Oil Changes: What I've Learned

[fenrisx]

I've changed the oil on my 4Runner several times, and I've also let the dealership change the oil several times. For those times that I've done it myself there are a few things I've learned.

1. A nice sized piece of card board is nice to have to lay on if you don't have a creeper. If you do it in the winter, and you just shoveled snow, it works really good because it slides really easy.

2. If you have an oil filter socket cap that fits the filter you just bought... don't expect it to fit the Toyota OEM filter if that's what you're removing. B sized socket cap fits Bosch filter perfectly, Mobil1 Extended Performance takes some wiggling, and OEM filter is smaller on the end. If you fold up some paper towel, or a piece of a t-shirt, and put it into the socket cap it will help fit on the OEM for removal if it's too tight to remove by hand.

3. Having a socket extension with a swivel tip will make things much easy when it comes to removing the filter. The suspension components are slightly in the way to run a regular extension. The angle you have to use is just a bit 'off', but you can make it work if you don't have a swivel extension (I don't).

4. Not a big deal, but thick 'shop' paper towels are nice to have. I prefer them much more than a shop rag. They soak up better, and you can just toss 'em & not have to worry about washing oily rags in your washing machine.

I spent roughly an hour+ shoveling all the snow from behind the garage so I could pull the 4Runner around there to do the oil change. I forgot to move the container I use to drain oil into from outside. So it was buried under about 6ft of snow. So I used a box lined with a garbage bag to drain the old oil into. Then I couldn't get the old filter off. That turned a 20 minute job into easily double+ that. I finally ended up removing the front wheel so I could get better access. I still had no luck with the filter socket, but after the tire was off I was able to get a *good* grip on it with my hand and twist it off after a few tries. I also bought a longer funnel to making pouring the 5+qt container easier.

I'm giving Pennzoil Platinum a go this round, with a Bosch filter. In the past I've ran Mobil 1 synthetic, with a Mobil 1 Extended Performance filter.. or whatever Toyota uses when I've let the do the change.

[CJM]

Isnt it fun? I have alot more room to work cause of the space the T100 has, but I wind up spilling the oil from the filter onto the cheap skid I made out of some mild steel-its rusting so the oils a good thing lol.

best tool I ever used and Im dying to find one again is a filter wrench that works like a strap wrench. Fits over the filter than in the handle theres a dial you tighten. It works really good till I lent it to someone and never got it back.

[Obi..]

Lay a small rag or paper towel just under the edge of the filter along the flange of the block and also use a piece of cardboard about 18" long by like 7" wide, folded in half at the under edge of the filter pointed back to clear things and go into the oil bucket. The paper will absorb anything that gets past the piece of cardboard and the cardboard directs the dropping oil when you remove it so the two weeks following your oil change you're not wasting time trying to clean all the loose oil that collects there and getting remaining drips all over your undercarriage and parking spot.

Same goes for the earlier 3.0 equipped rigs.

* Who needs a filter socket? Hammer and a foot long phillips head work just fine and make it easier to cut the filter open to inspect debris. J/K.

[fenrisx]

best tool I ever used and Im dying to find one again is a filter wrench that works like a strap wrench. Fits over the filter than in the handle theres a dial you tighten. It works really good till I lent it to someone and never got it back.

I seen those at AutoZone, but on the 4Runner I don't see there being enough room to use it. I have a hard enough time getting my hand in there to get a good grip.

[Obi..]

Almost forgot one other tip, talk dirty to your truck when it pisses you off because it's cheaper than hitting the fender with a wrench.

As for the wrench, I use this one from our Snap-On truck, MAC also has the same deal, the handle pivots past 90 degrees, works great! Worst case a few times a filter has been really tight we have a small piece of pipe that fits over the end with a dogleg in the pipe to clear things. Try that out next time.


There's also these form toolmonger..


..and this from matador.

[DHC6twinotter]

I just use one of those oil filter socket things. Works great, and it fit both the old OEM Toyota filter and the new PureOne Taurus filter I put on. I used some socket extensions and went through the wheel well when untightening/tightening the filter.

My filter did spill oil when I did an oil change on my 3rd gen, but it didn't seem anywhere as messy as the oil changes on the 2nd gen. On the 2nd gen, I always just put a bunch of shop towels on the cross member and let them collect any spilled oil.

Just my $.02.

[fenrisx]

I just use one of those oil filter socket things.

That's nice. I wish mine fit OEM!

[04 Rocko Taco]

I just use my hand. There is really no reason that a good oil filter with a good seal on it needs to be any tighter than you can get it with your hand... unless you're a girl and cant make it very tight ( no offense intended to Hab, Jenn, or Bekah, or any other girls lurking here). I run the Ford filter (I cant remember what its from, I beleive the ones from the SHO taurus' and the 5 liter mustangs both fit on the 3.4 and provide much more filter media.) My 84 22R uses the same oil filter OEM as the 3.4 in my 04. Talk about toyota consistency, but the Ford fitler will not fit the 22R due to size restraints with the inner fender.
But, back to the task at hand, oil changes. As stated before, I never tighten my filters more than hand tight, and I always rub a bit of the new oil onto the seal before installing the filter. I've never had an issue with oil leaks at all, nor do I have much trouble removing my filters. On the RARE occasion it does become a hassle, I just grab a giant set of channel locks I have and crush the filter a bit on the end, so it is more squared than round and is easy to grip. I have always used FRAM tough gaurd filters although a lot of people will talk smack about them. Check consumer reports, they outperformed a LOT of filters, including the high end Wix filters, like by a LONG shot. I have recently begun using Penzoil myself and have been pleased with the results.
As for timing I can usually have it done on either truck in under 20 minutes, this is helped by the fact that both of my trucks are tall enough to do it without ramps or jacking it up, and I spend a LOT of time under there, so I'm pretty familiar. I mean I can drop the tranny and t-case out of my 84 4runner, change clutch and flywheel, and reinstall in less than an hour, unassisted - of course, I've had the trans out 9 times... so after awhile, you can do just about anything in your sleep.


EDIT: I found Andy's old thread regarding the larger oil filters, located here.

[fenrisx]

I've got a 12in pair of Channellocks that I couldn't get in there enough to grip the filter, maybe a 15in pair would have been long enough to get in there right. I've noticed I end up getting the filter off with my hand more than the socket cap. I usually do hand tight + 1/4 turn just to be safe. Maybe I'll just start doing hand tight only.

[Crinale]

i usually do hand tight, and when i first put it on, i can take it back off right away (i tested this last time i changed my bmw's oil). but after a few thousand miles, and lots of heat cycles it still takes a wrench of some kind to break it loose. and yes, i put oil on the seals when i put them on.

usually i use a large chain wrench my parents have