Oil Change Question

Well part of my problem was I used a bottle jack that barely got my jack stands under, plus I'm hesitant getting under jack stands (mixture of inexperience and being an overall worrier lol)

 

No jack needed with a creeper.

 

How so? Under my truck there's no room whatsoever if I keep it on the ground.

 

Access the oil filter from behind the passenger side front tire on a creeper.

I have a fumoto valve for the oil pan so again with the creeper and just reach up and open/close the valve.

 

The oil filter is still BS. I have to take my AP IFS skid plate off every time I want access to the filter. Can't figure anyway around it.

Edit: Also I give the oil filter a couple short cranks with a wrench. I'm a noob to this stuff as well and took the advice of going hand tight but on my last oil change I had oil blowing all out from the seal. Gave a couple short cranks and solved the problem. Made a huge mess.

 

Sounds like the skid plate is the BS, put a skid plate in the way of your filter and blame the filter location?
I've managed to have zero oil filter leaks using the hand tighten method, so maybe you just have a wimpy grip?

 

Lol Both good points, maybe I should work out. It would just be more convenient to have the same setup as the v6 with it on top. I also have to work in a gravel driveway and crawl underneath with no lift.

 

On the filter, hand tighten until you feel the gasket make contact, then tighten 1/2 to 3/4 turn.
BE SURE you lube gasket with engine oil before mounting.

 

worthwads may be a trim person and/or his truck may be lifted.

I had a 2004 2.4L Tacoma. Similar in a lot of respects to the 2.7L 2nd Gen. Access to the oil filter(same place as 2.7L) was a pain, but doable. The truck was 2WD and didn't have a lot of ground clearance. I would crawl under from behind the RF tire to gain access to the oil filter.

 

I keep 2 4x4 post laying around. I lay the post down on ground and drive up on them. That gives me plenty to shimmy my fat ass under there.

 

Wrong on both. 5'11" 230lb and stock height.

 

Another approach used by some on the 1st Gen Forum - 2.4L engine - is to jack up RF of truck - pull tire - then remove rubber apron. Reach in - loosen/remove oil filter - replace oil filter - put it back together.

I always found it easier as I said above to just crawl under from behind the RF tire.

 

Did this for 15 years on mine, just needed to crawl shoulder deep.

 

Same here, crawl under behind the passenger side front tire. One hand and a zip lock gallon bag to loosen the filter and catch any spillage.

If you install a filter by hand as described ( turn until the gasket touches and then 3/4 of a turn ) it will not leak unless something is wrong. Usual cause is when the former filter gasket is stuck to the mating surface and you have two gaskets.

Always make sure the gasket comes off with the filter you are removing.

 

Looked through the torque specs for the Tacoma the other day (bored and stuck at the hospital), and noticed the oil pan drain bolt should be torqued to 28 ft lbs, does anyone torque it that much? It seems slightly high to me but I could very well (and most likely am) wrong.

 

I have never used a torque wrench on an oil drain plug, and I'm an old fucker. Good and snug does the trick.

 

By all means, I wouldn't either, I'm just curious if anyone has ever torqued it that much, that seems a little "much"

 

Actually I did torque it to spec my 1st time, then I installed a fumoto valve, now I don't worry about it. By the way, is that considered a "mod" ???

 

At Acura, we TORQUED the drain bolts to about 30 Ft-lbs. so its typical. IMO, 28 ft-lbs is not that much. I wouldn't be worried.

 

Sorry.

I'll try and do better.