2022 Oil Filter Housing Swap

My 2011 Avalon came with a metal housing from the factory.

 

Well I purchased the aluminum kit and of course it came with the wrong oil filter ie: A1 Filter should be A5. Anyway just for fun I removed the oil pipe from the Aluminum one to take a look under it. There is nothing magic about it. All that spring does is keep the oil from leaking out during an oil change from the filter housing before that plastic oil drain tube is inserted. It's definitely not some sort of oil pressure bypass. Even if that spring was not installed there is no reason for any kind of engine failure from oil pressure loss. Pretty sure the engineers made that a fail safe thing just in case the spring failed or the center tube became loose and could no longer apply force to the spring. I also see no issue with using either oil filter housing, Aluminum or Plastic as both are used on Toyota engines without any problems. I checked the internal height of both the Al and the Plastic and they are identical. Therefore the spring would be compressed the same amount installed in either housing. There is really only one issue, the tabs have been bent more that once on the center tube once moved over to the Aluminum housing. IE: metal bending fatigue, But that metal is very soft so there is no real reason to think a failure would occur from that. That being said I think it's fine to use either one. just don't get to crazy about your decision and go mental about it. lol

Respectfully

Mike G.
Automotive engineer at Eyeball Engineering Inc.

 

A solution to a problem that doesn't exist.

 

Hi Mike. If that spring is not part of the bypass, what is the the mechanism for the bypass?

Spalding
Founding Member — L.U.G.
League of Unemployed Gentlemen

 

I can't find a clear picture, and I'm lazy, but the oil pressure relief valve is usually close to the oil pump. In the case of the one in the filter there is no bypass for the oil to go. It just goes into that little bottom part that screws on but that's connected to the filter housing so there is no way to have a "pressure relief".

Thanks
Mike G.

 

I'm wrong. That spring does allow the filter to drop lower and allow the oil to bypass at the top of the filter to the engine interface in case of a blocked oil filter. At least that's what I think now. haha

Oops! My BAD!

Thanks
Mike G.

 

Cheers!

 

When swapping the tube from the plastic housing to the metal one it might be prudent to swap the spring too.

 

We traded in my wife’s 4Runner, never had enough posts to make for sale ads. Have 2 oem filters, cap wrench and drain tool available if anyone is in need. Only used one oil change.

 

There's a wave spring-backed steel disc at the base of the center tube, visible when you separate the tube from the cap and look at the bottom.

Also a good reason to swap the center tube, as the original tube in the aluminum cap may have been designed to open at a different bypass pressure for the different engine.

The bypass valve has a high duty cycle, as it opens every time you get on the gas before the oil reaches operating temp (~first 20 minutes of driving).

 

That I don't see. But I do see a super sweet looking retaining clip to hold the base of the center tube to the tube. I like to make a lot of ASSumptions, I think the springs are identical but as I installed one I cant check them I can't check against that one any longer. And I don't know which one I installed either. But I did put them side to side and they looked identical in height, O.D. and spring wire dia too. They even felt the same. Whatever that's worth.

Thanks
Mike G.

 

^That weak coil spring is not part of the bypass valve. This is the bypass valve:



Looks like oil flows under the center tube and pushes up on the quarter-sized disc at the bottom of the center tube. That disc is the bypass valve pressure plate and opens upward. The flexure spring looks to be designed for a high duty cycle.

 

Have any of you actually had the stock plastic housing crack?

 

That's it, Mike G., you're fired!

Just kidding... I kid, I kid!

Cheers, mate!

 

The OEM Plastic Filter bowl spring IS different height then what comes W/OEM Aluminum bowl. Not sure which way is different ,BUT it is. When I do my 1st oil change I'll check out the difference of height's. I did this on my last 4Runner & still have Plastic bowl if someone wants it W/different spring. i.e. Aluminum OEM 1.

 

Doubt it BUT I'm anal on these kinda things. Comes from my work.

 

Plastic oil filter housing is fine if installed/treated correctly. You can have the right removal tool but it needs to be oreintated correctly on the oil filter plastic housing so as not break the housing tabs. They need to be fully engaged. May take a few tries to get it to fit right. You can feel it. It drops in further when right and fits firmly on the housing. 4.0l 4Runner never came with a metal oil filter housing. Metal housings are adapted from other models to work and they do.

 

It’s really not that difficult. I’ve changed the oil 13 times and have not had any issues other than making a mess changing the filter cartridge.

 

They were the same on the ones I compared. Plus I don’t think it makes any difference as I ASSume that spring is only to keep the stamped steel little valve sealed against the housing before pushing the plastic spigot thing in to drain the oil from the filter. Whatcha think?

Mike G.

 

I've gone 100,000 miles with the metal filter housing on mine and it hasn't blown up yet.

All I changed out was the center tube.

 

Usually Blows up at 101,000 miles

Thanks
Mike G.

 

I’m no expert but this was an interesting watch. He talks about the plastic and metal filters and replacing them.

https://youtu.be/G_vl2AYe7Yg?si=TbzaX_MT98MDQVGz

 

I love his description of aftermarket filter bowl!!

 

I think you are 100% right. I played with the bypass valve and it doesn't take that much force to open it. Could open it pretty easily with my thumb.

I think this is the closest looking pic I could find to the 4Ruuner style. It has both a coil spring in the pic and shows a separate place for the actual bypass valve to live in the base. So at what oil pressure does that bypass valve open? I assume its much lower than canister failure pressure. lol. Which makes me wonder if that bypass spring actual might be different for different material canisters. i.e.: Aluminum is much stronger that whatever the plastic one is made from. But from a cost stand point I'm pretty almost possibly mostly kinda sure Toyota would use the same one on many models to save cost.



Mike G.
EyeBall Engineering Inc.

 

I swapped out my OEM Plastic Bowl Stand pipe to the Aluminum Bowl on my 2018 4Runner & did multiple oil changes & Had no issues W/Filter Housing. I guess you need to be attenuative to when you swap from OEM Plastic to OEM Aluminum Spring, EH?!?! It ain't that hard, eh!??? Will be doing it when I hit 5k Mi for 1st oil change too.

 

I changed mine to an oem Toyota aluminum housing almost 50K miles ago. No issues.

Reasons:

• wanted a more durable part

Jason

 

I don't think so for the coil spring. And since the actually bypass spring lives in the tube from the plastic canister it just automatically goes into with the swap into the Aluminum bowl guy.

Come on guys we need more posting here. I'm trying to not do any real work today.

Thanks
Mike G.

 

I believe the spring Height is different from OEM Plastic Bowl, to what the Aluminum Toyota Bowl is.

 

The bypass pressure as nothing do to with the capability of the housing to hold pressure but set for the filter element! Called PSID ( pressure differential between input and output) could be anywhere between 2 psi to whatever the engineer figured! The spring will react to the ability of the filter to pass oil or not! IE filter is clogged or not, could be oil being to « thick » and not be able to go through the filter IE on cold start! To prevent starvation!

 

OMG! Lightbulb moment for Mike G.

Normal running, oil pressure differential across the filter going in radially is not much. But if filter gets clogged then there is a pressure differential from the outer oil pressure and the inner return tube oil pressure. Boom valve opens. I think the biggest problem I was having is that if the oil filter is really clogged how the hell does the oil get to the bottom and flow through the bypass valve. But I completely forgot that the oil passages in the filter from top to bottom are fairly open. The other thing that gets me is that the cross-section of open window when the bypass valve is opened is very small. Ok then what about that sweet little coil spring? Just used to keep things sort of tight plus keeps drain valve closed for oil changes?

Mike G.