Changing filter on a Toyota

[JeffKeryk]

So here's my question: What's the best way to break it loose safely? Impact? Longer breaker bar? Penetrating oil? Heat it up with a torch? Some combination of those? I was thinking of trying my DeWalt impact driver with a square drive adapter. But I don't know what that'll do; there's a lot of slop from socket to cap wrench and cap wrench to housing.

Take a piece of paper and sandwich it between the filter housing and the cap wrench tool.
Get the right socket; I use a 1/2 drive 24mm. You may need a paper sandwich again, but you shouldn't need it.

Get out your long breaker bar, square up everything and break that filter housing loose. Thicker paper; perhaps tap the cap tool on...
I have heard of using an impact, but not done it personally. I would try short bursts.

Good luck.

 

[loneryder]

My wife's daughter is bringing her van over this weekend for some fixing, and I said I'd do an oil change while I had it up on the ramps. Looked up the filter to order one, and found it's a cartridge filter. Not being a Toyota owner, this was a surprise to me.

Watched a couple of YT videos and now I've got some questions for you guys.

1) Some people I saw in the videos removed that center plug first and used a little plastic thingy to drain the housing, then unscrewed the housing. But it looked like a lot of oil came out of the housing anyway. Is the plug removal step worth it?

2) Is torque important when replacing the housing? I saw torque wrenches being used.

3) Why did Toyota use cartridge filters? Seems pointlessly messy, unless there was a good reason I'm not seeing.

I’ve always questioned why they use such a tiny filter and they want you to go 10k miles on it.

 

[JohnnyJohnson]

I think it's a matter of force being concentrated in a small area vs. spread over a larger one--when the cap is really tight.

Here's a picture of the carnage:

View attachment 94799

Curious minds would like to know did that pretty blue packaging say made in China?

 

[Job]

If the cartridge housing is bolted to the engine block, imagine if the fairly small screws holding it strip out of the block with too much torque applied to the cap. Maybe it’s good if the cap breaks first. I think the housing is bolted and it’s steel screws into aluminum.

 

[BHopkins]

After reading through this thread, I watched a couple Youtube videos on changing the Toyota cartridge oil filter.

Wow! What a terrible design! If many of the BITOG members are basing their opinion of cartridge oil filters on this design, I understand why so many here, hate the cartridge design oil filter.

I can't see any way that you could change the filter without making a mess. I was having a hard time relating to the discussion, because the cartridge oil filters that I have changed are all top mounted. Totally different experience. If my MB had a design like that, I would hate it too.

Would it help to put a short length of tubing on the disposable plug tool, so the oil runs out below your hand, instead of right on your palm? It seems that even a 4" or 5" length would do the trick.

 

[ZeeOSix]

Curious minds would like to know did that pretty blue packaging say made in China?

Says "Tools from down under" in the upper LH corner.

 

[drtyler]

Says "Tools from down under" in the upper LH corner.

Short for “Tools from down under made over yonder”

 

[ZeeOSix]

Short for “Tools from down under made over yonder”

Well, they are located closer to China.

 

[Rhymingmechanic]

Curious minds would like to know did that pretty blue packaging say made in China?

The package is long gone, but I just looked it up. "Made in Taiwan to PBT Australia specifications."

Interestingly, my search found part number 71110A, an updated model that does not have the square hole in the center.

BHopkins is right about the design. They are just as messy as a spin-on filter mounted horizontally under the car, and a lot more trouble if they get overtightened. And they're easy to overtighten. I was in a situation where I couldn't raise the car very high for oil changes, so I was always contorted underneath and cussing trying to get the right leverage to break the thing loose.

I worked on a 1.8 that didn't have the extra plug and drain hose contraption. On that cap, though, there is at least one flat spot in the threads. When you line up that spot just right (assuming you can get the cap loose) the oil drains faster. That way you don't end up pulling off a cap full of oil. The cap photo I posted early on shows that area of the threads.

 

[meep]

Our Lexus has one on the front of the block. My first introduction to these was doing “oil change day“ at our church ministry. Metal housing, metal cap. I found that owning the toyota tool is imperative. Very little torque is needed to tighten these, as the o-ring does the sealing in the bore. I’ll bet spec is 12 foot lbs or something like that. Folks who use moderate pressure to snug them down end up with a monster in 7000 miles. DIYing, easy on, reasonable off. It helps to just know how to work with it. I’m pleased toyota at least chose metal, unlike my ford which is plastic. it’s also a lot easier to evaluate filter construction prior to installing.

 

[autoapprentice]

I just did my first oil change on our new to us Sienna. It has that cartridge filter. I used the nipple and actually like it. The nipple made it easier to catch a sample for Blackstone. The cartridge filters seem better for the environment, less materials.

 

[ZeeOSix]

I just did my first oil change on our new to us Sienna. It has that cartridge filter. I used the nipple and actually like it. The nipple made it easier to catch a sample for Blackstone. The cartridge filters seem better for the environment, less materials.

I wouldn't drain oil out of the oil cartridge oil filter cap for a UOA. Doing it that way could capture some debris that has collected in that area due to the filter catching it. I'd bet the oil that comes out of the cap nipple is on the dirty side of the oil filter.

 

[bullwinkle]

I just did my first oil change on our new to us Sienna. It has that cartridge filter. I used the nipple and actually like it. The nipple made it easier to catch a sample for Blackstone. The cartridge filters seem better for the environment, less materials.

The cartridge ones do make better firestarters, the plastic vaporizes in the fire unlike the metal parts of a spin on that get fished out (unless its an Ecore).

 

[Artem]

I wouldn't drain oil out of the oil cartridge oil filter cap for a UOA. Doing it that way could capture some debris that has collected in that area due to the filter catching it. I'd bet the oil that comes out of the cap nipple is on the dirty side of the oil filter.

It would be interesting to experiment with and pull two samples in order to find out. I wouldn’t be surprised if Toyota did this design on purpose to aid them in oil sampling during their engine testing. Haha.

 

[Astro14]

Thanks for that advice. I ordered a replacement housing to have on hand just in case. Free returns to Amazon if I don't use it.

Just be certain that the center tube on the aluminum cap is the same length as the one you're replacing.

For example, the 5.7 on the Tundra has a much longer center tube than the Venza for which my aluminum cap was made. Easy enough to swap the center tubes.

 

[Artem]

it’s also a lot easier to evaluate filter construction prior to installing.

And after removal as well. You can see exactly how the filter media held up and examine the inside of the housing (I sometimes see particles on the bottom but mostly sparkling clean.

 

[Yah-Tah-Hey]

1. Every now and then I remove the little plug at the bottom but not usually. It just adds time to the job and half the time the little plastic thing that will come with the new filter doesn't thread in smoothly and it's an even longer waste of time.
2. My housing screws in with medium difficulty. Not easy like a spin-on filter. Then it bottoms out suddenly and doesn't budge. I'm afraid I'd break the plastic if I gave it a little nudge more.
3. Who know but I don't like it.

Key points. Make sure you put the new gasket where it belongs and not on a thread. It's tight getting it off and takes some muscle. I use a half-inch ratchet with a socket on my tool. You need the tool and ratchet to screw the new one on unless you're a lot stronger than me. Then the tool gets stuck on the housing and you have to smack it to get it off.

The resistance you feel is the O-ring being deformed(controlled deformation, that's how O-rings work). I think the torque spec is there to prevent over tightening the plastic housing.

 

[CR94]

... I worked on a 1.8 that didn't have the extra plug and drain hose contraption. On that cap, though, there is at least one flat spot in the threads. When you line up that spot just right (assuming you can get the cap loose) the oil drains faster. That way you don't end up pulling off a cap full of oil. ...

Right. If you take advantage of that gap in the threads to drain the housing, Toyota's 1.8L version is no more messy or difficult than an equally inconveniently located spin-on filter would be. The cap isn't hard to take off if it hasn't been overtightened.

I like being able to inspect the used filter without having to cut open a hunk of oily scrap metal.

 

[paulo57509]

My (long moved away) neighbor had a Corolla (don't know what year or engine) that had a horizontally mounted cartridge oil filter underneath. He couldn't get the cap off the filter housing and came by to ask if I had an assortment of wrenches that might fit. I did but who ever installed that cap must have cross-threaded it. Trying to remove it was futile. Too bad he already drained the crankcase.

I told him to dump in the new oil and take the car to who ever changed the oil have have them change the filter or take it there for the next oil change.

 

[Rhymingmechanic]

Any updates from the OP? Did you finally get it off?