Toyota 1NZ-FE oil filter oversize application

[Mewbs]

Just wanted to post this to document possibilities fitting an oversize filter on Toyota's vehicles that take the smaller YZZN1 filter. This application is on the 1NZ-FE engine, one of the more reliable yet unimpressive of Toyota's design should its power be underwhelming but makes up very well in fuel economy and endurance. An excellent daily driver and commute car engine!

If the engine block filter face mount has extra diameter/radius, you can fit the large Toyota 90915-YZZD3 or the larger Fram 3600 size filters, the Fram is about 5 inches long while the YZZD3 is about 4 inches tall. They don't over hang below the engine oil pan.

Figure.1 - For reference, the YZZN1 has a 68mm outer diameter (can crimp seam), The Fram 3600 and YZZD3 have a gasket OD of around 2.75" or 70mm. You can see there's a bit of extra mounting face radius of around 2mm around the OD of the YZZN1 filter.

Figure.2 - The Fram XG3600 , very long, doesn't bottom out beyond the oil pan but close!

Figure.3 - The Fram XG3600 gasket fits very flush against the engine flange face and radius.

Figure.4 - Toyota 90915-YZZD3 fitment application, gasket OD sits perfectly flush and filter height doesn't extend beyond the oil pan.

Figure.5 - A ghost mark of the Larger filters gasket left behind during test fitting on the mounting flange / union.

A lesson learned: I forgot to pre-fill the YZZD3 with oil knowing its 70-80% larger by volume compared to the YZZN1. The oil pressure light took almost twice as long to turn off compared to the YZZN1 on engine start after filling with new oil. Moments before oil pressure light turning off I heard a slight grinding noise for about 1/4 of a second. So don't forget to pre-fill any larger oil filter prior to installation to avoid a dry start. Hoping I don't get any sparklies on the filter autopsy when the oil change is due.

Its worth noting that the Fram XG3600 has the same bypass setting as the smaller XG4967 of 12 psi which is the aftermarket cross reference for the YZZN1

I let the car idle for a few minutes checking for leaks before giving her a short highway run of about 10 miles at 70mph and returned to the garage and inspect again for oil leaks and so far none!

A bit excessive, wasteful and OCD-ish though you can probably get away of extending your filter change interval going oversize knowing you have more filtering media surface area. A fun project none the less.

 

[CharBaby]

When possible, I have often oversized my oil filters without any known issues. Often I did this in the 1980s on small 4 cylinder engines that only took 3.5-4.0 quarts of oil thinking I was adding some benefit to the engine with more oil capacity. IDK

I've only had one engine that did not like having an oversized oil filter as it caused way too much start-up rattle and that was my 2004 Nissan Altima 2.5L. This particular engine(known for this issue) did have start-up rattle even with the required filter size of any brand and with/without a silicone ADBV. However this rattle would get excessive with larger filters even if the filter fit nicely with no gasket or clearance issues.

I also tried(just a trial period) using an oversized filter on a Toyota 1MZ-FE(3.0 V6) that used e.g., a FRAM 3614 stock, to the larger FRAM 3600. And though the larger/longer 3600 fit, I didn't like how close it was to the exhaust manifold so, I didn't keep with it. However, I did oversize the Chrysler 2.2L 4 cylinder(of the 80s-90s) that used (using FRAM as a reference) a 3614 filter to the longer 3600 with great success.

Also to this day, oversize the filter on the Firebird FORMULA V8 in my signature as I never liked the stock size that is standard. And the same on current Nissan's that use a 6607 to the longer 7317. I don't think that any of this matters much as long as the engine has good regular maintenance but I like doing it.

 

[bullwinkle]

Only thing to watch on the 3600 is rust-for some reason the 3600 on my xB likes to rust! I think it catches just enough road spray (& debris) that it's possible to chip off some of the paint or Sure Grip coating & bad things start happening. If you don't drive in winter weather w/salt use, you'll be fine-but I've had issues more than once, and NOT with the standard 4967 size on the Corolla & Matrix 1.8.

 

[incognito_2u]

I’ve been using the oversized 3600 on all 3 Toyotas in my sig for years now. My Jeep also spec’s the 3600 so I’ve been buying those in bulk. Never had an issue.
Side note: I routinely pre-fill all my filters before installation. Takes an additional minute and is another one of the “little things” I do that make me appreciate doing maintenance myself.

 

[fantastic]

I don't like to "Oversize" a filter if at all possible. If you have it in the shop for an oil change or are selling it they'll put 5qts in but it may need 6qts now that you've oversized it. Not good!

If you service it at the dealer make a note to tell them the extra amount needed & if you sell it put a factory size back on.

 

[CharBaby]

The extra capacity of oil when upsizing the filter(as I mentioned above) is exactly why I liked to oversize my filters. Especially in the 1980s 4 cylinders that had smaller capacity. Although not as much today but years ago or even with small subcompact vehicles with these small 3+ qt oil capacity, I'd want more oil in the mix.

 

[fantastic]

The extra capacity of oil when upsizing the filter(as I mentioned above) is exactly why I liked to oversize my filters. Especially in the 1980s 4 cylinders that had smaller capacity. Although not as much today but years ago or even with small subcompact vehicles with these small 3+ qt oil capacity, I'd want more oil in the mix.

Right, but you're the only one that knows it needs the extra oil. You take it to anyone else they wouldn't know it needed the extra oil so it would be low oil in that situation. For all means I'm not against doing it altogether just when it comes to outsiders "Not Knowing" is what I don't like about it. Mainly gets to be an issue when you look at the manual & it says 4 qts but it needs 5 qts but the new owner wouldn't know BUT everyone can remedy that by what I mentioned above to do in those situations. I don't blame you for wanting more oil in a low capacity sump. That could allow you to run out a bit longer drain intervals in theory.

 

[Rogueman2016s]

I am still trying to figure out the larger filter syndrome scenario, lol. Using a larger filter in my mind would just require more oil what is truly the gain?

 

[Elkins45]

I am still trying to figure out the larger filter syndrome scenario, lol. Using a larger filter in my mind would just require more oil what is truly the gain?

Because more is always better?

 

[Eddie]

I see no value in adding an extra 4-5 oz of oil to my 5.2 quart oil system. I just use a OEM filter and don't fret over it. JMW Ed

 

[Rogueman2016s]

Because more is always better?

lol

 

[Mewbs]

I am still trying to figure out the larger filter syndrome scenario, lol. Using a larger filter in my mind would just require more oil what is truly the gain?

As I mentioned originally, Its wasteful and excessive to those that don't see any good out of it but does have some minor positives as a tradeoff. To some its beneifitial to their situation, looking at a few responses here.

Put it this way, it cost 6 dollars for both the YZZN1 and YZZD3 at the dealership. At Walmart the FE3600 and FE4967 cost 13 dollars. Both filters have the same bypass setting so theres little risk of going out of spec here. You get more physical filtering capacity at the slight cost of increased oil capacity eg. an XG3600 would require an extra 11 ounces or roughly 1/3 of a quart.

In my situation the 1NZ-FE engine takes 3.9 quarts with a new oem size filter. So with a larger filter I can just straight up dump in 4 quarts and call it a day than having to save that one bottle of little extra oil in storage. All in all its each to their own.

 

[ZeeOSix]

Because more is always better?

With oil filters, more media can be better. Less dP vs flow and better holding capacity are a plus.

 

[Elkins45]

With oil filters, more media can be better. Less dP vs flow and better holding capacity are a plus.

Sure, but are there really many vehicles out there that have too-small filters specified from the factory? I understand the value of more surface area, but if your vehicle is shedding enough debris to plug a normal filter I doubt a bigger one Is the answer.

I’m running oversized filters on my Scion but that’s just because they were on sale

 

[ZeeOSix]

Sure, but are there really many vehicles out there that have too-small filters specified from the factory? I understand the value of more surface area, but if your vehicle is shedding enough debris to plug a normal filter I doubt a bigger one Is the answer. I’m running oversized filters on my Scion but that’s just because they were on sale

Filters seem to have been getting smaller over the years. IMO, most of that is driven by profit greed (use of less materials), not by improving performance through size. Size does have a factor in filter performance.

 

[4WD]

Filters seem to have been getting smaller over the years. IMO, most of that is driven by profit greed (use of less materials), not by improving performance through size. Size does have a factor in filter performance.

It’s a dirty business I tell you

 

[ZeeOSix]

It’s a dirty business I tell you

In more ways than one, lol. Lots of changes, competition and buy-outs always going on.

 

[twX]

That OEM filter is already pretty large for a small engine. That FRAM Ultra is going to be good for a long time. I'd use it for 2 or 3 OCIs.

The larger filter may not hang below the oil pan, but it'll still be more susceptible to being punctured by road debris than the smaller filter.

 

[Mewbs]

I do think there are some passive positives of going with a larger filter that can save money overtime.

1. Increased oil capacity, more oil is always good regardless in terms of temperature and operating life. You might be able to get a few hundred more miles beyond the standard 5K oil change interval limit and maybe even more with good quality oil.

2. A filter that can last multiple oil changes, saving on maintenance cost of a new filter and new oil. Vehicle owners manual have a specification for dry fill oil capacity, drain and refill capacity with a new filter, and drain and refill capacity without a new filter. You might be saving a few ounces of new oil every time you decide to just drain and refill without replacing the filter across multiple oil change intervals. There are plenty of evidence here of people already doing this for personal convenience.

3. A larger filter has many times more filtering and holding capacity than the base OEM / aftermarket filter, and even more filtering capacity if going with a full synthetic media large filters. Gives greater service life confidence and cost saving potential to the end user. As shown in the picture posted comparing the sizes. If one can fit an 3600 size filter over a 4967 size at the same cost, why not?

What are the negatives?

1. Larger oil filters will take more time to fill dry before the engine gets primed, risking partial dry start. You need to prefill your larger oil filter. This application only works if the filter is hanging vertically like on the 1NZ-FE engine for example.

2. Filter overhang near or below the oil pan can make it a target for road debris, weather corrosion and damage.

3. Leaving the oil the filter on is a partial drain, leaving some old oil mixed in with new oil.

4. Voiding of vehicle warranty. Using an out of spec even by size can get you in trouble. Though this is a non issue with out of warranty vehicles.

Very intriguing discussion we going here, its good to see many diverse opinions and applications people have post. It makes such a very niche topic as this interesting even if very obscure viewed by the norm.

Filters seem to have been getting smaller over the years. IMO, most of that is driven by profit greed (use of less materials), not by improving performance through size. Size does have a factor in filter performance.

We formally call it Process Improvement, a sub topic of Six Sigma in the industry I work in. Sometimes it often gets abused by bean counter top level management to get engineers to over optimize a design to minimize cost, waste and other forms of overhead. As a end user to a problem and solution I can get frustrated myself too that there are not much aftermarket offerings to a niche need.

I probably don't see it a problem if the product size reduction comes from using better filtering media to justify the reduce product size.
Though some would like the alternative option combining best of both worlds, increased size and filtering capacity, same vehicle fitment.

Edit: Just drove a 100 miles today on the larger Toyota filter, and so far no oil pressure issues and leaks.

 

[ZeeOSix]

4. Voiding of vehicle warranty. Using an out of spec even by size can get you in trouble. Though this is a non issue with out of warranty vehicles.

Many aftermarket filter makers (at least the big name ones) will still cover any damage done by using their filter, so using the specified filter in that case still has an advantage in that department.