DIY oil changers ... question ...

Blame the greenies

 

Kinda funny……the 2024 Tacoma has a spin on filter.

 

Yea, they butt fuct us on the 5th gen 4Runner too..

 

I have done...in all the oil changes I've done with my Sport.

There is residual oil that comes out which would probably spill if I tip the filter housing. The filter kit comes with 2 O-rings so I replace both.

The Aluminum Housing was MUCH easier to remove this last time around; I remember you asking in another thread @Rock Lobster






I'm fortunate I can use the Auto Hobby Shop on Dover AFB to do my oil changes.

 

Yep, which means the lube tech needs to pull the whole skid plate. Expect missing and cross-threaded bolts.

 

I used to. Until I developed a crack in the square indentation of the drain plug piece and started leaking oil from it. Haven't heard of anyone else ever running into that, but gives me one more reason not to mess with it anymore now that I've replaced it. I'm of the opinion that if it isn't leaking there and I don't touch it, its gonna continue to not leak there. And god forbid it ever did, I've got a whole box of unused extra o-rings now to fix it.

 

I remove it and drain it every time, in addition to replacing both O rings. Takes like 3 extra minutes to do it right. I have the off-brand motivx kit and it's little to no mess.

 

I have the same setup. The Motive-X drain tool is wonderful, allowing the filter to drain into a waste container with absolutely no mess. Same with a Fumoto valve. Both save me at least 30 minutes each change, mostly because I can drain right into a container and avoid having to transfer from a pan as well as having to clean up the pan.

 

MotivX kit with the funnel, wrench, thread in drain tool and tube. Works well, A LOT less hassle than the plastic thing in the filter kits. Ski

 

Can't agree more. I loved the setup for the filter on my 2nd gen.


I've admitted I'm now officially old as I believe strongly technology updates more often than not make life worse. I'm old, and correct

 

I haven't taken the filter cup drain off since my first oil change at 4,500 miles. After I went in for the Toyota care services every damned thing was over torqued.
I needed a 1/2" 24" long breaker bar to just get the filter cap off. When I try to get the drain plug off the cap it has since turned the entire cap.
As @TacoTime55 suggested in another post, the last time I did my oil change I tried a cordless impact driver to break it loose. tried hitting my rachet with a hammer too. tried cleaning the cap up once off and using a strap wrench around it and the ratchet break it loose and thought I was going break the plastic.

I have the fancy pants motivX kit but now can't use the drainer thingy I paid for. I do have a aluminum filter cap in the shelf I could use. The cap however didn't come with the flat drain cover I can't remove from the plastic one.
Pulling the filter without draining it isn't 't any messier than my old Jeep where the filter was horizontal. I'd still like to make a smaller mess if possible.
I think my best options since i'm not willing to go Lou Ferrigno on the cap with a vice and stuff and potentially smash it to hell to get the drain cover off is order one for the aluminum cap or order a new plastic cap with one also.

 

$7.05 For the cap:

$8 Toyota - Plug, Oil Filter Dra (15643-31050)

https://www.amazon.com/Toyota-15643-31050-Plug-Oil-Filter/dp/B00TNNKTDI

When I re-placed the plastic filter housing with aluminum one my wife's RAV4, that cap had been over torqued by the dealer.
I ended up sandwiching the housing in the table vise between 2 blocks of wood and then I was able to take the cap out. Wood was softer than plastic and had enough friction to keep the housing in place.

Will be replacing the filter housing on my taco in May, we'll see how bad it is.

 

@Barsoom thanks I added that to my Amazon wish list so I can come back to that closer to the next oil change.

 

Nope. Not worth messing with, IMO.

 

The first pic I posted did not show much oil traveling through the hose...this one does:

 

Everytime I try it (on wife's old 4R and once on my Tacoma), if the plastic piece that comes with the filter isn't PERFECTLY centered, it will "drain" some oil in a haphazard fashion which typically generates more mess... with my old Mazda I would just loosen the cartridge a bit and let a bunch drain out while I got some paper towels. In that short amount of time, it was usually enough to not create Exxon Valdez anywhere in my driveway going forward.

Next time I won't bother with it.

 

Thank you for your Service……. i’ve been to Dover a few dozen times over the years

 

What is the upside for Toyota, or rationale, for moving back to the spin-on filter?

 

I use a piece of scrap metal tubing and the plastic gizmo (that comes with the filter kit) to cleanly drain the filter housing into my drain pan. Works like a boss!

 

Making less of a mess is more important to me than the time to do the OC. So, I use the drain tool shown above and replace all o-rings. You don't need to replace O-rings everytime - I get that.