier wrap some sandpaper around it

You can also reach it through the right wheel well with the right wheel removed.

JBT wrote:You can also reach it through the right wheel well with the right wheel removed.

...or get one of these -

Spranga wrote:MX5 Mania sell the wrench which fits onto the factory filter and when you use this it is a cinch. The wrench only costs about $15 but it saves heaps of *&(#%^)^(*^_ing. I also find it is easier if you jack the car up and remove the front drivers wheel. It has taken a few oil changes but I think I have got it down to a precise art now

Good luck

Dan

I got a similar or possibly the same tool, I actually purchased mine from the mazda dealership and it had a mazda part number, so if you're not in sydney and cant get to mania, you can probably get one from the local mazda spare parts shop.

Ford used to sell the tool as well. I got mine from a Mazda dealer for a bargain price of $9.90. It must be the cheapest part they sell.

Garry wrote:Ford used to sell the tool as well. I got mine from a Mazda dealer for a bargain price of $9.90. It must be the cheapest part they sell.

I don't think I've ever needed a special tool for doing an oil change.......

No - in fact I am certain I've never needed one....

Just do it by hand - much easier than mucking around trying to fit a tool into that small amount of space and cursing when it catches on things or is difficult to manipulate.....