Thanks!!!
Thanks Antman!
I just finished my first oil change @ 7,500 mi using your impeccable documentation in about a 1.5 hours with no prior mechanical experience at all (except for changing burnt out brake lights LOL). I chose to do it at 7,500 because it was pretty cold this winter, and unfortunately my commute to the train station is just under 2 miles so the oil usually doesn't get up to operating temp.
Was a little nervous because I was racing daylight, but I was quite happy overall with how it went. I drive a 2017 SR5 Premium. A few notes/observations of my experience, in case it is of use to anyone:
1. My vehicle had 5 bolts and 1 plastic pin for the plastic cover. The plastic pin was the hardest part for me. I used a screwdriver to pop the gray part out - you should make sure the gray part is fully out (I want to say like 3/8 - 1/2 inch) before trying to pull out the dark ring. Also, on both sides of the plastic pin on the cover itself there is like an inch long skinny protrusion. It was useful to use that taller ridge as a fulcrum for better leverage when using my screwdriver to pop out the middle piece.
2. I'm 5'9 and 185 pounds - I was able to fit underneath the truck without the use of a ramp, or jacks + stands.
3. I used the Motivx Filter Wrench, and it worked great. It has one slot on one side, and three slots on the other. The Filter Housing has corresponding slots, so make sure they matched. I was facing the side with the metal indexing tab and wouldn't have caught this if I didn't check the other (passenger) side of the housing to notice the discrepancy, because the tool fits (sorta) in both orientations.
4. I picked up the 16qt Flotools Oil Drain Pan from Walmart, and it worked great. It is pretty tall so any spattering/splashing was contained to within the pan. There was zero oil on the cardboard I laid out underneath it.
5. I picked up oil filter kits from Toyota - they quoted me $5.50 per filter and $1.15 per drain plug washer (which are blue on both sides). When I got there I bought five and they dropped it down to $5 per filter and gave me the washers for free.
6. Having a headlamp was money. I like seeing where I work, and it helped to peer inside the upper half of the oil filter housing when I was cleaning it.
7. The dipstick is impossible to read. I could see the oil fine, it was just smeared/spotty...it reads like I put in 13 quarts of oil. I feel like maybe its rubbing up on the dipstick tube on the way up, but I don't know how to alleviate that.
8. The plastic nipple that you use to drain the oil filter housing requires a lot more force than I expected to get it up and seated.
9. Is there a torque spec for the bolts on the plastic cover? I just kinda tightened until snug.
ANYWAY. Thanks to all the other users on this thread who asked the questions I wouldn't have thought to ask, and pointed out things that definitely saved me some headaches. Antman, let me know if you're ever in NYC and I'll buy you a beer! Love this community!
