Oil Change Question

Guys, just picked up my ‘24 TRD ORP. Traded in an ‘08 which was probably the easiest oil change vehicle ever made, with spin on oil filter on top of the engine.

Preparing for my first oil change, I notices on the YT videos some guys use a filter removal tool that engages the fingers in the composite filter housing and some use a tool that does not like this one.

Then some complain about the fingers breaking.

Why use a tool that engages the fingers in the first place if they may possibly break and not use this kind?

 

I use that exact cap and have never had a problem

 

That tool doesn’t engage the ears on the housing. Get it snug, use a 3/8, if it’s on tight get a leverage bar and voila.

if you have the whole kit, thread the tube in, it does make it easier and cleaner. Gaskets in the right spots, and you’ll be good. Tedious part is the skid plate

 

The one in the above pic is the one you want.

 

Motivix makes the best cap tool.

 

The previous version MotivX tool did have slots to engage those tabs on the filter housing, but now are like shown. I use a different brand tool that does have the slots, and have no issues removing the housing, and am not concerned about breaking anything. But I'm removing the housing that I tightened last oil change, not one that was put on with an impact wrench at the dealership.

It seems there are a few categories of filter tools:

- ones that only engage the flutes snugly and are made out of strong material, i.e. MotivX
- ones that engage the flutes snugly, also have the s!ots, and are made of strong material (what I have)
- ones that are cheaper that only engage the flutes, but are sub par as far as material used and thickness
- ones that are cheaper, sub par material, that engage both the flutes and have slots for the tabs. These, being cheaply made, can slip on the flutes, and if the filter housing was overtightened last time, have the risk of breaking off the ears/tabs.

 

Thanks for your thoughts and comments.

However, as far as I can tell, the tabs on the housing are there only to work with the little clip so the filter doesn't rotate off from maybe off-roading vibration etc... by the little tabs it would bump into. Any pressure put on them from a removal tool seems only to put unnecessary stress (which may produce micro cracks) on the tabs, so why leverage those to assist removal of the housing. From an engineering perspective, I only see disadvantages in doing that when you can use a nice 64mm removal tool similar to a spin-on filter method.

I appreciate your point of view that you are removing what you're putting on and probably properly torquing the housing.

Thanks,
Bob

 

You are thinking wayyyy too hard. Ones that don't grab the flutes will slip sooner or later.

They are useable but still slip.

 

The tool I have engages the filter housing quite snugly, exactly like the 64mm MotivX tool, it just has slots for the ears. When I've used it, I've not noticed any undue pressure being put on the ears.

 

My tool doesn’t extend over the ears, which I prefer. Bought the oil filter tool at dealership for around $20.

 

I am doing this job today....will test both tools. And post pics, but I think either way it really doesn't matter, just choose what you like and what you are comfortable with. @ OP, relax some.

 

Starting it...as write this note. Oil change at 55k on mine. No difference so far between the two. The motovix...is a little more snug in there.

 

I've used MotivX and another tool that grabs the ears. Both work fine but with the plastic housing I am stray more towards the MotivX tool.

 

I know not related to the thread or the topic but this is my setup when doing oil changes. My goal is to not have a single drop of oil on the skid plate. I believe I have mastered this task after several times of doing this.

 

So do you reach in from the side to deal with removing & replacing the filter housing, and attaching the drain hose?

 

^^ The filter comes straight down through the access hole. You can look through the side to see everything you're working on. I do mine the same way as Chessguy is showing, except I don't use a hose on my Fumoto valve for draining the pan.

 

There is an access hole on the RCI skid plate and as Guppy1301 says, you can look from the side to make sure things are moving and most importantly not making a big mess. I just finished!

 

If you don’t put the filter back on super tight you can usually remove the whole thing by just inserting a 3/8” ratchet extension into the filter drain plug cap thing. It’s messy but simpler than dealing with the plastic pop in drain thing.

 

Supercharger use the same belt as factory? Or is a longer one spec'd?

 

It is different.

 

That MotivX tool + a torque wrench is the way to go.

 

I bought a $7-8 generic filter housing wrench from the auto parts store and it works great, except it likes to get stuck on the housing so I'm definitely getting my money's worth out of it. For better and for worse.

 

Does anyone wonder why the MotivX tool is so deep? The filter housing doesn't have that much area to grab...maybe one of the other vehicles it works on has a deeper filter housing...

 

Pretty sure its specific to 4Runners. Having one myself I can say it fits our filter housing like a glove. No play whatsoever.

 

I'm not questioning the snug fit. However, this wrench Is not specific to 4Runners. Per the MotivX website:

Fitment Information

This wrench fits all Toyota, Lexus, and Scion vehicles that use the cartridge style oil filter system with either the plastic or aluminum OEM Toyota cap. It also fits all 64.3mm 14 flute spin-on style canister filters such as the Toyota 90915-YZZN1 and Honda 15400-PLM-A02 along with many others.

So the depth most likely has to do with some other application where the filter housing is deeper.

 

RCI Skid plate has a nice trap door. That and a Fumoto valve and the oil drains straight into a big 2.5 gallon jug. The oil filter takes a bit more finesse.