After changing my oil many times Im beginning to get tired of the resulting skinned knuckles and spilled oil. It seems almost unavoidable with the filter in it's current location. I've tried doing it from below the car and it seems to be the best, but most time consuming method. I've tried changing the filter from the top and using a small catch container below the filter, but it's tough not to spill oil everywhere tryinig to maneuver it out. So I decided that I will do an oil filter relocation at my next oil change interval. Last month my friend got a new Tacoma with the 4.0 liter V6 engine. Of course the first thing I did was have a look under the hood and I was intrigued by what Toyota has done with the oil filter location on this engine. It's mounted on the top with it's own little spill tray. This would make oil changes ohhh so much easier. Good job Toyota.

Below is a close up. You can see the drip tray is one piece that bolts to the block. It houses the filter and a temperature sensor.

It would be interesting to see something like this in an oil filter relocation kit for our cars.

 

You know that if you loosen the Oil filter (not to the point where oil is gushing out) while draining the old oil out of the pan it will drain the filter too?

Try this next time. Begin to drain the old oil from the pan then turn the filter about one full rotation to start removal. Usually if you break the seal, its enough to allow the old oil to drain without making a mess. Oh, and as for the scraped knuckels, when you put the filter back on, dont over tighten it too much. It should only be hand tight. Tighten it to the point where it wont turn with a flip of the wrist and then go another quater to half turn. I hope this helps, but if not... the relocation kit should work no problem! They have been doing that on the Supra for quite some time now!

 

wiht me if i know i'm goin to change the oil on my car, i let the car sit for a while (usually overnite)...that way most of the oil drains out on its own...then juss loosen carefully to wut remains in the filter....i dont even jack up my car when doing an oil change to the ES....turn the steering the the right, loosen the bolt, slide my oil pan underneath and ez drain...