Well, I just started my first oil change, and I screwed up royally. I was getting annoyed with all of the damn bolts that need to come loose on this car (rear strut brace + TWO underbody panels) and just started hitting everything with an impact, including (foolishly) the oil drain plug. Unfortunately I stripped the oil pan, and can no longer get the plug to torque down tightly, which means a new oil pan is in my future.. So being in a hurry for an easy job means I now get to work twice as hard.
Fortunately, the oil pan looks amazingly unobstructed for a modern car, but I can't find any mention of the job in the BGB. I know I need a new pan and the black Toyota RTV-like sealant (wish there was a gasket!), but can I re-use the bolts, or are they single-use only? And what about torque specs? Tips and tricks?
It sucks, I just moved and have been working really hard getting my garage pulled together so that I could catch up on maintenance before I start work next week, and now this. I mean, it's my own damn fault, but still, lol.
Bolts are def reusable. I can get a torque spec tonight if no one beats me to it. Usually throw some RTV all around, just make sure to make the bead inside the bolt holes and not outside, stick on, tighten all bolts hand tight, then torque them in a sort of star pattern. Or not, shouldn't really matter.
You got a taste of power, and it corrupted you. Been there!
2000 Toyota MR2 Spyder, 2021 Lexus UX 250h F Sport
Oil pan replacement is very easy on this car. Just remove the small bolts, then use a paint scraper in between the pan and the block with some light taps on the scraper to wedge it in on all sides to break the old sealant and pry off the pan. Add the Toyota sealant on the middle of the mating surface and place it back and hold it with a jack while you reuse the old bolts. When getting the bolts on don’t tighten them all the way, let it sit for an hour to gum up and then tighten fully. These bolts are easy to strip if you go too tight so just get them sung tight. After the job is done wait 12-24 hours before driving.
Torque for the 14 bolts and 2 nuts, per the BGB; 80 in-lbf
Why did you need to remove the rear strut brace(I assume you mean the "X" over the engine) to change the oil?
"Think as we think", say many Spyder owners, "or you are abominably wicked, you are a toad". After I'd thought about, I said "I will then, be a toad." Thank you, Stephen Crane
Everyone else pretty much have you squared away. For the FIPG (RTV stuff), I like the kind in the cheese wiz style can. It's a lot cleaner to use and apply.
@galo I removed the cross-brace in order to fit a funnel for oil refill. Probably not strictly necessary, but I was trying not to cut corners (right before I cut corners and used an impact gun, lol).
Thanks for the torqu specs. Do you mind sharing where you found that in the BGB, so that I can take a gander myself? I couldn't find anything under the "Lubrication" section, and I'm wondering where it is. Wish those books were indexed...
Are you using 1 quart containers? If so, take one, an empty one 😉 😉, and cut the opening end off, making a "trough". The threaded end inserts into the open oil fill hole, and oil is poured into the "trough".
Volume 2 EM. The page differs with the year of your BGB. As the years progressed, Toyota eliminated some pages of what I think I heard them call "redundant" info. My BGB is an '04, and the page is 89.
If you want some fun, come to my place and remove the single engine "diaper" off my G35. It makes the Spyder's array seem like a cake walk. Just leave them off. My current Spyder didn't have any when I bought it 5+ years ago. I drive the car 12 months a year, thru rain, snow...whatever, now apparent problems. Dust and dirt, yah... but jeez, it's a car; they get dirty.
Whatever... 😎
"Think as we think", say many Spyder owners, "or you are abominably wicked, you are a toad". After I'd thought about, I said "I will then, be a toad." Thank you, Stephen Crane
@galo I removed the cross-brace in order to fit a funnel for oil refill. Probably not strictly necessary, but I was trying not to cut corners (right before I cut corners and used an impact gun, lol).
Thanks for the torqu specs. Do you mind sharing where you found that in the BGB, so that I can take a gander myself? I couldn't find anything under the "Lubrication" section, and I'm wondering where it is. Wish those books were indexed...
@galo I removed the cross-brace in order to fit a funnel for oil refill. Probably not strictly necessary, but I was trying not to cut corners (right before I cut corners and used an impact gun, lol).
Thanks for the torqu specs. Do you mind sharing where you found that in the BGB, so that I can take a gander myself? I couldn't find anything under the "Lubrication" section, and I'm wondering where it is. Wish those books were indexed...
We sold out of those a while back. I’m fortunate to have the last one you made. If people actually tried to use it just once to see the benefit over other methods like the skinny funnels it would have been a big seller. It just hard to convey its benefit in a video or word of mouth. It turns the X brace into a benefit not an obstruction.
A point on the rtv, you must clean both mating surfaces completely dry and free of oil before applying the sealant. I’d wipe the surfaces down with brake cleaner. You are essentially gluing the oil pan to the engine. Any oil left of the surfaces and it will leak.
I make Amateur Armrests - see the Commercial Forum. I also have SMT repair seals available.
@cyclehead A very good alternative to the Toyota FIPG sealant is Permatex or Loctite Ultra-Grey. Do not use the old-fashioned Silicone RTV's that have an Ammonia smell because they don't have very good oil and fuel resistance (though fine for Antifreeze resistance). You will probably have to purchase a small torque wrench that works in the range of the small bolts (80 in-lbs)
OK so I did this recently when I did my engine rebuild. Pretty straightforward. It is under shortblock diss/re assembly. Drain pan, loosen all bolts. ALL bolts. Use paint scraper in shown area and carefully wham it in. It's a little tough to break the seal. Just be careful about it. I ended up bending a corner of the oil pan and slightly marring the block. Get a razor blade and carefully cleanup all the remaining sealant from the block and the oil pan. Tap the pan back straight wherever you messed it up. (NA cus not reusing)
When you get the new pan, do a dry fit of the pan a few times. You don't want to fumble around and smear the sealant everywhere on the final wet run. Trust me, it's a little awkward to put on. have a few bolts ready so you can kinda hand tight it on while your sealant of choice sets. I used that permatex gray stuff. Follow the diagram for application very carefully. Then just torque. It's actually fairly easy. New pans are cheap too. While your in there, you could also consider changing the oil pickup gasket and checking the clearances on the connecting rod to crankshaft bearings.
Just my 2 cents. Good luck.
Oh yeah and note on the funnel, just get a thin long neck funnel. They have em at most auto parts stored. No need to remove the brace unless you are just into that sort of thing.
Sorry to lend an opinion...instead of an oil pan change, what about using a Heli-Coil or Timesert to replace the threads of the oil pan drain bolt? I had this done to one of my bikes many years ago and it worked very well, and was substantially less expensive than a new oil pan, and now I have steel threads on the bike instead of aluminum...uses the factory drain plug as well. Just an opinion is all.
OK so I did this recently when I did my engine rebuild. Pretty straightforward. It is under shortblock diss/re assembly. Drain pan, loosen all bolts. ALL bolts. Use paint scraper in shown area and carefully wham it in. It's a little tough to break the seal. Just be careful about it. I ended up bending a corner of the oil pan and slightly marring the block. Get a razor blade and carefully cleanup all the remaining sealant from the block and the oil pan. Tap the pan back straight wherever you messed it up. (NA cus not reusing)
When you get the new pan, do a dry fit of the pan a few times. You don't want to fumble around and smear the sealant everywhere on the final wet run. Trust me, it's a little awkward to put on. have a few bolts ready so you can kinda hand tight it on while your sealant of choice sets. I used that permatex gray stuff. Follow the diagram for application very carefully. Then just torque. It's actually fairly easy. New pans are cheap too. While your in there, you could also consider changing the oil pickup gasket and checking the clearances on the connecting rod to crankshaft bearings.
Just my 2 cents. Good luck.
Oh yeah and note on the funnel, just get a thin long neck funnel. They have em at most auto parts stored. No need to remove the brace unless you are just into that sort of thing.
Thanks!
Got the oil pan and FIPG in hand and will try this tomorrow. I saw those same diagrams in my BGB (but I think a different section?) and I'm confused on the second one what the "A" and "B" are referencing? I was just going to attempt a continuous bead around the whole pan, going around the bolt holes, maybe a 1/4" thick. Perhaps easier said than done, as I've never used any kind of RTV before. I do already have a small torque wrench in in-lb from when I did my BMW's valve cover gasket, so I'm just going to take it easy and torque little by little in a star pattern (I also happen to be a drummer, and drum heads are tightened in the same way, lol).
