Oil Change Capacity Without Changing Filter

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JerryBob

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Getting ready to change the oil in my truck before a transcontinental road trip. I am not going to change the filter, though, since it only has 1.5k miles on it. My owner's manual says this about my engine. Could my filter (sig) really hold .7 quarts? It seems like it could maybe hold .2 quarts at best. Is there something else at play here besides the volume of the filter cannister? Maybe it is too small a difference to worry about, but I don't want to under or over fill it. I don't really trust the dipstick in the truck. I've read a lot of complaints about the dipstick in other forums, too.
Code:
2.7 L 4-cylinder (2TR-FE) engine
Oil capacity
(Drain and refill
With filter
6.1 qt. (5.8 L, 5.1 Imp.qt.)
Without filter
5.4 qt. (5.1 L, 4.5 Imp.qt.)
 
You could remove the oil pan and check dipstick level .make sure its at proper dept .if it isn't the dipstick for your variant of engine I would go get the dipstick that goes there!oil sound simple but when overfilling is as bad as under filling ?its worth an hour to double check everything is where it should be
 
Really? You're going to pull the oil pan on a vehicle you are prepping to take across country, dumping an oil that (I'm assuming) has the same amount of miles/time as the filter you are not changing because you're obsessed by over/under-filling by a half quart? Where was this concern on your last oil change and all the ones before? I hope you are being sarcastic.
Originally Posted By: JerryBob
Good idea. I am pulling the oil pan off now...
 
Originally Posted By: JerryBob
...Could my filter (sig) really hold .7 quarts? ....
Been discussed on the oil filter board several times and it's very doubtful it holds any more than 4-8 oz. Sometimes though in some filter orientations like thread end up, much more oil will drain out of the oil galleries as the filter is removed. That's the way my Accord is, a significant amount comes out beyond the oil filter capacity. Best solution though if concerned about overfill, start with the lessor amount, then check the level after starting, add if needed to desired level. Though I doubt 1/2 qt difference would matter. As for removing the pan, might as well grease the butterfly cams while you're there. wink2
 
It might not just be the volume of oil in the filter, but the oil above the filter as well. Think of all the oil that comes out when you first loosen the filter. When you do take the filter off it's still full, but there was still all that oil that drained when you first loosened it. I can easily see the oil in the filter and the oil that drained when you loosened the filter being around half a quart or more. At least that's the way it is on my cars, there's a lot of oil that comes out when I first loosen the filter. Though I've never changed the oil in a Tacoma, so I can only assume that the same thing happens for you as well.
 
Gads: Just put in a quart less, check the level and add to bring it up to the full line/hole. We have way to much free time if we get concerned about stuff like this. Ed
 
I would check to make sure the whole dipstick assembly hasnt moved up .it shouldnt but if it did you would have too much oil and overflow would do its job
 
How many miles on the oil in the truck? And why do you not trust the dipstick? I highly doubt Toyota is going to put out a product where something as simple as a dipstick that could cause trouble, would continue to be sold. I am sure they would change the dipstick or put a recall on it if it were a problem. Trust the dipstick. That is my advice. And leave the oil pan and its gasket alone. You can only mess it up. If it aint broke, don't fix it. Oh and have a good time on the cross country trip. That is some fine oil by the way the TGMO 0w20 that is.
 
Millions of cars that get serviced a quick lube shops have the oil changed and not the filter ... But I wouldn't be dumping 1500 mile oil! I'd just run it. Highway travel is ideal.
 
Originally Posted By: Eddie
Gads: Just put in a quart less, check the level and add to bring it up to the full line/hole. We have way to much free time if we get concerned about stuff like this. Ed
Nothing like common sense!! This whole concept of removing the oil pan (in this instance) defies logic. If you were that worried about it take the 3 minutes and replace the filter....or a few hours to remove oil pan.....Filter costs?????? I would think a few hours of your time is worth a little more than the cost of a new filter. Seems like a solution looking for a problem.
 
Guess. If you're wrong drain the oil, dispose of it properly and try again with fresh oil. Repeat until you get it correct. You should be able to hit the mark in less than half a dozen attempts. Just remember that if you don't hit the exact mark on the dip stick you might damage the Fallopian tubes. And if you are using synthetic oil your Fallopian tubes might leak and no one wants to drive around with leaky Fallopian tubes.
 
I dont get why you would empty out oil that only has 1500 miles on it... majority of your trip being hwy..should be easy on the oil. Change it when you get back instead. Thatd be my advice.
 
Ask a question about capacity and get told to remove the oil pan and check the dipstick level. Some hilarious advice on this site. Somebody should start a "Best of" thread. You could also pull the engine, turn it upside down and remove the oil cap - see how much drains out. Make sure to shake the engine a few times while it's up in the air so you get every last drop out. That shouldn't take more than a few minutes one morning before you go to work.
 
Originally Posted By: bigt61
Ask a question about capacity and get told to remove the oil pan and check the dipstick level. Some hilarious advice on this site. Somebody should start a "Best of" thread. You could also pull the engine, turn it upside down and remove the oil cap - see how much drains out. Make sure to shake the engine a few times while it's up in the air so you get every last drop out. That shouldn't take more than a few minutes one morning before you go to work.
He's from Quebec, where English is rarely spoken unless he lives in Montreal. Give him the benefit of the doubt. I admit though, I did have to reread the part where he says to remove the oil pan. cool At 1500 miles on a full synthetic, it's a bit of a head scratcher why the OP would want to change the oil, unless 1500 miles ago, he changed the filter only but not the oil.
 
popcorn Sheesh.
Originally Posted By: Eddie
Gads: Just put in a quart less, check the level and add to bring it up to the full line/hole. We have way to much free time if we get concerned about stuff like this. Ed
This.
 
I think JerryBob has what my wife calls,"head banging." Hitting your head against nearest hard object over thinking something or picking *&#@ with the chickens.
 
Originally Posted By: Oil Changer
Really? You're going to pull the oil pan on a vehicle you are prepping to take across country, dumping an oil that (I'm assuming) has the same amount of miles/time as the filter you are not changing because you're obsessed by over/under-filling by a half quart? Where was this concern on your last oil change and all the ones before? I hope you are being sarcastic.
Originally Posted By: JerryBob
Good idea. I am pulling the oil pan off now...
I am not the sarcastic type - but I do enjoy pulling someone's leg smile I wouldn't know where to begin in pulling off the oil pan (other than beginning in the area of the oil pan). I am guessing I'd have to pull the engine out of the truck to do it.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: Kuato
popcorn Sheesh.
Originally Posted By: Eddie
Gads: Just put in a quart less, check the level and add to bring it up to the full line/hole. We have way to much free time if we get concerned about stuff like this. Ed
This.
Considering what a new engine costs, not sure I see how much "free time" I wasted (of mine, your time is not my business) by posting this question. Maybe 30 seconds? Anyway, if you don't have anything constructive to add, move on.
 
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