Stupid oil change question

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oncewaspfd

New member
Getting ready to do my first oil change on my recently purchased 02 4runner.
I finally found the oil filter and can't reach it. I have the stock skid plates on. I can touch it but not grasp it or get a cap/wrench on it. My forearm gets stuck. OK you can hammer with Popeye jokes if it means I get an answer.
 
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You can go through the driver's fender well. Just remove the back tab on the rubber cover that's in front of the filter.
 
You can take the skids off just to help with the mess but the best way is to remove the drivers side wheel and go straight at it there. I rotate the tires at every oil change so it's no extra work for me, but much easier to get the filter on and off.
 
With stock tires there is no need to pull the wheel. Just crank hard left when you park and go in through the fender. Has worked fine for me since 1999.
 
Remove the skid plates or prepare to soak them in oil. Its just 4 bolts, 2 farthest froward and 2 farthest back, if I remember right the middle 2 bolts just hold the 2 skid plates together.
 
I've been going through the driverside fender for years.... super easy... and alot less trouble than doing it any other way. :)
 
Avwizz said:
Prepare to get oil EVERYWHERE.
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That is no lie! I just purchased a 97 a couple weeks ago and just did the oil change this weekend and what a mess. I have changed the oil on every vehicle I have owned and even though this was not as bad, it was by far the messiest.

The oil filter is so high up, oil gets everywhere and if it is windy, for get trying to stay somewhat clean at all.

FYI. Advanced Auto Parts has 5 qts of Castrol Syntec and a K&N filter for $32.99 if you are in the OH area.
 
coming from a seasoned lube tech.... i always go from the top and reach right underneath the alternator.... also a good angle to use a bandwrench if needed.

Cant do much about the mess though.... its worth it to remove the rear skid i think
 
oncewaspfd said:
Getting ready to do my first oil change on my recently purchased 02 4runner.
I finally found the oil filter and can't reach it. I have the stock skid plates on. I can touch it but not grasp it or get a cap/wrench on it. My forearm gets stuck. OK you can hammer with Popeye jokes if it means I get an answer.
Click to expand...

Yeah it's quite of a *****... I just did it last month after 2 months of driving with seafoam+ a road trip from Texas to NY. I REALLY urge you to remove the skid plates, it was freezing cold and I was lazy and it made such a huge mess. I had oil still dripping for a while. It sucks, but it's only a couple times a year.

As for oil, I just got advance auto parts oil. Reading up on how some of these auto stores actually get their oil at times from manufacturers, I couldn't see myself paying triple the price. I don't go cheap with my car, but with this I did and no problems. I did buy a mobil-1 high mileage filter though, suppose to be good for 2 changes. Still hesitant about that.
 
I took the skid plate off and went up from the dirver's front corner to the filter. I punched a hole in the filter with a sharp awl and let the oil drain out first, then removed it with a oil filter socket tool. Little mess and no real pain in the rectal cavity.
 
You can go through the driver's fender well.
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Amirocassar said:
I did buy a mobil-1 high mileage filter though, suppose to be good for 2 changes. Still hesitant about that.
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I used to get the Royal Purple filters for the same reason but after about 8k to 10K those damn things get hard to get off. I went back to changing the filter every 4k with the oil.
 
Man you guys are working too hard. Reach through the fender wall and just unscrew it and let it drip down into the skid plate. The oil doesn't hurt anything down there, it'll keep the rust away too.
 
Nelsonmd said:
Man you guys are working too hard. Reach through the fender wall and just unscrew it and let it drip down into the skid plate. The oil doesn't hurt anything down there, it'll keep the rust away too.
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Personally, I don't want to rust proof my driveway, garage, and every other place I park with oil dripping off the skids though...
Plus I'm a fan of keeping everything wiped CLEAN so when you do have a leaky [something] it's easy to detect and trace.
As for keeping rust away, it's like a successful business - location, location, location.
 
A couple well placed old microfibers always works well for me in containing the drip and spill. Other than that, skid plate off and make a few bends in your arm :-D
 
The K&N filters have a 1" bolt head thing on the end of the filter so it's easy to loosen thru the fender well with a 1" socket on a fairly long extension.
It's worth it to remove the skids.
 
If you guys are having to use wrenches to get the filter off I would say you are over tightening them in my opinion. I can get them plenty tight enough by hand and getting it off just takes one strong turn. Never had a problem in 11 years.
 
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