Oil Filter - Hand Tight??

[gRunner3]

I recently changed my oil and for some reason the one-size-fits-all oil filter wrench I've used before without problem couldn't get a good grip on the new filter, so it only got screwed on as tight as I could get it with my hand. I have since picked up a good filter wrench from the Touota Parts Dept. for our filters but it has been about 3 weeks since I changed the oil.

Should I get back under the truck and tighten the filter properly now (I think it is 3/4 of an additional turn) or has it already made a good seal by now and I shouldn't worry about it?

 

[MikeInNH]

Hand tight is fine. The heat of the engine will swell the gasket and it will be more then tight enough to NEVER leak. I've yet to see one leak that I've hand tightened in the past 30+ years.

 

[<<<<]

I always hand tight mine and never have any problems. When I did first oil change I could not get the damn thing off without applying some major muscle because some guerrilla at the assembly line tightened it with the wrench.

 

[Jeff Kleb]

Never use a wrench to screw on an oil filter. Unless you are quite weak-wristed, hand-tight will be fine. Besides, as mentioned above, the heat of your engine will tighten the seal rather quickly. This is why you might need a wrench to remove a "hand tight" filter after three thousand miles of driving.
:bash:


Since the 4Runner (my '05 anyway) has the oil filter up on the top of the engine, it is extremely easy to get a good grip on it when it needs to be replaced. I just do it with a pair of leather work gloves - since it gets very hot when driven; and hot is the best way to drain your motor oil.

 

[The Wanderer]

fill the oil filter with oil, apply thin film of oil to the gasget surface. Screw in the filter and after you feel the filter make contact mark the side of the filter and screw it in an additional 3/4 of a turn.

 

[Uneek]

fill the oil filter with oil, apply thin film of oil to the gasget surface. Screw in the filter and after you feel the filter make contact mark the side of the filter and screw it in an additional 3/4 of a turn.

:iagree:, I follow the same procedure.

 

[Camprunner]

Yes hand tight I found out the hard way when I added a little with the strap wench ................. The next oil change was great fun doing the old run the screwdriver threw the filter trick

 

[gRunner3]

Thanks for the feedback. I think I was forgetting that the 3/4 of a turn was after the intial contact is made versus 3/4 of a turn past the point of getting it hand-tight. You'd think I'd know that by now, but I guess when I only do it twice a year the process gets a little fuzzy.
Thanks guys!

 

[toto]

The other tips I agree with, but I've never heard of filling the filter with oil. Why do that?

Plus, wouldn't it all spill back out on the V6, where the filter is on top of the engine?

 

[Uneek]

The other tips I agree with, but I've never heard of filling the filter with oil. Why do that?

Plus, wouldn't it all spill back out on the V6, where the filter is on top of the engine?

Filling the filter with oil would minimize the amount of time that the engine is 'dry' during the initial start up right after the oil change. In the past, I never filled the filter with oil--a buddy kept saying it was good practice. Whatever.

It can be done on the V6, just pour oil in to the top and let it sit for a minute or so. The element will absorb all the oil and it won't spill during installation. For opening side up filters, it usually takes two to three pours before the element stops absorbing oil.

 

[MikeInNH]

Filling the filter with oil would minimize the amount of time that the engine is 'dry' during the initial start up right after the oil change. In the past, I never filled the filter with oil--a buddy kept saying it was good practice. Whatever.

It may be good practice..but NOT necessary. The last 4 vehicles my wife and I owned each had well OVER 250k (3 of them OVER 300k ) miles on them before we sold or traded them in...Never did I use this method...and ALL of those vehicles weren't burning ONE drop of oil when we got rid of them.