Miata Mailing List: September 1993, Message #5
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   From: Jeff Maurer 
Subject: Re: Oil Filters
   Date: Wed, 1 Sep 1993 11:38:07 -0400

> 2. What problem with the oil filter other than the mess it makes? I have
>    found that jacking the passenger side of the car allows decent access
>    via the passenger front wheel well. I only have to wad up about 3 paper
>    towels (bounty) to absorb the oil mess. I have never had to use an oil
>    wrench unless the filter was put on by a gas station or service center.
>    The worst was on a Lancia Scorpion I used to own and their filter was
>    the size of an old oil drum and nobody made a filter wrench for it. My
>    only choice was to jam a screwdriver into the side of it (near the end
>    so I didn't damage anything but the filter) and turn....
Hmmm, I've never changed the filter from under the car.  I have no problem
getting it by reaching under the intake manifold from above.  I put a
couple of shop rags under the filter, and after the filter is loose I
fold the rags up over it and work the whole bundle out from under the
manifold.  Perhaps the "under the car" owners have ABS or air conditioning
that precludes access?

Ah yes, I'd forgotten the joys of stabbing the filter with a phillips
screwdriver.  My ex Fiat 131 also had a huge oil filter that no wrench
in history would fit.  The screwdriver punctures turned it into an "oil
fountain" - oh joy.

On a different note, I got a new Classic Motorbooks catalog yesterday.
I noticed that there's a book out on the Miata, called the "Miata
Enthusiast" or some such.  The author supposedly disassembled and
reassembled his own Miata, taking pictures along the way.  He used to write
for Haynes manuals.  Anyway, it sounded like a worthwhile companion to
the factory shop manual.  Anyone had a chance to look at it?  Price was
$24.95.
            _
            /        Jeff Maurer, Sr. Analyst
     _  ___/ _ __   Service Applications, Sequent Computer Systems, Inc.
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