Remote oil filter

The wife has a 2013 Legacy. This car has been awesome in the snow and ice this year and I feel is money well spent, we love it. I have noticed a slight noise at startup and this may be normal but I have to wonder if it is due the oil filter being mounted upside down at the top of the engine ? I just did the first oil change and used the Subaru filter purchased at the dealer. The noise has not changed and remains the same from the factory fill , to now with the new oil and filter. It only last for a second or so and I believe it's due to the oil having to fill the filter again after a long shutdown. Has anyone ever heard of a remote oil filter kit for this application that will allow a more conventional orientation of the filter ? Just curious...thanks in advance !

Having the oil filter on the top isn't anything new for the automotive world, just Subaru. I would highly doubt the filter placement is going to cause problems.

I thought most modern examples of this were the cartridge type and not the spin on type. I have no idea if this would affect drainback or not from one filter type to the next. Do the cartridge type remain in a full bath of oil ? Anyway, that's why we ask questions, to learn. Thanks for the input Rutchard, I look forward to hearing from more folks who also have experience on Subaru's ...this one is our first, but probably won't be our last.

The cartridge filter up top on my VW doesn't stay full of oil when the car is turned off, I assume that's par for the course. Subarus tend to make some weird noises compared to other cars, could just be something normal. On the other hand, it is kinda hard to troubleshoot strange car noises online.

I agree with the other posters. Subarus make weird noises. Our subie has a very, very slight tick on start up after about 5k miles on the oil. Other than that, the brake pads shift when stopping/reversing. You can also hear the ignition/park interlock activating at low speeds. The brake pedal used to click every once in a while when pushing on it. None of these noises are major or that annoying. They just remind me about the price paid for the car.

+1 to the filter has nothing to do with it. Be happy that filter is where it is. There's an anti drain-back valve in the filter anyway. The 'ultra-efficient' 0w20 engine oil doesn't help to quiet things either.

IMO, the new FB series engines are going to be louder than the EJs. Chains are louder than T-belts and IIRC, the FBs use shim/bucket valve lash adjustment which is tappy by nature. Good setup, but tappy. Much more so than the manual jamb-nut adjusters on the EJs.

Cool, thanks for all the input. PoManzAWD, I agree on the 0w20...great oil, returns great UOA's, just a little noisy for my tastes. I may blaspheme and switch to 0w30 come summertime...please, no oil discussion here. Save it for BITOG !

Originally Posted by PoManzAWD

+1 to the filter has nothing to do with it. Be happy that filter is where it is. There's an anti drain-back valve in the filter anyway. The 'ultra-efficient' 0w20 engine oil doesn't help to quiet things either.

IMO, the new FB series engines are going to be louder than the EJs. Chains are louder than T-belts and IIRC, the FBs use shim/bucket valve lash adjustment which is tappy by nature. Good setup, but tappy. Much more so than the manual jamb-nut adjusters on the EJs.

Exactly. The old ej engine uses 5W-30. Thicker to start and thicker at temp. I used Rotella T6 synthetic 5w-40 at the last oil change and noticed the engine was quieter at start and when warm. Don't know if I will run that weight again, since the gas mileage went down. The mpg loss is more likely due to the new tires though. Sounds like the FB series has really small oil passages and requires the 0w-20. The chain drive is noisier, like pomanza said. Subaru admits that too. Our last car two european made cars had a chain driven cams/valve train and it was noisy, especially when the guide and tensioner wore out.

Take a look at a 2003-2009 4.0 L v6 in a toyota 4runner. The filter is up top with a drain spout below to direct oil from the FULL filter when doing an oil change. Also check and see how long those 4.0 L last.
I 100% agree with the above statement about chain drive engines, they are way louder than belt drive and not quite as smooth.