Cheap Plastic Toyota/Lexus Oil Filter Caps
- Thread starter PWMDMD
- Start date
2013 Toyota Corolla S, 1.8L
Two things:
1.) Is there a decent wrench that stays on the housing when trying to loosen it? I've only done a few oil changes on this vehicle (my only experience with this style of filter). When I tighten it, I only torque it to 18 Ft-Lb, but it tightens up over time, of course. The cheap wrench that I have won't stay on the housing for me to loosen it with, it keeps wanting to pop off. So then I'm forced to use a large Channel-Locks to carefully break it loose. Is there a decent wrench that will stay on the housing?
2.) Someone mentioned a conversion kit to change over to spin-on filters. Has anyone installed one?
Two things:
1.) Is there a decent wrench that stays on the housing when trying to loosen it? I've only done a few oil changes on this vehicle (my only experience with this style of filter). When I tighten it, I only torque it to 18 Ft-Lb, but it tightens up over time, of course. The cheap wrench that I have won't stay on the housing for me to loosen it with, it keeps wanting to pop off. So then I'm forced to use a large Channel-Locks to carefully break it loose. Is there a decent wrench that will stay on the housing?
2.) Someone mentioned a conversion kit to change over to spin-on filters. Has anyone installed one?
I’d go looser. I tighten until I feel the housing bottom out—and stop. a good (and fresh) o-ring will keep the housing from loosening up.
Buy a better tool? I have an older one that loves to stick, I think there are newer and better ones now, but even still, I have no problems.
Buy a better tool? I have an older one that loves to stick, I think there are newer and better ones now, but even still, I have no problems.
Right. The specified torque is as high as it is merely to be certain it overcomes friction of a snug-fitting new o-ring. The o-ring is compressed radially due to the dimensions of the parts, not axially by the tightening torque. Therefore, once the cap bottoms out, further tightening has no effect on the chance of leakage, but only presses the plastic and metal flange surfaces more tightly together.
I use a cheap stamped-steel tool, too, although one that got better reviews than others of that type. It doesn't tend to slip off. It can stick on the cap, but not badly enough to be a significant problem. Like others of its type, it might well fail trying to remove a severely overtightened cap.
I feel no need for a "conversion kit," considering the cartridge is not (except for its inconvenient location!) as difficult to deal with as some people imagine.
I have had way too many come with having been serviced ****head lower bay techs that either overtorque the filter cap past the point of breaker bar power, don't lube the gasket, or use the incorrect tool attachment and strip the filter cap.
The fact that Toyota has gone back to using can filters is proof they know they screwed up
Toyota screwed up only in failing to consider how often aforementioned "lower bay techs" would screw up, at least in the US.
The auto industry switched from cartridges to spin-on canisters over 60 years ago to make filter installation more idiot-proof. Evidently we still have the same breed of idiots, all these decades later.
