Toyota oil filter housing rant

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Love the setup on my vw, no getting under the car at all. Does not sound like I will like it when it comes time to deal with this on my Toyotas though.
 
I get a kick out of threads where people who should never be working on cars try to use all of the wrong tools, never consult a service manual and go attempt even the simplest maintenance unsuccessfully and then flame the manufacturer.
lol.gif


3 minutes on Toyota Nation would have given the OP the necessary information. You can get an Assenmacher filter cartridge tool on Amazon. Then if you purchase the factory filter element you get the plastic adapter that allows you to drain the cartridge before unscrewing it.

This is all spelled out with pictures in the factory service manual and probably the vehicle owners manual.
 
Oh come now. What's the point of using a filter element that can only be gotten to under the vehicle?

I just checked on my Tundra, and it does not spell out how to change the engine oil, just how to check it. Same cartridge setup. I'm not entirely sure that one should be required to obtain a service manual in order to change the oil. That seems just a bit over the top, don't you think?

What's more asisine is Toyota's method for checking ATF level in their WS transmissions...

To be fair, it's not even the OP's vehicle, he was doing a favor for the MIL.
 
Originally Posted By: lenjack
Isn't it 64mm?


Yes it is.
A 65mm (more common in the toolbox) will work, just adapt for the extra mm. Turn the cap slightly at an angle, put a small piece of sandpaper between the filter and socket, etc...
 
Originally Posted By: ChiTDI
Originally Posted By: lenjack
Isn't it 64mm?


Yes it is.
A 65mm (more common in the toolbox) will work, just adapt for the extra mm. Turn the cap slightly at an angle, put a small piece of sandpaper between the filter and socket, etc...


Yep.. I was mistaken on that one. 65mm X 14 flute.
 
Originally Posted By: greenjp

So to whatever fool(s) at Toyota thought up this thing, go to [censored]
39.gif


ha ha.



Look on the bright side. It could have been a Toyota pickup where you had to remove a belly pan to get to the same filter.
 
Originally Posted By: supton
Oh come now. What's the point of using a filter element that can only be gotten to under the vehicle?



You mean like 90% of the vehicles out there? Like I said. I get a kick out of people who should never be working on cars and then think it is "unfair" when they have to get the proper tools for the job. However, most all trades require specialized tools. Plus, checking the ATF level on a Toyota trans is simple...if you have the correct tools and know what you are doing.
 
Originally Posted By: JethroBodine
Originally Posted By: supton
Oh come now. What's the point of using a filter element that can only be gotten to under the vehicle?



You mean like 90% of the vehicles out there? Like I said. I get a kick out of people who should never be working on cars and then think it is "unfair" when they have to get the proper tools for the job. However, most all trades require specialized tools. Plus, checking the ATF level on a Toyota trans is simple...if you have the correct tools and know what you are doing.


What can I say? The last 9 years I've been doing top-side oil changes on my VW. Once I started doing that, I've dreaded going back to having to crawl in the dirt.

Is checking the level that simple? Been a week or two since I read the proceedure. Off the top of my head:

-jumper two pins on the OBDII port together *OR* get a scan tool to monitor ATF temp.
-when the ATF is at 115F or thereabouts, and as long as the temperature is within a 7 degree F window (otherwise, let engine idle or cool until w/in this window):
-crawl under vehicle, remove check level bolt
-if the oil drips out, it is too low
-if it streams out, it is too high
-if the flow coming out is just right, then all is good.
-if you need to add oil, go find a hand pump to add via the fill hole, or find a tube to snake up into the engine bay, and of course watch out for hot exhaust.

I understand why Toyota did away with the dipstick, but that doesn't mean I agree with their decision to do so. Would any of us agree to no longer have an engine oil dipstick?
 
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Originally Posted By: JethroBodine
Originally Posted By: supton
Oh come now. What's the point of using a filter element that can only be gotten to under the vehicle?



You mean like 90% of the vehicles out there? Like I said. I get a kick out of people who should never be working on cars and then think it is "unfair" when they have to get the proper tools for the job. However, most all trades require specialized tools. Plus, checking the ATF level on a Toyota trans is simple...if you have the correct tools and know what you are doing.


Tools do not a good mechanic make. How do you know you should be working on cars?
You may watch that high horse of yours, as it may one day kick you down
wink.gif
 
Quote:
I'm a mechanical engineer with two master's degrees

Scenes from the Big Bang Theory keeps appearing in my head. Anyway, OP is a drama queen. It's not that hard. And I have zero master's degrees.

And for having the filter on the top of the engine. Doesn't that make for dry starts? My powerstroke 6.0 filter housing was always dry when I changed it. Clearly oil didn't stay up there when the engine was not running. How do these other designs deal with it?
 
Good question; no idea. On my VW the filter comes out sopping wet, and I wind up vacuuming out the housing. The oil cooler is right under the filter, and there's a good amount that can get pulled from there.

If I didn't have an idiot light for oil pressure then I'd know how long it took to come up to pressure...
crazy.gif


One good side to the top mount is that I can pour a huge amount of oil over the filter, akin to filling a spin on filter. But in this case it's pouring oil into the cooler too.
 
Originally Posted By: supton
Originally Posted By: JethroBodine
Originally Posted By: supton
Oh come now. What's the point of using a filter element that can only be gotten to under the vehicle?



You mean like 90% of the vehicles out there? Like I said. I get a kick out of people who should never be working on cars and then think it is "unfair" when they have to get the proper tools for the job. However, most all trades require specialized tools. Plus, checking the ATF level on a Toyota trans is simple...if you have the correct tools and know what you are doing.


What can I say? The last 9 years I've been doing top-side oil changes on my VW. Once I started doing that, I've dreaded going back to having to crawl in the dirt.

Is checking the level that simple? Been a week or two since I read the proceedure. Off the top of my head:

-jumper two pins on the OBDII port together *OR* get a scan tool to monitor ATF temp.
-when the ATF is at 115F or thereabouts, and as long as the temperature is within a 7 degree F window (otherwise, let engine idle or cool until w/in this window):
-crawl under vehicle, remove check level bolt
-if the oil drips out, it is too low
-if it streams out, it is too high
-if the flow coming out is just right, then all is good.
-if you need to add oil, go find a hand pump to add via the fill hole, or find a tube to snake up into the engine bay, and of course watch out for hot exhaust.

I understand why Toyota did away with the dipstick, but that doesn't mean I agree with their decision to do so. Would any of us agree to no longer have an engine oil dipstick?


You never "check" the fluid level on a Toyota sealed trans anymore. You set the level. Do this next time. Level the car when engine is cold. Open fill bolt and add 1/2 quart of ATF. Start car and allow to begin to warm up. IF you have a scan tool that will read the trans temp sensors (doubtful) then use that for ATF temperature to get to 114F. If not use an IR thermometer and scan the trans oil pan until you get a reading of 110F. With the engine idling now pull the drain bolt and allow ATF to drain until it becomes a trickle. Screw drain plug back in and tighten. You have just set the ATF to the correct level. If you are more than 1/2 quart low you may have an issue.
 
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Originally Posted By: KrisZ
Originally Posted By: JethroBodine
Originally Posted By: supton
Oh come now. What's the point of using a filter element that can only be gotten to under the vehicle?



You mean like 90% of the vehicles out there? Like I said. I get a kick out of people who should never be working on cars and then think it is "unfair" when they have to get the proper tools for the job. However, most all trades require specialized tools. Plus, checking the ATF level on a Toyota trans is simple...if you have the correct tools and know what you are doing.


Tools do not a good mechanic make. How do you know you should be working on cars?
You may watch that high horse of yours, as it may one day kick you down
wink.gif



The proper tools are required to do the job correctly. You are simply incorrect. Today's automobiles are much more technically sophisticated that cars used to be. So you should not call out anyone who is simply advocating doing a job correctly because you disagree. BTW, I do not own a horse. Also, you don't own a Toyota so please troll elsewhere.
 
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Originally Posted By: hatt
Quote:
I'm a mechanical engineer with two master's degrees

Scenes from the Big Bang Theory keeps appearing in my head. Anyway, OP is a drama queen. It's not that hard. And I have zero master's degrees.

And for having the filter on the top of the engine. Doesn't that make for dry starts? My powerstroke 6.0 filter housing was always dry when I changed it. Clearly oil didn't stay up there when the engine was not running. How do these other designs deal with it?


The 4Runner 4.0L V6 has a top mounted filter. Easy to change. You need a filter with a good ADBV. But if the OP truly has a MS degree then shame on him for not researching further what tools he would need. One look at the filter canister did it for me.
 
Originally Posted By: JethroBodine

You never "check" the fluid level on a Toyota sealed trans anymore. You set the level. Do this next time. Level the car when engine is cold. Open fill bolt and add 1/2 quart of ATF. Start car and allow to begin to warm up. IF you have a scan tool that will read the trans temp sensors (doubtful) then use that for ATF temperature to get to 114F. If not use an IR thermometer and scan the trans oil pan until you get a reading of 110F. With the engine idling now pull the drain bolt and allow ATF to drain until it becomes a trickle. Screw drain plug back in and tighten. You have just set the ATF to the correct level. If you are more than 1/2 quart low you may have an issue.


You're overlooking that you can short pins 4&13 on the OBD connector; once done the AT TEMP light will come on when the transmission is up to temp, and flash if the oil is too hot. Thankfully, I have a Scanguage which can read ATF temp also (have to add via an X guage); Ultragauge will read it too if you have a later version (early ones didn't, and you can't add it). Or if I could locate the old WinXP laptop we have (someplace) I could use a knockoff cable from eBay with some older version of Techstream (haven't tried yet). [The last one would be nice, mostly so I could "fix" the annoying seatbelt chime.]

Now that I'm looking at my notes it's a larger temp range, apparently 115F to 133F (46C to 56C), not as tight as I recalled. I do like the idea of adding extra ATF, then letting it drain down--not a bad idea.

Why check level? Only because I'm not quite sold on this being a "lifetime" fluid, much like others aren't. I'm sure it's wonderful stuff, but good for > 100kmiles? I'm pretty sure people here have done UOA's and WS isn't that magical. Even if you are only doing a pan drain you still have to check level afterwards.
 
Originally Posted By: JethroBodine


The 4Runner 4.0L V6 has a top mounted filter. Easy to change. You need a filter with a good ADBV. But if the OP truly has a MS degree then shame on him for not researching further what tools he would need. One look at the filter canister did it for me.
I'm talking about top mounted cartridge filters.
 
Originally Posted By: threeputtpar
Originally Posted By: JethroBodine
Here is the "mystery tool"

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0015PK3AG


lol.gif



And I remember seeing someone post that you can order it at AAP. The part number is ASSTOY640. Insert dirty joke here.
laugh.gif


Yep. Be sure to order in person and spell it out slow.
 
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