Oil Change 5th Gen: How To- LOTS of PICS!

[Whoknows]

Those with RCI skids, is it possible to change oil filter (using drain kit) without getting oil on skid and without removing it?

 

[RockyM]

Those with RCI skids, is it possible to change oil filter (using drain kit) without getting oil on skid and without removing it?

Yes. I just did my first oil change and it works great! The way the oil pan (drain) is positioned the oil flows straight down. It is not angled, so no oil gets on the skid. The trap door for the oil filter works well; however, I do have the JDT oil drain hose. So no mess. I suspect even without the drain hose there wouldn't be much issue.

I got the RCI skid partly for the easy oil changes!

 

[Whoknows]

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[N6WRV]

I performed my first oil change using the ValvoMax that I installed a few months ago. I’ve checked on it occasionally to make sure it did not leak. Not a drop.

I connected a longer hose to the mating drain tool fitting and drained the oil right into two one-gallon jugs. At stock height and no ramps there’s not much room underneath so I had to position them just right. Due to the small diameter of the ValvoMax the oil drains slowly. After one gallon jug was almost full I pinched the tube and moved it to the second jug for the remaining 2+ quarts.

Using the MotivX oil filter drain tool was a snap. Just screw the fitting into the filter drain and pipe the oil into the gallon jug. No mess and no plastic drain thingy to deal with. However, removing the actual filter housing is a little messy with some drippage, so have a drain bucket and paper towels handy.

After removing and cleaning up the plastic oil filter housing I removed the longer perforated tube and installed it into a new metal filter housing. New filter, new gaskets, and everything fits well.

After refilling the oil I left the skid plate off for a day and made sure there were no leaks around the new filter housing. Looking good!

I recently purchased the Motivx oil filter drain tool directly from Motivx. Far less messy than the single-use plastic drain plug that comes in the box with the oil filter.

Oil Filter Drain Tool for Toyota, Lexus, Scion 2.0L - 5.7L Engines - Motivx Tools

 

[BrockSamson257]

Agreed! Definitely an easy oil change with the RCI skids. Just did mine yesterday. I'm also using a Fumoto valve on my oil pan but without a hose since I can never seem to fine mine...

 

[t0y0ta4R]

This is probably the longest thread I've ever seen on changing oil. That said, [MENTION=65614]Antman[/MENTION] did an excellent job and it's something I'll certainly refer back to when I get a 4R. At a minimum, I won't be going back to the dealer even if the oil changes are free.

 

[Muzzle of Bees]

Hmmmm... That’s interesting, I went about a quarter inch past the tab on the housing and I had a slight leak. I had to tighten it up about 3/4 to 1’’ inch to get it to stop seeping oil.
Where is everyone’ tab at?

I line mine up with the notch. It does go slightly beyond the tab about 1/4 inch like others have indicated, but I back it up. No leaks. I have the plastic housing too.
Make sure the threads are nice and clean before refitting it.

 

[kmiyahi]

Photos resized

Hi. Thank you for this posting. I use this often to change my oil. I noticed that the photos are resized and therefore can't see them clearly. Any chance of these being corrected?

 

[rageandlove]

Hi. Thank you for this posting. I use this often to change my oil. I noticed that the photos are resized and therefore can't see them clearly. Any chance of these being corrected?

The original author sold his 4Runner, so we need someone to go do this all again and take the pictures all over ...

 

[catrains]

I line mine up with the notch. It does go slightly beyond the tab about 1/4 inch like others have indicated, but I back it up. No leaks. I have the plastic housing too.
Make sure the threads are nice and clean before refitting it.

as the runner ages the plastic cap does move a 1/2inch or so past the tab.

the tab and cap are not a perfect exact location ...
when the cap starts to tighten up then just go past the tab less than 1 inch .. all is good.

oil the O ring is very important .. if not lubed the next oil change will be hard to remove the cap.
I remove all the covers and inspect all the drive train fluids and keep covers off for a few days , because I inspect for any leaks...

the new engine oil spec is now SN PLUS .. so read the back of the oil bottle .. SN is the old spec...use SN PLUS engine much quieter on a cold start up.

 

[kenwilliams0803]

as the runner ages the plastic cap does move a 1/2inch or so past the tab.



the tab and cap are not a perfect exact location ...

when the cap starts to tighten up then just go past the tab less than 1 inch .. all is good.



oil the O ring is very important .. if not lubed the next oil change will be hard to remove the cap.

I remove all the covers and inspect all the drive train fluids and keep covers off for a few days , because I inspect for any leaks...



the new engine oil spec is now SN PLUS .. so read the back of the oil bottle .. SN is the old spec...use SN PLUS engine much quieter on a cold start up.

Yup mine goes just a little past the tab too. Always has, never any issue.

 

[Muzzle of Bees]

as the runner ages the plastic cap does move a 1/2inch or so past the tab.

the tab and cap are not a perfect exact location ...
when the cap starts to tighten up then just go past the tab less than 1 inch .. all is good.

oil the O ring is very important .. if not lubed the next oil change will be hard to remove the cap.
I remove all the covers and inspect all the drive train fluids and keep covers off for a few days , because I inspect for any leaks...

the new engine oil spec is now SN PLUS .. so read the back of the oil bottle .. SN is the old spec...use SN PLUS engine much quieter on a cold start up.

Definitely put oil on any O rings. I usually run around the block after letting the engine warm up and then button it up if no leaks are detected after an oil change and check the dipstick otherwise.
Tighten to far past the tab and it’s really hard to remove the cover next time it’s due for a change. I always hand tighten my screw on filters and never have had a problem, so I am reluctant to go past the tab.
Lately it’s been the oil drain bolt that’s given me trouble not coming loose, so that O ring has not been replaced for an oil change. Next time I change my oil I will need to see my neighbor to use his vice to remove that piece from the housing.

 

[paweliania]

Yes. I just did my first oil change and it works great! The way the oil pan (drain) is positioned the oil flows straight down. It is not angled, so no oil gets on the skid. The trap door for the oil filter works well; however, I do have the JDT oil drain hose. So no mess. I suspect even without the drain hose there wouldn't be much issue.

I got the RCI skid partly for the easy oil changes!

So I’m thinking of getting the RCI engine skid for ease of oil changes and am wondering if you have access to the drain plug when just replacing the front engine skid. My understanding is that the front skid replaces the two steel pieces and the plastic trim at the front, does it cover the drain plug? How far does it extend?

 

[LakeRunr]

Just did my 1st oil change on my 2018 SR5 since purchasing it (used). A few things to note:

The plastic front cover only has 5 10mm bolts (plus the center push pin). They must've changed the design since AntMan's model year. The "wings" don't have a bolt or hole.

Also, I replaced the plastic filter housing with a metal one. I did have to swap the center "core" from the original housing into the metal housing. When I reinstalled and torqued the housing & filter, the position tab ended up about 45 degrees past the original position (where it sat with the plastic housing).

And finally, when you insert the plastic drain tool/nipple to drain the filter, you've gotta push it in with purpose! Quick and forceful. If you do it gentle and slow, oil will seep/drip around the edges and make a mess.

 

[Deuxdiesel]

Another reason why you don't let dealerships change your oil- I did mine yesterday for the first time at 31,500 miles (bought it at 28,000 miles). The plastic housing was on with probably 40 ft/lbs of force, but the drain plug at the bottom of the housing was probably on with 80 ft/lbs. I had to spin the whole unit off and put it in a vice (tried a wooden vice first, it wouldn't hold it) and the use a breaker bar on the 3/8 wrench to get it to break free. I am guessing they have just pulled the whole thing for the past few oil changes instead of fixing the mistake. I ended up swapping to the metal filter housing while I was at it.

 

[catrains]

Another reason why you don't let dealerships change your oil- I did mine yesterday for the first time at 31,500 miles (bought it at 28,000 miles). The plastic housing was on with probably 40 ft/lbs of force, but the drain plug at the bottom of the housing was probably on with 80 ft/lbs. I had to spin the whole unit off and put it in a vice (tried a wooden vice first, it wouldn't hold it) and the use a breaker bar on the 3/8 wrench to get it to break free. I am guessing they have just pulled the whole thing for the past few oil changes instead of fixing the mistake. I ended up swapping to the metal filter housing while I was at it.

probably used a battery powered gun to do the plug/filter on/off...
my 2016 runner , no problems because I do all the maintenance .

 

[Davileet]

thanks

Years after you wrote this, but I appreciate the write up

 

[MicrowaveOven]

Jeez, just read through this for the first time, what an absolute ordeal to change the oil on this engine and kind of an unbelievable amount of steps to get there ...makes me really appreciate the ease of the 1GR

Thanks for putting together the detailed DIY


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

 

[<<<<]

It is not bad. Looks harder than it really is. Filter location is the only thing that'll slow you down. Add 15-20 minutes more compared to 4th gen oil change. Don't sweat small things like this.

 

[ForRun]

It is not bad. Looks harder than it really is. Filter location is the only thing that'll slow you down. Add 15-20 minutes more compared to 4th gen oil change. Don't sweat small things like this.

This kit made changing oil a breeze, not a drop spilled and the filter drain tube is awesome!