Worries about loosening & retorquing oil filter after over torquing?

I was finishing up the oil change on my 2019 SR (V6) and filled it with 6.2 qts. of oil, started it up, checked the dipstick. All good....BUT... As I was putting away my torque wrench, I realized one of the screws that holds the head together fell out and it wasn't "torquing" correctly. What I thought was 20-foot pounds for the oil filter cover was more like 40-45. Unfortunately, when the wrench felt like it broke at 20 pounds, it was the screw falling out and the internals slipping and I over torqued it. It broke, but not in the way I wanted it to. I was also in a very uncomfortable upside-down yoga twisted position and it made it hard for me to judge torque manually. Dang.

I didn't want the oil filter cover to be torqued that tightly, especially if I left it till the next oil change...I'd think it would be really hard to get off even with the correct oil cover wrench Or worse, crack and break. I'll get an all-metal cover for the next oil change.

So I backed the filter off (it was too tight for sure) until I could just move it by hand (the O ring was still inside the housing/didn't back it out that much). I got my old school Beam style, arrow pointing, torque wrench (pic below) and torqued it back to the appropriate 20 ft.lbs (19+-4).

Can anyone think of any issues with backing the oil filter cover off because it was too tight and retorquing it to the correct 20 lbs? It's not leaking so the seal on it is still good. Besides, it seeming like 20 foot-pounds are way too loose for the oil filter cover, should I have any concerns about the filter cover now that it's torqued to the correct 20 ft.lbs?

 

No, no issues. You're fine. I don't even use a torque wrench.

 

If the O-ring looks good, and you have no leaks, you should be safe. 20lbs isn't alot, and you don't need much by design.

 

Thats prob the worst torque wrench to use

 

Always hand tight + 1/4 to 1/2 turn with a ratchet no issues last 15 years on several vehicles.

Who doesn't add a few lbs to all torque specs?

Been 1 month since my first self done taco oil change. No issues!

Anything we shouldn't over tighten on a vehicle?

 

You've had cartridge style filters the past 15 years?

 

First time with this style.

 

Are all these experiences on cartridge filters? Or spin ons?

Yes there are things that should not be over torqued. Its how stuff gets broken. Or bound if its an articulating point.

 

That's canister filter guidance with flat face seal contact plus rotation to compress it. Toyota cartridge is totally different with an ID to OD sealing O-ring. It's sealed in just a few turns to get past the taper.

 

OP, it's fine. The dealers over torque the crap out of them, assuming they even changed the filter, or the o-rings for that matter. You don't really need to torque them, by feel there is drag and then it just stops, job done.

 

Nope. I have had my 2007 FJC since it came off the lot. Before that, cartridges weren't very common.

 

Yes, it is but it was the only one I had working. I figure 20 ft.lb. is so little pressure that if I got the needle to just go past the 20 marks I was fine.

 

Are you talking about the bolts for metal oil pan splash guard? Those bolts don’t need a lot f torque to secure that metal piece ? Just back off and relighted.

 

Thanks all for alleviating my concerns. That dang filter cover...20ft.LB is not even full hand tight. It just goes against 20 plus years of oil filter changes. I'd never leave a traditional can style filter that loose. I guess that's what that little tab is for, to keep it from un-spinning.

As suggested, I doubt Toyota changed the filter when I brought it in at the first 4K to get it changed. They were a bit taken aback that I wanted to do the first change after only 4K. I was supposed to be able to make it to 14K before next oil/filter change (with synthetic) and I am glad I didn't wait. I'm at 11K (6 K with synthetic) now and the filter was black (no sludge, metal filings, or foam...just well used) and the oil, black like what nonsynthetic would look like after 5K miles on an 80s V8. It seems I may have to put a hidden mark on the oil filter housing the next time I take it to the dealership for every other change. I'm still going to change out between 5-6K miles with synthetic. Old habits. It can only be good for engine to have fresh oil. My FJC has 240,000 miles. Religious oil changes with synthetic between 5 and no more than 6,000 miles.

I appreciate all the comments. Worried about the truck and Murphy's Law kicking me. Still have to get used to that filter cover only needing 20ft.lbs. I keep thinking it's going to spin itself off from just the engine vibration at idle.

I'll get a metallic cover for the next change.