Oil/Filter Change

I'm about to do this myself. I don't imagine it's too difficult but would welcome any advance warning of potential problems.

I have read that the filter can be a problem. Is this simply because of it's location? I have a strap tool to get it off with.

Is the TRD filter any better than the standard Toyota one for use on an N/A?

Cheers

Jon

Hi mate, the filters a doddle on the NA but tricky on the TT due to the location being underneath the inlet manifold.

tip: make sure the engine is cooled down for a few hours as the oil naturally gets very hot!

think the plug is 14mm too.

Cheers guys. Will I need to fit a new gasket on the plug? If so can you pick them up in Halfords or is it a Toyota only part?

Hi mate, the filters a doddle on the NA but tricky on the TT due to the location being underneath the inlet manifold.

depends how tightly its been put on I ripped mine to shreads with an old school bike chain style filter removal tool, fairly tricky to get to the filter from the top unless you have thin arms but not too difficult to be honest

I do mine on a lift from underneath and find that even with several rags surrounding the filter area, I always wind up with a bunch of oil everywhere. It's just a piss-poor place that's hard to get to. Stock oil filters from Mr. T are excellent. No need to upgrade if you're not tracking the car or running much higher HP levels. As for the drain plug gasket, if you don't know how old it is, just get a new one. They're cheap and you'll have the piece of mind knowing it's new.

I do mine on a lift from underneath and find that even with several rags surrounding the filter area, I always wind up with a bunch of oil everywhere.

on a NA (this is for the original poster) you can make a handy thing to stop the oil leakage described above.

Just like blue peter you will need plastic water/fiizy brink bottle.

I favour 'Highland spring' 2L bottle as its got a Square body thats flexible but not too flexible (i think a coca cola bottle would be too flimsy)

Anyhow first retain the screw on cap and cut the base off (trial and error here to get the right length but obviously go too long initially- will try and post details later if required)

Second choose one of the four sides to be your 'top' and then trim this plastic away (from the cut edge back towards the neck approx the length of an oil filter) and a cm or two down each side. (what you are aiming for is a object that looks a bit like a Pick'n'mix scoop...........)

Third the 'bottom' leading edge of the bottle needs to be cut into a shallow u shape so that when in position it butts up tight to the oil filter mounting/block.

Basically once the right size this adapted bottle (on a NA) can be squeezed down through past the filter and then lifted up into place. Into place being with the bottom of the bottle tight up against the filters mounting, the 'open topped' part of the bottle facing up with the oil filter resting in the main bottles body, and the neck just clearing the inner wing.

With the filter intially loosened say half a turn by a removal tool and with one hand supporting the bottle, you can then unscrew the filter by hand, the leaking oil will spill down into the adapted bottle (and filter/your hands) and collect in the neck. The filter can also drop into the bottle as there is a sufficient volume of 'normal' bottle to avoid any overflow.

The best bit is once everything is in the bottle it can be pulled straight up and out of the bay as the lack of filter now on the block means there is a direct path out.

If ever a picture said a thousand words i think this is it i'll post one up if anyone is interested.....

Please do. That's very MacGyver!

Sounds great, please do post a picture up.

Good tip Scooter! I'll try that next time.

Cheers guys. Will I need to fit a new gasket on the plug? If so can you pick them up in Halfords or is it a Toyota only part?

Toyota sell the sump plug washer. I think it's recommended you replace it each time. For the price of it, not worth the risk of not doing it.

Also, I'd stick with Toyota filters and not Halfrauds ones.

tip: make sure the engine is cooled down for a few hours as the oil naturally gets very hot!

 

think the plug is 14mm too.

Alternative Tip - do it with the engine as hot as you can get away with - if the oil is actually still quite warm, it's thinner and more old oil drains out

-Ian

There is a method with the TT that I've used a few times now with minimal spillage, which is a) get the PAS fluid reservoir out of the way first, and b) poke a tesco* carrier bag wedged open in the area under the filter. Double-hull it with a bag inside a bag and the filter drops straight into it and it holds all the leaking oil as well. Close the bag and remove en bloc. In 2000 or so miles I'll do a photo writeup haha

-Ian

*the brand probably doesn't matter but try not to use ones with too many breathing holes...

Alternative Tip - do it with the engine as hot as you can get away with - if the oil is actually still quite warm, it's thinner and more old oil drains out

 

-Ian

I always do it hot too. I've heard that, when hot, more debris is still suspended in the oil, so you extract it out when you drain the oil.

Do any of you use one of the engine flush products?

Do any of you use one of the engine flush products?

I don't. They're probably OK if your engine is new-ish and in tip top condition, but they *may* cause problems if used on an older engine, because they flush away deposits that may not be causing a problem where it is, and may cause parts not to seal against each other properly. This is info I gathered when I was considering using engine flush on my K-reg metro after head gasket failure.

NB not sure if its worth it for the TT guys but works fine for an NA.

Ok first pic............the adapted bottle

the bottle has to go in this way, and then turned downwards.......

this shows the bottle in position and also from an angle where you can see once the filter is off how you can remove the bottle+filter far easier than the path taken to get the bottle on in the first place..........

ta da.............hopefully