2.7L 4 Cylinder Oil Filter Removal without Spilling

I've done my fair share of oil changes on several vehicles, but I can not for the life of me figure out how to get the oil filter off on the 2.7 without oil spilling out everywhere. I drained all the oil from the pan first, then remove the filter. Oil starts gushing out before I even get close to having the filter completely unscrewed.

Anyone care to let me know the trick.

 

Let the truck sit before changing oil then put plastic bag (or two) over your hand and go up through lower control arm

 

Same. I've just learned to accept it.

Be one with the Tacoma

 

Thanks. I use the plastic bag trick. I don't think I'v mastered it since I still make a complete mess.

 

Good to know I'm not the only one.

 

If you cut a big soda bottle in half you can use that over the oil filter to spin it off and catch most of the fluid. I can't say for sure I've done it with out spilling but it definitely helps. Props to someone on this forum who shared that idea because it works pretty well!

 

When I first started doing oil changes, I would just unscrew the filter till it was off and my arm was covered in oil. Now I unscrew it just enough for the oil to start flowing down and wait till it stops. Doing it this way made a big difference, as did wearing a long rubber glove with the end turned up as a cuff, doing this will catch the small amount of oil that drips down in the cuff and not on your arm.

 

some other member posted a great idea about this, he poked a hole in the filter with a nail and let it drip and drain into the pan, then unscrew with no oil in the filter at all. I haven't done this yet but I will the next oil change cause im also sick up and fed with the gushing oil. the last time I tried the plastic bag catch trick and was worse off then not having the bag.

 

If you're not careful it can turn in a shit show, for sure. Been there

 

another tip is to use a cardboard box as a mat under the truck to catch the spillage from getting on the driveway, it sort of acts like a sponge and absorbs all the drips and gushes, just steal one from behind the supermarket and rip it open till you got a mat

 

I was just thinking, how about combine the plastic bag with the end of a plastic soda bottle. Take the plastic soda bottle and cut a hole for you to reach your hand in, then put a plastic bag inside the plastic bottle. This way you can rotate the filter off, while your hand is around the bag and the bag will be supported by the bottle, so the oil won't run out like it would if you are using the bag only method.

 

Its a shit show every time. I just consider it extra frame undercoating.

 

the problem with the plastic bag is,you only have 1 hand to unscrew and the bag gets twisted and then covered with oil making a oily slick mess, I don't jack the front end up I reach in underneath. I think the hole poke sounds feasible and will actually work and be easy. if you poke a hole at the 9 o clock position on the top of the filter it should miss the tubes that are in the way and flow right into a catch pan till empty

 

I have never heard of the plastic soda bottle cut in half to remove the filter, but the more I think about it the more I like it. I'm going to try that bottle method next time.

 

I just did a remarkably clean oil change. Getting better at it. Edit: and that Fumoto drain valve is the shit

 

In.

I don't mind the small amount of drip on my arm, but wouldn't mind avoiding it either.

 

yes I got the half liter bottle ready too, I haven't tried yet but im trying whatever it takes to make this oil filter removal less of a mess, with the bottle method I think you will need both hands to hold the bottle and twist the filter

 

I finally solved it by selling my 2.7L and getting the V6. Running a drain hose straight from the filter housing to the oil pan makes changing oil fun again.

But I would start to unscrew the filter and let it partially drain first. That helped.

 

Me after I remove the filter.

 

^^ That was pretty much me after the first time