I just reached 1185 miles on my 8 and changed my oil for the very first time.

I had all the right tools and figured it would be a snap...for the most part it was. I know some have said they can get under the car without ramps but I chose to use ramps and it made the job much easier.

I put my car on the ramps which was probably the hardest part of the whole job for fear of flying right over them. I didn't have anyone to tell me exactly where I was on the ramp so getting to the top flat spot was a challenge.

Now that I had the car up I put my disposable oil box under the pan. The directions say to kind of fluff up the filter material and fold the flaps of the box down and pull the plastic bag over the flaps so I did that. I laid some newspaper under the box just in case.

So I unscrew the plug and woosh the oil is gushing out and it's hitting the filter material in the box and bouncing off instead of getting absorbed. I got oil splashing all over the place probably at least a quart all over the garage floor before the filter material actually starts absorbing the oil. I think it's just the sheer velocity at which the oil is draining that caused the splashing.

So I grab an old T-shirt and newspaper and clean up the mess. Now it's time to install my Fumoto Oil Drain Valve. I hand tighten it to see how it lines up. The instructions say DO NOT OVERTIGHTEN. Well the valve lines up perfectly with only hand tightening. That means to get the valve in the position that I want it, I have to make an entire turn to get it around. It's a good thing I have 2 fiber washers that came with the valve, one between the pan and the adapter, then another one between the adapter and the Fumoto Valve.

Just when I'm ready to tighten the valve my friend and his 3-year old son come over to see what I'm doing. I tell him I'm changing oil and putting on this drain valve so that I no longer have to take out the oil plug to drain oil. Since the valve isn't tightened yet I remove it to show my friend what it looks like. I then replace the valve and tighten it up.

I open the oil intake and place my funnel there and pour in my first quart of oil. My friend's son bends down (remember he's only 3) and starts looking under the car. My friend says to his son, "do you hear something Jordan?" So I bend down and my friend bends and HOLY SHIT :eek: I opened the valve to show my friend how it worked and never closed it. One quart of oil straight through and onto the garage floor. This is right after I just cleaned up the first mess :mad:

So I clean up the 2nd mess and put in the 3 full quarts. I check the oil and it's right at half way on the dipstick. I did not remove the oil filter because I intended to change oil again next weekend at which time I'd change the filter. Since the 8 drains only about 3.5 quarts from the pan and keeps about 3.5 in the engine coolers, I wanted to run the car a week and mix up the oil and change next week again to get as much new oil as I could in the engine.

So I leave my mom's house (I live in a condo so I have to go to my parent's house to change oil) and decide to go home. Damn a traffic jam on a Saturday. I turn around and go back to my parent's house and decide I'm going to change the filter now and test out my Fumoto Valve. I drove about 3 miles so I figured the oil mixed around some and it kind of accomplised what I wanted to.

I get back to mom's and put my car back on the ramps...this time I get on much easier without the fear of flying over them :p I put another drain box under the car and this time I keep the box flaps up :p and no mess. Plus the Fumoto Valve allows you to open it gradually and you don't get 100% flow all at once like you do when unplugging the oil pan.

Next I crack the oil filter and like others have said, this filter is on TIGHT. The strongest man in Japan puts these filters on. I poke a hole in the top like some have said you should do help the oil drain and let the filter sit for about 15 minutes before removing it.

I've got pretty small hands so getting my hand in there to the filter was not a problem. It's a good idea to take out the dipstick when doing this. I thought there wasn't supposed to be any oil that would come out of the filter but there still is and I had another puddle of oil to clean up off the garage floor.

When you think about it, the oil line to the filter (the part the filter screws on to) goes into the filter a good 2 inches or so and it's impossible for the oil below that 2 inches to drain. Since the filter is straight up, there is now way for the oil to go back down into the pan. I'm wondering how some of you were able to do it with no spillage?

This time I had to put in almost 4 quarts...which is about the 3.7 that folks have said drain with a oil and filter change.

All in all it wasn't too bad. A bit messy but this was the first oil change that I've done in over 15 years so it was kind of fun despite the dumb stuff I did :p It's probably just psychological but the car feels like it runs smoother now.

One last comment. There was no washer on the OEM oil plug. Anyone else have no washer too? Is Mazda just using some kind of thread lock when then put in the oil plug?

I just changed my oil for the first time too. My RX-8 has 2500 miles on it. However I approached it a bit differently. These low to the ground cars can be difficult to get underneath.

So, I pumped the used oil out through the dipstick tube with a battery powered electric pump. This worked very well, and out came 4.5 quarts of oil. I caught the used in a container that measured volume, so it was interesting to note how much oil was actually in the engine when the dipstick read at the top to the full marker.

This beats getting underneath the 8, especially since the oil filter is at the top of the engine, and there no need to get under the car at all.

Did any oil spill on the ground when you took off the oil filter? And how long did that pump take to get the 4.5 quarts out?

Well i guess thats one way to do it... Six, its problably gonna be a good idea to drain oil out the plug every once in a while so you can get any sediment (not that its old enought to have any) out of the pan. Cool Idea though. Is there a site that has this "oil Pump" Id like to check it out

Because of the thin weight oil (5W-20) used in the 8, it took only about 15 minutes to pump out all the oil. I of course drove the car before the oil change to warm up the engine and oil so any sediment should be suspended in the oil that came out. Also, because of the ease of changing the oil, I could change it more frequently, thus keeping the sediment buildup to a minimum.

Very little oil came out of the oil filter when I took it off. After letting the engine cool for a bit, and the time it took to pump the oil, all the oil in the filter had drained back into the pan.

To make sure the new oil started flowing quickly after the oil change. I added a small amount of oil into the new filter, just enough to saturate the paper filter material, but not enough to run out when I inverted it to spin it on.

I am impressed with this method, I did not get a single drop of oil on the ground.

This is much better than the Miata that I owned. That car was a pain to change the oil, I had to take passengers side tire off just to get access to the oil filter.

Rx8Freehk:

I don't know of any specific site that has pumps for this purpose. I cobled together the pump, and tubing from spare parts I had on hand that is used in a hobby of mine. But a boating suppy store may have such a device. When I used to own a boat with a inboard engine, I would have pump the oil out through the dipstick tube.

What a riot. Good thing it was your parents house and not your own, so they can deal with the oil stain. ;-) Thanks for sharing your tips.

These type oil pumps are available from most boating places. Check out West Marine/Boat US. the good ones with a 5 gal bucket run upwards of $150. I use one on my boat and may try it on the 8 if it gets 99.9% of it out. Has to be easier.

I changed mine for the 1st time today too. I let the car sit for at least an hour to cool down. I have rather big hands so I touch a lot of very hot parts. Anyway when I took the filter off over a quarter of a cup poured out of the filter. Next time I'll stuff a rag or several papertowels behind the filter. Have no idea how you guys are changing the filter to no puddle.

The pump sounds like a great idea. I remember seeing a link to a site a about a week ago. Need to search the forum. I think the cost was around $70.

Have no idea how you guys are changing the filter to no puddle

I do not warm up the oil before changing the filter. Maybe that helps drain the filter, since I have little problem with excess oil at the filter.

You think the factory oil filter is small, check out the WIX 51365

Next time I'm stuffing a couple of Shop towels (papertowels) under the filter before unscrewing it.

Originally posted by jerrymac
Next time I'm stuffing a couple of Shop towels (papertowels) under the filter before unscrewing it.

Me too. That pic you have there makes it look like there is quite a bit of room down there. But those of us that have actually changed the filter know it is like working on a ship in a bottle :p

Jerry, the Mazda replacement filters are pretty close to that size. For some reason the filter installed at the factory is noticably bigger.

Take a sharp screwdriver and poke a small hole in the top of the filter after you take out the drain plug.....it really helps...no mess.

The pumps may not get all of the heavy stuff (metals) from the bottom of the pan I would not use that method.

Kind regards,
Doug

Originally posted by i3man
Me too. That pic you have there makes it look like there is quite a bit of room down there. But those of us that have actually changed the filter know it is like working on a ship in a bottle :p

Jerry, the Mazda replacement filters are pretty close to that size. For some reason the filter installed at the factory is noticably bigger.

I haven't done an oil change with the rx8 yet, but one invaluable tip I learned from my Miata list was to wrap a disposable baby diaper around the filter before you take it off. They can hold an amazing amount of oil, they conform to the circular shape of the filter mount perfectly, and you can toss 'em out without screwing up good shop rags.

-Sean

That is a good idea Sean!!!
There is some good advice to be had here, thank you.

DG

Originally posted by jerrymac
I

The pump sounds like a great idea. I remember seeing a link to a site a about a week ago. Need to search the forum. I think the cost was around $70.

Here is a good one

http://www.arizonatools.com/catalog/detail/11023/

The pumps may not get all of the heavy stuff (metals) from the bottom of the pan I would not use that method.


Doug,

I would have disagree with that assessment, that's what the oil filter is there for, to capture any particles above a certain size. If there is a lot of "stuff" in the bottom of the oil pan, then the oil filter is not doing its job.

One thing I found about changing oil on the 8, 5w20 oil is about the least messy oil I have seen. The oil is very light and cleans up quite easily...I know, I had to clean up 3 pretty large oil spills :p

Originally posted by six_shooter
Doug,

I would have disagree with that assessment, that's what the oil filter is there for, to capture any particles above a certain size. If there is a lot of "stuff" in the bottom of the oil pan, then the oil filter is not doing its job.


BMW and Mercedes has a service notice "not to use any type of pumps for the purpose of removing oil".......I think they have plenty of R/D money to verify.

Originally posted by Doug Green
BMW and Mercedes has a service notice "not to use any type of pumps for the purpose of removing oil".......I think they have plenty of R/D money to verify.
Comparing Mazda engines to BMW ones is apples to oranges. However if you want to do this comparison...

I have a Griot's topside oil extractor. $70, six quart capacity. I use it to change oil on my BMW 540i. It can drain all eight quarts through the dipstick spout. No muss, no fuss.

In order to settle the sludge and sediment question I ran the following experiment: used the topsider at 3333 mile intervals for 30,000 miles. (9 oil changes). BMW recommends oil changes every 15k miles. At the next oil change interval I then went the traditional route and drained through the drain plug. The oil was
collected in a container and allowed to sit for a week. At the end of that week I carefully poured off all the oil to see if any sludge or sediment had collected at the bottom. There was none. I even wiped the container with a blue shop towel to see if I could detect any minute particles. Nada.

My theory is if the topsider failed to extract any sludge or sediment, an extended interval before using the drain plug would dramatically point out the shortcoming. Based on my experiment I conclude this is a non-issue. I welcome any counter-experiments to prove otherwise. Conjecture or theory isn't enough.
________
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Then why put drain plugs on a engine at all!!!
I asked my Porsche service manager friend about this, and he said it was a strict no..no.........."the lazy way"

No way.......it should be done the correct way!

Kind regards,
DG

Originally posted by Doug Green
Then why put drain plugs on a engine at all!!!
Because that's the common method of changing oil. Just because there's a common way of doing something doesn't mean there isn't a better alternative. Using that analogy the only thing we should use to jack up our cars is the jack provided by the manufacturer, "because that's what they included with the car".

I asked my Porsche service manager friend about this, and he said it was a strict no..no.........."the lazy way"
Again, please no theories or conjecture. Does the service manager have any firsthand knowledge of topside oil extraction and found evidence that it's deterimental to the car? If so I am very curious to hear it so I can broaden my knowledge base.

No way.......it should be done the correct way!
Please define correct. I define it as removing an equal or greater amount of oil than possible via the drain plug.

This is not intended as a flame. Can you think of any flaw in my experiment hypothesis or steps that would suggest my conclusion is incorrect? If not, can you perform any experiment that would disprove the results of my experiment? If the answer to both questions is "no" then you're saying "it's wrong because that just isn't how it's done."

Damn people.....why all of the criticism of the "topside" oil change?

I don't personally do mine this way, but I commend them on taking the initiative to change their oil themselves. Besides, if this makes it easier and gets 98% of the used oil out of the engine, they will most likely be willing to do it more often because it is not such a pain.

You can't make me believe that this method is any worse that taking the car Jiffy Lube where they don't even let all of the old oil drain out before threading the plug back in, or letting the idiots at the Mazda dealership scratch your car up, get it all greasy inside, or put some 10w-30 oil in the thing.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by PUR NRG
[B]Comparing Mazda engines to BMW ones is apples to oranges.

Are you saying BMW engines are better than Mazda engines?
Perhaps you meant to say comparing a Rotary engine to a BMW engine! Perhaps not.

[i]Originally detect any minute particles. Nada.

My theory is if the topsider failed to extract any sludge or sediment, an extended interval before using the drain plug would dramatically point out the shortcoming. Based on my experiment I conclude this is a non-issue. I welcome any counter-experiments to prove otherwise. Conjecture or theory isn't enough. [/B]


Your theory is flawed.
You used a visual conclusion, not a chemical one.

Kind regards,
Doug Green

u wrote a huge essay on changing ur oil? wait till u install someone big, like a turbo... then u will have to write a book on that...DAYUM!

Originally posted by Doug Green
Your theory is flawed. You used a visual conclusion, not a chemical one.
I have a passing knowledge of oil analysis and how that indicates if you're experiencing unusual engine wear, etc by calculating parts per million. How does that help with regards to determining if there's any sludge or sediment buildup? I would think sludge or sediment (if present) would by definition be visible to the naked eye. If it isn't visible to the naked eye, how is it a problem?

Again, we are talking about sludge and sediment here. In your first post you mentioned "heavy stuff (metals) from the bottom of the pan".

PS. Doug, I find the first line of your sig kinda ironic in light of this discussion.
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I've been changing oil for almost 30 years and I've NEVER seen an oil pan shaped like a funnel, which is the ONLY way ALL the sludge, metal fragments, etc.. is going to pour out the drain plug.
If I was to fill an ice chest half full of water and drop several marbles in the ice chest then pull the plug at the far end. I serious doubt even one "round" marbel will roll toward the sucking end.

My point, maybe a sucking tube down the dipstick might actually remove more particals than a draing plug on the side of a "flat" oil pan.

maybe?????

Originally posted by PUR NRG
[

PS. Doug, I find the first line of your sig kinda ironic in light of this discussion. [/B]

I guess I am open to VICISSITUDE.
Sorry for the irony.

Kind regards,
Doug

this is a very good suggestion. i just wrapped some cloth rags around my filter the first time i changed oil, but i had very little. i gave it plenty of time to filter down though.

yamajj

My son has a 98 328i, recomends changing oil every 15,000 miles (synthetic). I told him that was to many miles. he didn't listen to me and at 15,000 developed a valve tap. I looked in the filler cap and saw sludge, had him buy motor flush run it for 40 minutes and had the oil changed. Valve tap gone, the mechanic said he has seen this often when people follow the manuals recommendation. So much for BMW's Knowledge base.