First DIY on Prius and that annoying clip on the filter

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by tpenny67, Apr 5, 2017.

  1. tpenny67

    tpenny67 Active Member

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    Hi All,

    Had to announce to everyone that I just finished my first non-Toyota-care oil change and 30k maintenance on my Prius. :) The cabin and engine air filters were a piece of cake and completed with no tools whatsoever. The oil change wasn't too bad other than trying to get the hang of the oil filter.

    I got the 64mm filter wrench from AutoZone which also has the 6 gaps that go over the tabs on the filter housing. On the car, the's also a little metal tab that appears to engage one of the plastic tabs if the housing tries to unscrew itself. Of course, the tab interferes with getting the tool properly seated, and can interfere with turning the housing.

    I didn't realize until the tab fell out on it's own that it is in fact removable. So with the tab out of the way and a *LOT* of force supplied by a breaker bar, the filter came out. If the housing welds itself in place that solidly, is that annoying metal tab really needed? I did put it back this time, but I'm thinking it may be not-so-mysteriously lost at the next oil change.
     
    #1 tpenny67, Apr 5, 2017
  2. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    I use a more conventional oil filter socket, doesn't extend far enough to touch that clip, and can attest: it does nothing, and doesn't impede removal in the least.

    Regarding the force required: Maybe the dealership spun it on with some sort of electric torque wrench? I'm the only one that has done ours, always apply 18 ft/lb, and next removal requires "moderate" effort, no more. It is stiff till the O-ring is finally in the clear, but not bad. I am using a long handled wrench.

    Do put a fresh oil on the new O-ring.
     
    #2 Mendel Leisk, Apr 5, 2017
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  3. tankyuong

    tankyuong Senior Member

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    clip not necessary
     
    #3 tankyuong, Apr 6, 2017
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  4. tpenny67

    tpenny67 Active Member

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    Being a little OCD, after putting in the new filter I immediately tried loosening it to get a feel for how tight it actually was and was surprised how much force it took to get it loose again. So I don't think the dealer put the previous one in ridiculously tight, if you factor in a bit of extra stickiness due to time since the previous oil change.

    I have a torque wrench, but never used it for oil changes. I much prefer to just grab the wrench up near the head, almost like a screwdriver, so that I can put some muscle into it but the poor mechanical advantage limits the actual lb-ft of tightening torque. It also gives very good feedback for when the plug/filter goes from "spinning in" to "tightening".

    I always put oil (usually the old, used oil) on the O-ring or gasket. Many years ago when my dad showed me how to change oil, the car had previously been to a quicky oil change shop. Well, we put a band wrench on the filter and quickly crushed the can. A screwdriver through the can didn't work either. We (mostly he) ended up cutting the can off and removing the base plate by unscrewing the threaded plug from the engine block. He never went back to that oil change shop. We think they may have used epoxy instead of oil on the gasket :)
     
    #4 tpenny67, Apr 6, 2017
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  5. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Yeah I'm using a long handled wrench, something like 18" fulcrum to end of handle, that'd likely account for just moderate effort. The friction of the large diameter O-Ring, especially sitting in there for months, makes for steady resistance all the way out.

    With your filter socket style just popping that clip off at the outset get's it out of the way. I think that clip was concession to some quality-control engineer. The Repair Manual goes into great detail about the clip, and also: how to unscrew the filter housing, stop at a certain point (flat spotted on the threads), tilt to drain, carry on unscrewing. On and on, lol.

    Your description of tenacious oil filter removal with your dad reminds me of one time removing a six-into-one outlet adapter:

    upload_2017-4-6_6-56-21.png

    It had been sitting behind a bookcase system for years, and when I went to pull it off found it was pretty much welded on. Ended up removing it, plus the outlet it was pushed into, got the whole thing away from the wall and started disassembling/prying. Had to replace the outlet and all.
     
    #5 Mendel Leisk, Apr 6, 2017
    Last edited: Apr 6, 2017
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