oil pan bolt - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

TRD73 · 10-20-2002, 04:53 PM

hey what's ppls....i have a question to ask u, i was trying to change my oil today on an 01 corolla. But i couldn't seem to get the bolt undone, and i was going left to unscrew it. Can u guys give me any advice on how to get it loose?? i really don't want to go to a shop so they can charge me like $15-$20 for an oil change. Any advice is greatly appreciated

wunderboy · 10-20-2002, 05:56 PM

Try pulling harder... sorry couldnt resist. You just need to add some length, and leverage to your wrench, or ratchet. If your using a wrench, use the closed end on the pan bolt, and hook the closed end of another wrench into the oepn end. That will give you some more leverage. If your using a ratchet find a hollow pipe to slide over the ratchet, your grandmother could get that loose if the pipes long enough.

Have fun!

fatredcircle · 10-20-2002, 09:17 PM

going left to loosen?
if you mean clockwise, you're going the wrong way.. go counter clockwise!!
and 20 bucks for an oil change is cheap bro.
oil is about 6 bucks
and the filter is what? another 6 bucks maybe, and more if you get OEM.
and they do it really fast, and if you goto toyota, they also oil your door hinges.
and i think getting to the 98-01 oil filter is a bitch!

TRD73 · 10-20-2002, 09:50 PM

no...i've been goin counterclockwise, and the toyota dealerships around here charge like $24 bucks for an oil change...i don't want to waste that much when i know i can do it myself. I've changed my oil in camry for the longest time now. but this rolla seems to be giving me problems

but i'm gonna try again tomorrow and take wunderboy's advice

***REN69*** · 10-20-2002, 10:58 PM

wow.. $24 US for an oil change.. ouch! canada is way cheaper!

goodcookiedrift · 10-20-2002, 11:06 PM

impact wrench

nick

mr_sinister · 10-20-2002, 11:11 PM

i got this breaker bar from Princess Auto (a hardware store chain).. and it has a female end of a 1/2" drive socket in the end of the handle.. that means you can stick an infinite number of 1/2" drive extensions in this thing to make it as long as you want..

so far with this thing, I haven't met a bolt I couldn't turn!

***Chris Corolla S*** · 10-21-2002, 12:40 PM

You are turning the correct way...
The same thing happened the first time I tried to change the oil on my '01.
I had to buy a bigger socket wrench (longer handle for more leverage and tougher) And I got it off with that. (Actually, I think i might have had to push on the wrench handle with my foot... sometimes I do that to get my lug-nuts off) The worse thing was the filter though. They put that god-dammed thing on so tight I had to leave the old filter in the first time I changed my oil and then change it again a few days later. (I finially got it off using a rubber glove for grip (can't fit my filter wrench in there.) After the first time it's no problemo! If you can't afford a longer wrench just find a length of pipe you can slip over the end of your wrench for added leverage.

Why do they put them on so tight anyway?? Spec. is like 25lb-ft I think, but they put them on waay tighter. :-?

wunderboy · 10-21-2002, 02:15 PM

Tip for taking off an overtightend filter: Slam a screwdriver into the filter from the side and turn. Easy as 1, 2, ..... uh 3 !

***Chris Corolla S*** · 10-21-2002, 03:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wunderboy

Tip for taking off an overtightend filter: Slam a screwdriver into the filter from the side and turn. Easy as 1, 2, ..... uh 3 !

:roll: Ah... That's cool but... aside from removing parts there's not really enough room around an '01 Corolla filter to slam a screw driver in there.

Unless you have one of those shorty two-inch long ones and even then only if you can "Slam" with about three inches of leeway. But, yah, I've heard of that technique for cars with more room in the engine bay, but if I had that much room, I could just use a filter wrench. :roll:

wunderboy · 10-21-2002, 04:56 PM

Yes well I have never had the privledge to crawl under a newer corolla, so looks like ya got me on that one. But to those out there, its still a good tip. :wink:

Xenon · 10-22-2002, 10:52 AM

He's going the right way if he's going counter clockwise when he's looking at it from underneath the car.

I had a very hard time taking off my bolt when I decided I should change my own oil, the reason was whoever changed the oil before you was in a better position when he did so, so he had more leverage and more strength, you're in an odd position unless you lift up the car and sit under it comfortably and use and extension to you wrench or ratchet!

***Chris Corolla S*** · 10-22-2002, 12:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xenon

the reason was whoever changed the oil before you was in a better position when he did so, so he had more leverage and more strength

Not to nit-pick but... wouldn't you think the reason was that whoever changed the oil before used a pneumatic wrench?? I mean you should have seen how tight mine was. I broke my crappy 3/8 in.Socket wrench even more than it was and it still didn't come loose. I had to get a 1/2 in. Wrench with a handle that was twice as long to get it off... I think people that work in garages go overboard with those air wrenches, i mean, every time I get a flat fixed or whatever I have to put my whole body weight on the lug nuts to get them off... bah! :-?

goodcookiedrift · 10-22-2002, 01:07 PM

you can probably generate more torque using a breaker bar than an impact wrench.

with a 1/2 inch breaker bar, i can produce up to 90 ft/lbs of torque!!! unless you have an industrial compressor and really good pneumatic tools, you ain't getting that high.

your oil pan bolt should only be tightend to a snug. tighten then a 1/4 inch turn. you don't want to over toruqe the thread or even damage the gasket.

oil filters should only be tightened enough that you can remove it by hand. if you need to reallyr eem on it to get it off, thats bad!!!! most likely if its on that tight, the seal and part of the filter could be damaged.

be sure to lube the oil pan gasket and the seal on the filter with a thin layer of oil prior to instal lation.

Nick

***Chris Corolla S*** · 10-22-2002, 01:14 PM

good advice nick

Chris