Oil Change from Hell

I have been changing my oil for years - no problem.

I saw a while back somewhere to replace the hard plastic oil filter housing with a more durable aluminum housing used on some other Toyota models. I order one but never installed it. Then there is that little plastic oil filter drain plug - supposed to make things a little less messy - drain the filter before removing it - never did that before either.

Well yesterday I thought what the heck this aluminum housing has been sitting here with my oil change stuff for over a year why not change it out with the hard plastic one? Hummm - ever hear "if it ain't broke don't fix it." But first feeling adventurous I tried that little filter drain thing . . . . yeah that was a disaster, trying to plug it in resulted in oil running down my arm - at least the sleeve of my long sleeve tee caught most of it - I needed another oil change rag to add to the rag pile anyway. Then I couldn't pull it out to take out the filter housing. I had to pull it out with some pliers.

But now the good part - I installed a new OEM filter in the aluminum housing. Refilled with 0-20 synthetic - basically I was done. Started her up to check for leaks and proper level and BOOM - oil all over my garage floor. Thankfully I have a Race Deck Floor. Needless to say I am back to the hard plastic filter housing and no I am not going to do the filter drain thing again.

 

https://www.motivxtools.com/collect...n-tool?rq=yr_toyota~uh_2020~wz_tacoma-3-5l-v6


This makes draining the cartridge housing a lot easier. Way better than the plastic thing that comes with your filter.

 

Man, I've been there, complete with oil down the arm.

I just took a length of hose, put it over the end of the plastic thing and routed it right into my drain pan. The trick I found was to not EASE it onto the housing, but I just lined it up and gave it the business and rammed it right in. If it partially connects/drains that's when the mess found me.

At least it's done!

 

Weird flex on your Race Deck Floor…

 

so why was there oil on the floor after the start up?

 

Don't even bother with the oil filter drain plug. Just loosen the filter housing until oil drips out. I've never had luck with the plastic drain that comes with the filter but this method works for me and is mess free

 

That motivX setup works really well.

My guess for the leak is that the o-rings were on the wrong slots on the housing.

I put the metal housing on a few year ago, then saw someone say that it a bad idea because it’s not made for the tacoma engine.

 

I have the oil filter drain tool, the fumoto drain plug and the oil fill kit. I can just about change the oil without getting dirty.

 

I know for sure it wasn't that - I've done too many oil changes to put the O ring in the wrong notch. I'm thinking I just got a housing that was not compatible - there may be an aluminum housing that is but somehow I ordered the wrong one.

 

Yep - that's the way I have always done it. The Tacoma is the first vehicle I've owned that even had this filter drain thing. Anyway you can't teach an old dog new tricks.

 

Same here, this is my first engine with a cartridge filter. I never tried the drain that comes with the filter, the motivX works perfect.

Which housing did you get?
When I was looking around here for my 2017 people were ordering this oem#

$42 15620-31060 15643-31050

15620-31060.

 

I've never done it, nor have the dealer lube techs I've talked to. Totally worthless feature.

 

well, i dunno. its friday and i feel like posting.
if you know for sure you installed big o ring correctly, then could be wrong Al housing. I have seen something about that before.

like one poster posted, just put a length of hose on the plastic nozzle and jam it in there before anything leaks out. if you nancy it, it will pee on you. hose gives you leverage to take it out, too. i change my oil without a drop on me or floor. hose directs to pan and care that pan is under housing when removing keeps it all clean. i have one plastic nozzle with a hose on it that gets reused over and over again. new nozzles are added to my collection.

and happy pi day.

edit: and there is no reason to replace plastic housing with Al if you are a careful wrencher with the right tool.

 

So how on earth did the aluminum housing cause a leak? If installed correctly it is no different than the composite. Sorry OP, but this sound like Operator Error versus the part causing the leak.

 

Let me guess without reading transmission fluid was involved

Oh well wrong lol

 

before you corrected yourself, i was going to say you had a career in US politics.

 

Basically you were done? What does that mean, did you forget to install the O-ring for the housing?

 

I don't see how the plastic one is such an issue. I think OCD people just get into this mindset. My plastic OEM one works just fine.

 

2 words: MotivX kit

 

The oil change system on the 3rd gen was definitely annoying when I first picked up my new truck. It's an oil filter and an oil change - the belief that "people should have to buy special tools to change their own oil might be a smart engineering decision" is baffling to me. If a car company is hell bent on changing something that really isn't broken, then I think they should actually try to make things more owner friendly . I hate giving props to Mopar, but the design on their 3.5L where there is an oil filter housing with a cap that is easily accessible when opening the hood, and you just unscrew it, pull the old filter, drop in a new one and close it up, and the filter is replaced feels like a change that actually makes sense.