Getting ready for my first oil change on this Gen 3 - I have questions

I have been using the aluminum housing for a while now.

I also have a washable filter in it.

Can't forget about my magnetic drain plug.

 

Aluminum housing, magnetic drain plug and washabl filter? Toyota engineers spent millions to save us money with most effecient engine oil change parts, went your own ways to reinvent the wheel?!

 

364,906 miles and still have the original plastic oil filter housing….

 

To the OP, this Amazon listing includes the oil plug at the top, and o-rings:

Oil Filter Housing Cap Assembly with Oil Plug Drain Compatible with Toyota Avalon Camry Corolla Highlander Matrix Prius RAV4 Sienna Tacoma Venza Replace 15620-40030 1562040030 https://a.co/d/7wI6MfT

Disregard the description that mentions Camry's, etc. The part number is for the smaller housing that fits Prius, Corolla, etc.

SM-G781V ?

 

BAM!!!

 

Also there is this handy tool that prevents overtightening that I use from
http://klickwrench.com and you could save some cash by using code "azusa"

 

Or just use a torque wrench. Stock oil filter is 18 (ft/lb), spin-on 13.

 

The aluminum housing turns down, then it hits a positive stop making it impossible to tighten further. Even if it is tightened to the stop point, it is easily removed later by hand or with a cap wrench.

SM-G781V ?

 

You won't need the spin-on conversion or the aluminum cap or a stronger cap wrench than the cheap stamped-steel kind, IF---and only if---you'll never be removing the cap after someone has overtightened it.

I've never had any difficulty removing the cap when I was the last person who changed the filter. One of the two times after the dealer did it, it presented no difficulties. The other time after a dealer change, I broke my stamped cap wrench trying to get the thing loose. Then I bought a forged steel tool, and eventually got the cap off after a struggle with a breaker bar on the tool.

The way the o-ring seals the cap to the engine does not depend on high tightening torque to seal reliably, as long as the flange on the cap is seated all the way to the corresponding surface. They make the tightness spec as high as they do only to be certain that happens even in case tolerances on the gasket and other parts stack up in such a way that there's more friction than usual. Yet there are careless people in shops putting the caps on with impact wrenches.

One reason cartridge filters cost more than corresponding spin-ons is that quality control on them is tighter, because the manufacturer knows you can easily inspect the integrity of the filter media both before and after use. I like being able to see it.

 

I also just crank them down by hand, if I can't get a good grip on the filter - I'll crank down with the filter cup, NO ratchet or wrench.
I do use a wrench on the drain plug, but I've never over tighten or stripped them.

 

Toyotas repair manual spec an amount of rotation and a torque. With the spin-on (fresh in my mind since I’ve done the conversion) the two values are 3/4 (of a rotation after seated) and 13 (ft/lb).

I’ve spun it on till seated, put a Sharpie mark at 6 o’clock, torqued to spec, and found the mark had rotated to 3 o’clock.

In short: the specs jive. It takes a minuscule extra effort to follow either. It is also roughly 50% more than I could achieve without a tool providing leverage. It is never exceptionally difficult to subsequently break loose.