4th Gen V8 Oil Change: How do you get to your skid plate?

[hjkim]

So from my searches it seems pretty universal that it's a PITA to change the oil on the V8 because of the position of the oil filter behind the skid plate. I was wondering what method people used to get the skid plate off.

The last time I did the oil change, I ended up jacking up one side just enough to get the skid plate to come off, lowering it, changing the oil the reversing the process. It doesn't seem to be the most efficient.

If anyone has any recommendations, I would appreciate it.

Also, do the oil plug washers need to be replaced every oil change?

Thanks in advance.

 

[JB.]

So from my searches it seems pretty universal that it's a PITA to change the oil on the V8 because of the position of the oil filter behind the skid plate. I was wondering what method people used to get the skid plate off.

The last time I did the oil change, I ended up jacking up one side just enough to get the skid plate to come off, lowering it, changing the oil the reversing the process. It doesn't seem to be the most efficient.

If anyone has any recommendations, I would appreciate it.

Also, do the oil plug washers need to be replaced every oil change?

Thanks in advance.

If you want to give it a try, you can bypass the skid by changing the filter from the top
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/maintenance/61542-changing-v8-oil-filter-top.html

If you want to do it all from underneath, ramps are probably the easiest solution. The skid will hang in place if you want but you have to take all the bolts out anyway so might as well just take it off. Careful not to over tighten when putting back.

With a floor jack, stands are pretty easy, too, as you can jack the whole front end up using the reinforced, round protrusion in the center of the front skid plate. I always use 4 stands on one end for redundancy.

I've never replaced the oil pan bolt washer. After 14 oil changes, no leaks.

 

[Ducman]

No need

I am able to drop mine without ramps or jacking up the truck at all. I just lay down some cardboard and crawl under, undo the bolts and swing it down and pull it off.

My tires are stock size too.

I would think if yours was catching at all, driving up on some spare lumber... a spare board or two would do the trick and get you that extra inch or two you would need to swing it out of the way. I honestly think the oil change on the V8 is super easy and goes pretty fast.

Rhino Ramps would work well too I'm sure if you wanted more room. I use them for my other cars and they work great and are cheap.


As for washers... I replace mine every oil change. Bought a pack of them on Ebay from the guy I buy my Toyota oil filters from. I think they were 15 cents each or something.

 

[ellsworb]

I am able to drop mine without ramps or jacking up the truck at all. I just lay down some cardboard and crawl under, undo the bolts and swing it down and pull it off.

My tires are stock size too.

I would think if yours was catching at all, driving up on some spare lumber... a spare board or two would do the trick and get you that extra inch or two you would need to swing it out of the way. I honestly think the oil change on the V8 is super easy and goes pretty fast.

Rhino Ramps would work well too I'm sure if you wanted more room. I use them for my other cars and they work great and are cheap.


As for washers... I replace mine every oil change. Bought a pack of them on Ebay from the guy I buy my Toyota oil filters from. I think they were 15 cents each or something.

I'm with Ducman. I drop the skids with no jacking on stock tires on my 06 V8 SR5. I also installed a Fumuto Valve at the first oil change, so no need for washers and the like. In fact, my procedure is to crack the fill port, start draining oil and while its draining remove skid and filter. My last change (at 55K) was 22 min.

 

[hjkim]

Thanks for all the Advice

I ended up getting jack stands and jacking up one side to get the skid plate off.

 

[paraordnance]

I could never figure out why people complain about removing skid plate on 2UZ-FE :shrug: it takes literally 5 min for me. And with a recent install of Fumuto quick drain valve oil changes become even easier, quicker and cleaner.

 

[chaz]

ha, ha, when u get near 60 & still do ur own oil changes, u may understand why its a pain to have remove the skid, not to mention a bolt may break causing another pita. but placing a plastic bag over the filter & removing it from the top isnt bad.

 

[charlier180]

ha, ha, when u get near 60 & still do ur own oil changes, u may understand why its a pain to have remove the skid

Still have a few years until age 60. After changing the oil in my 4Runner last weekend I can appreciate the PITA the skid plate can be.

not to mention a bolt may break causing another pita.

Yup, did that last weekend. PITA for sure. Up until last weekend I had the dealer change the oil every 5K when the 4Runner was in for it's yearly state inspection. Yes, my 4Runner does not get a lot of miles in a year.
It appears that at some point they started to round off the skid plate bolts and started doing the oil changes from the top. Needless to say, I now own the sockets designed to remove rounded off bolts.

but placing a plastic bag over the filter & removing it from the top isnt bad.

Interesting suggestion. I use the plastic bag technique when I change the oil in my VWs. When I changed my filter from the bottom on my 4Runner I noticed that about 1/2 quart of oil drained out after I cracked the old oil filter's seal. I would assume that the plastic bag technique is supposed to catch some/most of that oil? I would bet that techs at Toyota dealers or quick lube places just let that oil collect in the front skid plate and eventually hit the ground when they change the oil from the top.

To answer the original question that started this thread, when I changed the oil I drove my 4Runner on top of some wood planks. Those planks were located near the edge of the stone area where I park my car trailer. The end of that area slopes down at an angle. Between the downward slope of the stone area and the wood planks I had more than enough room to take the front skid plate off. Unfortunately, even with this setup, getting to the rear bolts on the rear skid plate was not as easy as I had hoped.

 

[toto]

I've been doing this without ramps or jacking the truck up. I have stock wheels/tires.

I did try something new the last time I changed the oil. I stacked up enough wood scraps to support the weight of the skid plate while removing the screws and then again while putting them back in. That made the job a lot easier, as you're not fighting to hold the skid plate up while it's only partially attached to the truck.

 

[dk27]

I recently bought my 4Runner and had overlooked the fact that the darn skip plate wasn't properly secured on the front. I got a set of bolts from the dealership for nothing but should there have been nuts to go with it? If it's just bolts that go in it great but if I need the nuts to go with them as well I think that's importnat of course

 

[toto]

Bolts go into threaded holes in the frame.

 

[dk27]

Bolts go into threaded holes in the frame.

Awesome, thanks.

 

[midnight runner]

The previous owner of my truck had one of the bolts heads on the skidplate broken off. I have to listen to the thing rattle when my windows are down. If I want it to work, I have to bore it out, and re-tap it.

I dunno why some guys needs jacks. Maybe some are big boned?

 

[dk27]

The previous owner of my truck had one of the bolts heads on the skidplate broken off. I have to listen to the thing rattle when my windows are down. If I want it to work, I have to bore it out, and re-tap it.

I dunno why some guys needs jacks. Maybe some are big boned?

It's definitely workable without a jack for an average or smallerish person I think. Personally, now that I have a set of rhino ramps they give a ton of extra room and are cake to work with so I use those.