2015 TRD- Oil Filter Question- Why Remove Metal Plug?

G

GNB

New member
Hi all,

I've read some great threads with numerous photos showing how to do the oil change. Looks pretty straightforward , and I am very comfortable turning a wrench.

I do have a question about the design of the cartridge filter. Why on earth is it necessary to remove the lower metal plug of the filter housing and drain the oil thru the plastic spigot thingy ? It seems the only purpose of this metal plug and washer arrangement is to minimize oil spillage when removing the housing. Can someone confirm? If this is the case, for me it's a waste of time and unnecessary step. I would just remove the entire filter housing and spill the oil into a drain pan under the vehicle ( like I've always done oil changes).

Am I missing some higher purpose ? Seems like a dumb extra step, the housing does not need the lower metal plug and it just provides an additional potential leak ( screw up).
 
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GNB said:
It seems the only purpose of this metal plug and washer arrangement is to minimize oil spillage when removing the housing. Can someone confirm?
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Yes, the plastic spigot pushes up on a metal disc inside the bottom of the oil filter housing and allows all the oil sitting inside the filter compartment to drain out before you unscrew the whole bottom piece. If you don't do that before removing the entire bottom piece you'll get an oil filter's worth of oil coming at you all at once. Remember that with a screw-on canister filter the back flow valve keeps a lot of the oil inside the filter and helps reduce the mess. If you unscrew the bottom housing of the cartridge filter without draining it first there's nothing to contain the extra 2-3 cups of oil in there. :rain:
 
Yeah. It takes about an extra minute to do it and let it drain. If you do it, you will end up with a very clean oil change.

But we have more important stuff to worry about than this. Right now the windshield wiper intermittent scale thread is getting as heated as Donald Trump and Ted Cruz having breakfast at a Village Inn when the bill comes.

Follow the torque spec and replace the o-ring that comes with the new filter and this is a non-issue.
 
96r50 said:
Yes, the plastic spigot pushes up on a metal disc inside the bottom of the oil filter housing and allows all the oil sitting inside the filter compartment to drain out before you unscrew the whole bottom piece. If you don't do that before removing the entire bottom piece you'll get an oil filter's worth of oil coming at you all at once. Remember that with a screw-on canister filter the back flow valve keeps a lot of the oil inside the filter and helps reduce the mess. If you unscrew the bottom housing of the cartridge filter without draining it first there's nothing to contain the extra 2-3 cups of oil in there. :rain:
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Thanks, that is what I thought. I had a Volvo V70 wagon that had a canister oil filter and no metal cap on the bottom. You just unscrew the canister and yes oil spills into your drain pain. Same exact principle, and I never noticed or was concerned about the oil. I agree it's not a difficult step, I just can't see what value it adds.

Thanks again and cheers
 
I did it the first time and never did again , it is pretty silly to continue to do it , life is too short to do things that have no relivent purpose
 
Yeah, decided to try doing it without pulling the plug just yesterday. I will NEVER do that again!!!

Got oil all over the bracket below the canister, which then ran back and to the driver's side, making a small mess of oil that I got to clean up with paper towels.

Pull the effin' plug and stick the plastic piece in! It will take you longer to clean the mess up than just doing it the way Toyota planned it to be! :suspicious:
 
With stock skids, I would say just leave the plug in and remove the whole canister slowly. If you go slow and tilt the canister just right, there is no more of a mess than using the plastic drain. There are a bunch of folks putting Locktite on the metal plug to permanently secure it and skipping that step all together on various Toyota forums. That seems fine except I don't know how the o-ring will degrade over time.

Now with aftermarket skids such as RCI with an oil filter door, I think it's cleaner to use the plastic drain with a short piece of hose and let that filter drain completely then remove the canister. Honestly, I don't like the design or location of the oil filter on my 5th gen so I'm contemplating installing a remote mount filter.
 
gm350reratliff said:
With stock skids, I would say just leave the plug in and remove the whole canister slowly. If you go slow and tilt the canister just right, there is no more of a mess than using the plastic drain. There are a bunch of folks putting Locktite on the metal plug to permanently secure it and skipping that step all together on various Toyota forums. That seems fine except I don't know how the o-ring will degrade over time.

Now with aftermarket skids such as RCI with an oil filter door, I think it's cleaner to use the plastic drain with a short piece of hose and let that filter drain completely then remove the canister. Honestly, I don't like the design or location of the oil filter on my 5th gen so I'm contemplating installing a remote mount filter.
Click to expand...

I searched the web and found a company called baxter that makes a canister to spin on filter converter. Sounds interesting, but would probably void the Toyota warranty.
 
I've changed oil 50+ times in Toyota's that utilize the same filter housing as the 5th Gen 4Runner.

I don't use the bottom drain/plastic doohickey and have never encountered any of the problems mentioned above.

When I pickup a filter at the dealer I open the box and ask the parts counter guy to pitch the plastic drain plug gadget. He grins and tells me the lube techs do the same.

If using all of the gadgetry that comes in the 04152-YZZA5 box helps you with this task then by all means do so.
 
I'm ready to quit this step as well. It doesn't keep me from spilling oil when I remove the housing and the damn thing drips continuously for at least 15 mins.
On the bright side, my latest change was under 3 hours with full lube job.:yo:
 
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