DIY-Oil Change

i thought there was a risk to doing this. Does it use the same spring inside the canister? The spring I am referencing is discussed in the video below

 

oil pressure being different and spring in the filter being tuned for a different expected pressure

 

You are talking about the bypass valve. No, that is not a concern at all. The bypass-valve pressure is an oil-filter spec, not an engine spec. It will vary according to the size of the filter, as it is designed to open when the filter media is clogged—so, larger filters will need a smaller bypass-opening pressure when the media is clogged, as there is less resistance to flow due to the larger flow area—but it will not affect the engine operation or change the oil pressure when not open. Larger oil filters will have a lower pressure drop across the filter due to less resistance; so, you might see a slightly higher oil pressure measured down the filter.

If an oversized filter fits, I would use a Fram Ultra or a Purolator Boss. The Toyota OEM oil filter is really basic. You also need to remember to put more oil with an oversized oil filter, as you are increasing the total oil capacity of the engine, including what is inside the oil filter.

 

Oil filter aside, how’d the oil change go? Any issues with the underpanels? Ramps or jack, and if the latter how far back was the front jack point, any issues with that?

Did you find the Toyota instruction, say on Toyota Tech Info? AFAIK Honda still includes this in Owners Manuals, say oil capacity, torque values.

 

Low-rise ramps might facilitate using the front jack point. It's not just rolling the jack way back there, then you need enough clearance to get the raising handle moving.


(page 413 of Owner's Manual)

I see Honda still includes an oil change instruction in the Owner's Manual, with capacities and torque values. Too bad Toyota doesn't do similar. See attached.

 

What torque values? Spin-on oil filters should only be tightened by hand. The drain plug should be tightened until the gasket is compressed and becomes hard to turn but not overtightened—precise torque is not necessary with a gasket. The newer blue-gasket-material aluminum-core OEM gaskets are good, not like the hard and springy black gaskets that would come loose that were sold at one point over a decade ago.

 

With critical stuff I torque.

 

I bought a couple Purolator tl14476 and 14477 which are the Toyota N1 and F1 sizes and cut them open. Made in India. Holes, not louvers in center tube. Bypass valve is a rubber seal. Metal end caps, and cleanly made with a plastic cover over the end. $2.40 on Amaz.
Fram Ultra has a leaky metal to metal bypass valve now, and some Toyotas leak at the bypass too. I cut them open and saw for myself the light leaks which mean a gap. Pretty much all the obsession over stated efficiency testing is out the window now, imo. The Fram Ultra was worse on the gap than Toyota. It would take more discussion about oil filtering to decide if the leaks matter.

 

As I said, you should never use a tool when you tighten a spin-on oil filter. Spin-on oil filters should only be a tightened with your hand. Even so, you will need a wrench to remove it after you use. If you use a wrench during installation, it could be impossible to remove it after use. There is no torque spec for spin-on oil filters. There is only a turn spec (usually 3/4 turns), which can easily be achieved by hand-tightening. In fact, hand-tightening should achieve the precise turn spec, and further tool tightening will exceed it and result in overtightening. Any torque spec for spin-on oil filters printed by Toyota is bogus and in error.

The drain-bolt torque is not critical. The torque will depend on the exact type of gasket used. Toyota kept changing gaskets in the past but never bothered to change the specs. Simply tighten it by feeling the gasket without treating it like a structural bolt. Always use a new gasket.

What was critical was the torque spec for the cartridge oil filters. Those caps cannot be tightened by hand and the torque is important. That's why there were so many failures with them, and Toyota simply gave up on them and went back to spin-on oil filters.

 

I've done about 26 oil changes on our gen 3, about 1/4 of them post conversion from cannister to spin-on filter. Played by the rules, never any problems, lol.

The spin-on oil filter box has a printed spec both a torque and the 3/4 turn-past-first-contact method. I've checked and they work out the same.

repair manual spec torque for drain bolt and oil filter as well. This is a 4th gen repair manual excerpt, shows both filter styles:


Full instruction attached:

 

Yeah, but that's only because after 3/4 turns, it will stop turning even if you overtighten it.

Don't do it, Mendel. Tighten a spin-on oil filter by hand only. That is the correct way, and no one (including yourself) will be frustrated later for the oil filter getting stuck.

In fact, if you read the last sentence below, the repair manual also says that it can be tightened by hand only:

 

Hey man, you win.

 

Well, do it whatever way you like, but pros, which I learned this from, know not to tighten spin-on oil filters with tools because they always get tighter, not looser, on their own later. Hand-tightening to specified turns after oiling the gasket surface will seal the gasket, but tool tightening can go wrong when it's time to remove the spin-on oil filter.

 

The over-tight incidents are likely due to "pros" using an impact.

 

Who in the world would use an impact wrench with an oil filter?

Actually, once, mine was overtightened by me when I used a wrench. I had to get an oil-filter wrench with a jaw and teeth to remove it. I haven't used a wrench later, and it never came even close to loosening.

If you don't believe me, perhaps you can believe Popular Mechanics. LOL

Every reputable oil filter is designed to seal for tens of thousands of miles with no more than a good hand-tightening. You don’t need a wrench unless you have one of those deeply recessed filters with no space around it for your hands. (If that’s the case, the only choice is a cap wrench.

https://hips.hearstapps.com/pop.h-cdn.co/assets/cm/15/05/54c7fce636d8b_-_lg_hand-lg.jpg[img]

[I]This filter has a rubberized area to provide for tightening by hand.[/I]

[B]https://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/how-to/a90/1272546/[/B]

And Popular Mechanics isn't the only one. Google it. [B][I]Everyone[/I][/B] will tell you not to use a wrench when you install a spin-on oil filter but hand-tighten it only.

 

Got it: wrench bad, hand good. It occurs to me: I was probably changing oil before you were born. Anyway, it’s been interesting chatting.