Stuck oil filter housing

Doing an oil change on my new-to-me 2016 TRD Off road today and couldn't get the oil filter housing off. However changed the oil before really put the monkey on the oil drain plug as well, but I was able to remove it.

I already own two 4Runners and I thought I had the specialty removal tool but I couldn't find it. Of course, I had already drained the oil from the pan so I just left the old filter on there and ordered a new wrench from Amazon.

I'm assuming it will be fine to just change the filter when the wrench arrives tomorrow. I have enough oil left over since I bought 7 quarts.

 

Yes you will be fine . Suggestion
Go to a Toyota dealer and get yourself a new oil filter housing in case you crack it getting it off. Also get the motive filter wrench.,and put the socket on the big nut, on the wrench . Better leverage. Apply even steady pressure . Some of these oil change dummies put it on way too tight

 

what the motive wrench?

 

This one time, I bought the wrong size filter so I put the used filter back on and changed the oil...all went well until the next oil change.

The MotivX worked well...I bought a different style wrench but was able to remove without any issues.

 

MotivX or whatever I'm assuming.

 

Yes motiv x I believe it’s called .Try not to use the one that grabs the ears . They have a tendency to break the housing

 

$30 Motivx Tools Oil Filter Wrench for Toyota Camry, Tundra, Tacoma, 4Runner, RAV4 and More - 64mm 14 Flute Precision CNC Machined Aluminum Oil Filter Removal Tool

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00XTAGHU0

 

I have the Motive-X tool, and could not break loose the housing on our RAV4.
I took it to my regular shop who installed the filter too tight and said "fix it".

They fired the monkey who tightened it down to Godzilla levels of torque.
They use the Snap-On heavy duty forged steel tool and a 36-inch half-inch drive breaker bar.

I could not get it loose with my tools, nor an impact gun.
This plastic housing is supposed to be torqued to 18 ft-lbs.
For some reason, rack monkey vastly over tighten these.

 

Have someone tap it while you try to loosen it. This method works with the metal housing version. Not sure how it'll fair with the plastic version.

 

Had the same problem, went to change the oil myself for the first time and the previous change was done using my last free oil change at the dealer. Broke the plastic housing trying to get it off with a breaker bar and a pipe added for leverage, the nimrod that changed it last tightened it to a million ft lbs for some reason. Went back to the same dealer and raised hell in the service dept in front of customers, holding the broken housing, and got a replacement housing and 2 oil filters for free.

 

Since you stated you don't have a tool, did you try to remove by hand?

 

'who promptly killed himself in the parking lot because all humans are useless piles of excrement.'


i'm still convinced that thermal expansion over the course of 3k-10k miles tightens up the assembly, not any installation process from anyone. but it is fun to blame others.

i've done my own oil changes the last two times, being very intentional to install the filter housing by hand(not even 10ft pounds), with new o-rings, and applying oil to o-rings, and every time i've removed it, it's taken a large wrench to remove because it's far tighter than it was installed at.

 

I have other filter tools that worked on my 4Runner but I couldn’t get them to budge the Tacoma filter. There’s no way it’s coming off by hand unless I suddenly turn into Popeye or the Hulk.

I’ll pick up a new housing from a local dealership this week and take care of it next weekend. I don’t trust the knock off stuff being sold on Amazon or eBay.

 

Adding on: suggest you get the metal one.

$17 Oil Filter Housing Cap Assembly 15620-31060 For Toyota Camry Tundra RAV4 4Runner Tacoma Highlander Sienna Venza Avalon Fj Cruiser, Oil Filter Housing Cover 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08LGGFCZT

 

If you want a filter wrench a little more robust than the Motivx I hear this is an excellent choice.

$28 MichaelPro 64.5mm Forged Steel Oil Filter Cap Wrench for Toyota, Lexus, 14 flutes | Easily Remove Stubborn Oil Filters | Tough Lexus & Toyota Oil Filter Tool | MP009081

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BHHTPCH9

 

It is the same. If you cannot get it off using it, none of those fancy ones will help you

 

When you go to put the new one on a little oil on your finger and rub on the threads and ring.

 

it's cheaper, and made of steel. i haven't seen a direct comparison between the two though in terms of fit/finish.

personally, i went with the entire motivx kit, with the wrench, funnel, and filter drain. the drain comes with a ton of extra silicone hose, that split in half, happens to fit perfectly on the fumoto valve drain hose adapter clips. which means i can literally do my entire oil change in an expensive suit if i wanted. though my investments in oil dry have pretty much tanked. many are pretty pissed at the dramatic drop in their sales..

 

I looked at the two spanner wrenches shown above, and it seems that they don't fit the oil filter housing of the 2023 Tacoma, at least according to the Amazon "proper fit app." I do have a couple of these wrenches (other brands). Two of these fit the Tundra 5.7L but are too large for the 2016 RAV4 V6 engine. The wrench I use for the RAV4 V6 fits the 2012 Corolla 1.8L engine. I am assuming that this one will fit the 2023 Tacoma V6, but I will have to wait until ready to replace the Tacoma's oil & filter by mid April or so, in which case I will first make sure the wrench fits before draining the oil.

This Tacoma shows a little over 2,000 miles by the odometer, but I had the dealership replace the oil last year before the 2-year Toyota Care expires. Regardless, I will replace the oil and filter myself just like I do with the RAV4 and Tundra, both done by April each year (after the long hours of winter idling).

By the way, I have replaced the oil and filter of the RAV4 since 2013, and the ones on a 2012 Corolla from 2013 until 2023 when I sold it. I have been replacing the oil & filter of my 2013 Tundra 5.L, so the housing and the housing's drain plug come right off as they should.

The only times when the filter housings have been over-tightened has been when done at the dealership. In fact, the aluminum plug that is used to drain the filter housing before removing it from the engine, was overtightened at the dealership long ago, and since I didn't want to damage the housing I decided to leave it alone several years ago. I can get it off and replace the O-ring on the next oil change, but that will require a friend of mine to hold the housing while I crank the plug out using a ratchet & 3/8" extension. He's a big guy, so maybe it will work

 

Biggest pain i have with the cap removal tool is getting it off the filter cover after tightening it. Do they make a removal tool to get the removal tool off! LOL