fatbastard Posted July 2, 2006 Share Posted July 2, 2006 Just wondering if anyone else is concerned about the oil change interval and extremely small OEM filter. I realize this car has an oil cooler but the VAG 1.8's had them too and suffered from extreme oil sludge problems. Part of it was due to their 10k change interval on regular dyno oil but they also doubled the size of the OEM filter. Their new filter is the size of a coffee can, the Subaru OEM filter looks like I should be installing it on a riding mower or something. I think I will stick with a 3500-5k interval and possible chnage over to synthetic but should I also be looking for an aftermarket filter that is larger? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lucas569 Posted July 2, 2006 Share Posted July 2, 2006 if your really that worried they sell an oil cleaner that you pour in right before your oil change, its basicly super thin oil and id imagine it has some sort of cleaner inside. pour it in, run the car for a few minutes, proceed with oil change like normal. i used this stuff on my civic way back like every 3 changes and my oil was always super clean even after 4000 miles. also take a look at mobil 1 oil filters/bosch (bosch is same but $5 chaper!) i read about a test they did on many filters and those were pretty much the best (theyre both the same just diffrent stickers) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mccorry Posted July 3, 2006 Share Posted July 3, 2006 ^^^ 1/2 quart of Transmission fluid does the same thing...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pillboy Posted July 3, 2006 Share Posted July 3, 2006 I think changing the oil regularly is much more important than the filter you use. Regular renewal of the detergent package is what is going to keep the engine clean. I use Subaru filters on the GT, but Purolators on the N/A Outback. It is still ugly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deer Killer Posted July 3, 2006 Share Posted July 3, 2006 Use synthetic.. Turbo cars use a smaller filter because the exhaust manifold will cook a larger one. I suppose you could wrap the oil filter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
franklin Posted July 3, 2006 Share Posted July 3, 2006 I use a Puralator Pure 1 filter. The one I use is a little longer than a stock Subaru filter. Its cataloge listing is the same as for a '03 Honda Accord V-6. Idea is a good filter and a little more capacity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatbastard Posted July 3, 2006 Author Share Posted July 3, 2006 Honestly I am not sure what VAG expected the larger filter to do, maybe exta surface area to cool the oil or maybe they were expecting all cars to already have some sludge so the larger filter would ensure you don't blind it off???? But with the Subie the filter is about half the size of the filter on my old Integra and the Subie has a 40% larger engine. I would have thought this increase in displacement would require more oil flow. This higher flowrate means the pressure drop across the filter is higher, this is multiplied by the smaller filter area. Typically filters are not as efficient in this type of scenario. I am sure Subie ran the numbers but I am sure VAG did too. I guess in the end I will just end up changing the oil more frequently than they recommend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bugblatterbeast Posted July 3, 2006 Share Posted July 3, 2006 The stock black filter has a surprising amount of media in it. I haven't cut one open yet but I believe someone on NASIOC did. I'll be cutting open one of the white Canadian filter after my next oil change to see what's inside. I expect to find less media or very thin walls in the white one as it is much lighter than the black ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lucas569 Posted July 3, 2006 Share Posted July 3, 2006 u shouldnt put "too" much stock into this matter, id imagine the engineers at subaru know what theyre doing, as long as you remain diligent on the oil changes and use a good filter/good oil (stay away from fram) you should be golden. its the people who go around changing their oil every decade that have problems, back in my honda days when i went and upgraded to FI on my car one way to increase the oil presurre was to switch to a smaller filter, so if you go getting a bigger filter you may have a drop in oil psi and thats something you dont want. ive seen aux filters/oil coolers as well in kit/universal form that are supposed to extend oil life 3-4x but like i said if your good about your changes and throw in a detergent/cleaner every so often you should be good... next time im at the store ill look for that oil cleaner im talking about and post the name/brand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boostjunkie Posted July 3, 2006 Share Posted July 3, 2006 Sludge formation has nearly nothing to do with the size of the oil filter. The primary reason sludge forms is when a motor shears down the polymer viscocity index improvers that most oils contain. Some motor are much more prone to doing this, and some oils are less resistant to it. In general the smaller the spread between the low temp viscocity number and the high temo viscocity number the more resistant to shear and oil will be. IE: a 10w30 will be more shear resistant than a 10w40, and therefore less likely to form sludge over the long haul. Oil temps, and the volatity of the oil is the other factor. Run hotter and espcially with conventional oils, and sludge formation can become a problem. I do happen to run a slightly larger filter for a touch more oil capacity. I use the same filter that a previous poster mentioned as being spec for an Accord V6. I use the regular Purolator version, the part number is L14610. The only difference from the stock filter is that it is a touch longer. As for oil, if you run a quality synthetic, and change it regularly, there is virtually no chance of sludge formation. The VW motors were sludge prone because the 1.8T engine shears its' oil badly, VAG specified an overly long oil change interval and owners used crappy oil. The EJ motors are very easy on their oil. Sludge is not a problem here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deneb Posted July 3, 2006 Share Posted July 3, 2006 The 1.8T engine that was the 'sludge monster' had a very small sump as well, something like 3.5 qts if that. If you're following the manufacturer's recommendations for our Subies (you probably fall under the 'severe usage' category), I don't think sludge is going to be a problem. If you're really concerened do a UOA (used oil analysis). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outahere Posted May 5, 2007 Share Posted May 5, 2007 Looks like Subaru agrees with you that sludge can be a problem, in that they are now recommending that all turbo motors follow the severe service schedule, regardless of use. That means changing the oil every 3750 miles, or every 15 weeks, whichever comes first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deneb Posted May 5, 2007 Share Posted May 5, 2007 Linky? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilT Posted May 5, 2007 Share Posted May 5, 2007 It's always been 3,750 miles or 6,000 km hasn't it ? Double Award Winning Legacy GT Wagon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outahere Posted May 5, 2007 Share Posted May 5, 2007 Linky? See post #156 in this discussion: http://www.legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php?t=58023&page=11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deneb Posted May 6, 2007 Share Posted May 6, 2007 Thanks! Glad I've been on 4k intervals already... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilT Posted May 6, 2007 Share Posted May 6, 2007 The manual that came with my car, in Nov 2004, states 6,000km, why are they saying it's changed ? Double Award Winning Legacy GT Wagon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outahere Posted May 6, 2007 Share Posted May 6, 2007 The manual that came with my car, in Nov 2004, states 6,000km, why are they saying it's changed ? Probably too many warranty claims for blown turbos and blown motors. That's my guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmarton Posted May 7, 2007 Share Posted May 7, 2007 ^^^ 1/2 quart of Transmission fluid does the same thing...... A master mechanic told me years ago to put a shot glass full of ATF in the gas as a way to keep fuel injectors clean. Anyone else ever hear of that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prime Power Posted May 7, 2007 Share Posted May 7, 2007 subscribed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilT Posted May 7, 2007 Share Posted May 7, 2007 Probably too many warranty claims for blown turbos and blown motors. That's my guess. So Subaru Canada and SoA have had different oil change intervals all along ? Double Award Winning Legacy GT Wagon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outahere Posted May 7, 2007 Share Posted May 7, 2007 So Subaru Canada and SoA have had different oil change intervals all along ? The SoA recommendation for the Legacy turbo was 3750 miles (6000km) for severe duty, and 7500 miles for "normal use". But now SoA is saying 3750 miles for all turbos, even those under "normal use". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilT Posted May 7, 2007 Share Posted May 7, 2007 I guess living in Canada is considered abnormal then Double Award Winning Legacy GT Wagon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RangerMan Posted May 7, 2007 Share Posted May 7, 2007 Given concerns over sludge, is a yearly seafoam or equivalent a good idea? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.