Oil Change from Hell

Teach your kids to change oil. Smaller hands.
At my next oil chage, my teenage daugher will be helping me with the the oil change. Her brother helped me last time. Next time he is flying solo, under my supervision. 3 assists, then they start changing oil.

 

Don't use the 3/8 drive for loosening. It will break. It is only intended for use when tightening to make it easy to use a torque wrench.

 

Don't tell my tools about this. I've been using a 3/8 on these things every 5K for over 15 years, and probably a million miles in totality, and haven't had one break.

First time for everything, though. I may be one oil change away from eating my words.. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

It definitely depends on how tight it is on there but if you look at the reviews of these tools they are full of instances of them breaking when used to loosen with the 3/8 drive.

 

I believe that 100%.
I think I bought my first one in 2013, and when I pulled it out of the box and had a look at it, I didn't know if it would make it through the first oil change.
Unbelievably, it's still floating around the toolbox today.
Don't know if the new ones are any stronger, but comparatively speaking, they're highly refined cosmetically.
(MotivX brand)

 

https://www.motivxtools.com/collect...s/products/toyota-2-5l-5-7l-oil-filter-wrench

Well I'll be damned. I've always used a 3/8 for removal and installation but Motivx also recommends using the socket for loosening.

 

26mm socket

 

my first oil change i had to use an 5/8 impact reduced to 3/8 to get the plastic cannister off. im just all over the place breaking rules.

 

Exactly what I do. No issues whatsoever.

Not sure why so many folks make it complicated.

 

Mine been just fine for over 6 years now. 5K oil changes too.

Yes, the cartridge takes a few more extra steps but its definitely not complicated at all...

 

Ha! Yeah me too.

 

I feel deep shame . . . . I figured out what happened. Someone called it - I put the O ring in the wrong place. How? I guess the metal housing just looks different than the black plastic one because I always get the O ring in the right place on that one. I picked the metal housing out of the trash and was examining if center piece was higher than the filter (I used a fresh filter) - no it fit correctly THEN! I looked at the O ring that was still on and sure enough it was up too high. I was always sure not to put it too low at the bottom of the black plastic housing and I thought that's what I did - but no.

Now to make me feel worse - I always the 3/8 for removal which evidently is a BIG no no - and I never use all the fancy stuff that everyone has talked about here - I didn't even know some of it even existed.

Gee now I wonder if I should even be allowed to do my own oil changes.

Oh and BTW - I started my military career as a helicopter mechanic and became a crew chief - it's a wonder my aircraft never fell out of the sky . . . . I mean helicopters have O rings that need changing.

 

Purchased in 17 from Toyota with 5000 miles on it. Needed 3/8 breaker bar with Motivx tool to get the canister loose. Threw the retaining clip thingy away then as well. Makes sense Motivx would recommend using the socket for removal, just never gave it a thought. Continue to remove to this day with the 3/8, but it is much easier now that it is torqued to spec every time, unlike the dealer's tech who did who knows what to it when they put it on. At 100,000 now. All good.

 

Lol, have to respect a humble man who can make fun of himself. We all have our moments.

 

well, an honest mechanic is hard to come by.
fortunately Tacoma's don't fly.

next mod? https://www.designboom.com/technology/xpeng-driving-car-flying-vehicle-11-11-2022
actual video of flying car starts at 1:12:00

 

Metal housing has another groove that look almost like the O ring groove, but it is not the same , IIRC, it has flat machined into it.

 

The correct and incorrect O ring placement is printed on every Toyota filter box.

 

No need to feel shame, Learn and go on. That is what life is all about.

 

It's an honest mistake.

Spending lots of time here on TW has "learned me" to avoid other's mistakes.

It took a couple of tries but I've finally gotten confident doing my oil changes.

Installing Fumoto and using the MotivX kit has made this task less messier.

Reference pic for O-ring placement; you can just make out on the plastic where the O-ring is located.

 

You would think the dealer oil change tech would have gotten it correct on my free oil change