Read AntMan's great write-up on how to do oil change; I am missing the metal piece on plastic oil filter housing unit which is used to correctly line-up the plastic oil filter housing!

AntMan or others: I assume this metal indicator tab that should be on the plastic housing is held/slipped in place onto one set of 3 raised ridges on the plastic housing body. There are 2 sets of "3 raised ridge" on the housing; which set was the one that should have held the metal tab? One of the two sets have thinner ridge edges whereas the other set has a thicker and higher ridge edge. I need to know which set to use as my guide now that I don't have a metal tab! I assume that having the metal tab would make it easier for one to correcty install the housing to avoid overtorquing(tightening)the plastic housing body.
Please advise! Thanks! Toyslug

It's not that big of a deal really-

If you haven't removed the housing already, you can mark the location before you take it off.

Otherwise- this picture shows pretty clearly where the tab is attached.




I think the Oil Change Thread has the torque spec as well...

Thanks Antman and again thanks for taking the time for your detailed write-up with all the pics!

toyslug

You can get a replacement for it from Toyota.

Moreover because the oil filter housing isn't to be torqued to a high number of foot pounds, the metal clip prevents the oil filter housing from backing out. If it's missing... well, you can work out the results.

This being said, mine has never moved, so it's a safety, like a seat belt and an airbag. You know, the stuff you'll never need, like manuals and stuff.

ETA: If it does come off, any of the tabs on the filter housing will work, just be sure it fits onto the plastic housing snug. Should things start to back out, it'll back out until the tab hits one of the notches on the metal filter housing and things will stop turning.

I never noticed any notches that the tab comes into contact with. Sure about that one Homey?

EDIT- I see the notch you are referring to, however my tab didn't even touch that. Guess I need to bend it in a little bit.


Never realized that- Thanks!

I suspect the monkey in the oil change pit at the stealership also messed up his share. But then they torque those housings down to 70 ft-lbs or more, usually with a socket extension in the housing drain plug, so in their case the metal nib thing is probably moot.

I had a Toytota dealership do all my oil changes under the free "2yrs" maintenance program. Now that I am doing my own oil changes, I have found that not only am I missing the metal indicator tab on the plastic filter housing, but that whoever did the oil change at the dealership also air-wrench tightened the metal drain bolt on the bottom of the plastic filter housing so tight that it could not be removed by hand wrenching which only resulted in spinning the filter housing around (ie. loosening the entire filter housing body)!

progress I suppose

but I don't want any part of this design, looks like two steps backwards
next thing you know, the greenies will make this design the law