3rd Gen 3.4 oil change = pain in the A$$

[Throwing Matches]

So I recently bought a 2002 and today I changed the oil on it for the first time....UUUGGGHH! That filter setup was designed by Satan himself. I basically destroyed it, and my forearms, trying to get it unscrewed but I finally did it. Haha

My last T4R was a 98 with the 2.7L, and that was ridiculously easy!
I went at it from underneath, by removing the skid plate. Is this how you other 3rd Gen guys do it as well?

 

[toyotaoutlaw]

ha ha i know that oil filter!! thats one from jiffy lube and most of those guys dont know their head from their ass. i bet you anything they did not put any oil on the the seal of the filter and cranked it down as tight as they could. that is typical with them. they will hire anyone off the street to change oil on cars.

 

[4-Ripcord]

yeah, remove the skid and go from underneath. I usually get the purolator filters that have the rough exterior texture. It is much easier to get a grip on them and remove them that way.

 

[Throwing Matches]

ha ha i know that oil filter!! thats one from jiffy lube and most of those guys dont know their head from their ass. i bet you anything they did not put any oil on the the seal of the filter and cranked it down as tight as they could. that is typical with them. they will hire anyone off the street to change oil on cars.

Yeah someone cranked that sucker down HARD!

 

[Throwing Matches]

yeah, remove the skid and go from underneath. I usually get the purolator filters that have the rough exterior texture. It is much easier to get a grip on them and remove them that way.

Oh yeah I forgot about that, good idea. If anything I should stock up on grip tape! Haha.

 

[Toyodas]

I find the 5VZ-FE in the 3rd gens. a breeze to do an oil change on vs. 2UZ-FE.

Try turning your steering wheel full lock to the left and get the oil filter through the wheel well. Proper positioning of pan is key to collecting the oil that drains when you remove the oil filter.

 

[Throwing Matches]

I find the 5VZ-FE in the 3rd gens. a breeze to do an oil change on vs. 2UZ-FE.

Try turning your steering wheel full lock to the left and get the oil filter through the wheel well. Proper positioning of pan is key to collecting the oil that drains when you remove the oil filter.

Thanks, I will try that next time.

 

[toyotaoutlaw]

i always pull the skid plate. if you dont you wind up getting drops of oil on your driveway. its a pain but worth it to keep oil slicks off the ground. yea you can get most of it with an oil pan but you never get it all

 

[toyotaoutlaw]

oh yea put some oil on the gasket on the oil filter before you put it on. you can use clean or dirty. keeps the gasket from drying out from the heat and gluing itself to the surface.

 

[blcktpgsr]

How 'bout using an oil filter wrench, I have a similar one pictured just in case, there are times when even I just hand tight the oil filters on vehicles I work on--families mostly, sometimes they just won't give in.

Using one just simplifies the process, even in tight spaces all you gotta do is turn the wrench in small fractions until you can hand turn it..Really came in handy numerous times for me.:cheers:

 

[KB084RUNNER]

Yeah, I hate my 2008 4L V6 because they put the oil filter up on top where you can just reach in and unscrew it with no tools. Then they put a drain spout on the oil filter housing so you can put a styro cup underneath and catch all the drips in 10 seconds with no tools...then they put an inspection snap in plate inderneath so you don't have to take off the skid pan to drain the oil......:dammit:

NOW an oil change takes 5 minutes and is no fun anymore.....

 

[Tucson4runner]

I have a 2000 4runner and I usually cut a trash bag in half and lay It on the ground to catch any oil that I miss. The way I get my filter off is messy but very effective. I grab a screwdriver and a hammer and hammer the screwdriver through the side of the filter and use that to twist off the filter. Never fails.

 

[KB084RUNNER]

I have a 2000 4runner and I usually cut a trash bag in half and lay It on the ground to catch any oil that I miss. The way I get my filter off is messy but very effective. I grab a screwdriver and a hammer and hammer the screwdriver through the side of the filter and use that to twist off the filter. Never fails.

Well.....that is definitely one way to do it.

 

[TheDurk]

I have a 2000 4runner and I usually cut a trash bag in half and lay It on the ground to catch any oil that I miss. The way I get my filter off is messy but very effective. I grab a screwdriver and a hammer and hammer the screwdriver through the side of the filter and use that to twist off the filter. Never fails.

It also breaks the suction in the filter allowing the oil to drain back into the engine. I use an end cap wrench through the wheel well, but I punch a hole in the filter first. I never pull the skid plate and the small amount of oil I lose I catch by putting a big piece of cardboard down. It just gets a spot on it.

 

[toyotaoutlaw]

you could also park your vehicle where you would change the oil and leave it over night and change it the next morning. instead of poking a hole in it. this allows the oil to drain back into the block. when i do mine i let it sit for about an hour and thats usually enough.

 

[habanero]

Ugh, that's what my filter looked like by the time I got through with it today! I usually use a cap wrench but this time my toyota filter had too small a top so I couldn't get it off. I tried everything, stupid super tight space, before I got a 3 leg adjustable wrench from the zone. That did it. Urgh!!!
Today I had the skid off but usually I just go in from the top and use a veggie oil bottle with the bottom cut out for a funnel to the catch pan. No skid removal and not much mess.
Girly hand and arms FTW.

 

[toyotaoutlaw]

Ugh, that's what my filter looked like by the time I got through with it today! I usually use a cap wrench but this time my toyota filter had too small a top so I couldn't get it off. I tried everything, stupid super tight space, before I got a 3 leg adjustable wrench from the zone. That did it. Urgh!!!
Today I had the skid off but usually I just go in from the top and use a veggie oil bottle with the bottom cut out for a funnel to the catch pan. No skid removal and not much mess.
Girly hand and arms FTW.

did you put oil on the filter of the gasket?? thats helps for the next time you take it off!! or even some axle grease. trust me it really helps

 

[habanero]

did you put oil on the filter of the gasket?? thats helps for the next time you take it off!! or even some axle grease. trust me it really helps

Always! I don't usually have a problem, for some reason my cap wrench simply didn't fit this particular filter and it's the only small filter wrench I had. Thanks for the tip anyway, you never know.

 

[toyotaoutlaw]

Always! I don't usually have a problem, for some reason my cap wrench simply didn't fit this particular filter and it's the only small filter wrench I had. Thanks for the tip anyway, you never know.

well at least you got it off there lol. being a mechanic i have had some pretty hard oil filters to get off before.
your welcome you never know about that. most people already know but hey its a good one to pass around just in case lol

 

[azcat90]

Left skid plate on.

I was able to remove and replace the filter from opening directly underneath it by driving it up on ramps and forcing my left forearm up in there with a strap type oil filter wrench. It was no fun but at least I did not risk snapping off rusted skid plate bolts.