How do I get the center tower out of the oil filter housing?

I purchased a metal oil filter housing to swap with my factory plastic one and I need to swap the center tower. I also purchased a spare plastic housing to have the center piece.

How do I remove the center tower from the plastic one? I see tabs down there but I dont want to mess it up.

 

You’re correct, it’s the tabs.

 

Bend the tabs up a little and then twist. After the swap bend them down.

 

Ok, I am kinda slow once and a while. Does just the tower/tube come out or is part of the base supposed to come out with it? I pulled on it and just the tower piece came out.

 

That’s correct. Just the spring and the filter tower gets transferred over. The metal housing has the same exact components.

 

Thanks all. It is simple once I saw how it is supposed to go and I was afraid of breaking the plastic tabs at the bottom.

 

On a side note

if anybody has a spare center tower

i could use one

Mine is missing from shady oil change place

 

There is just no end to the reasons why I never let anyone change my oil......

 

Interesting this came up, I just did an oil change on my new to me Sequoia, I thought I got lucky, it already had the metal housing, not, A) it's a shitty Chinese knock off & B) it's missing the center, I have an OEM metal housing I never used on the Tundra so put it together with the short center it came with (I had taken it apart for the Tundra) and ordered a plastic with a long tube.

So much scam at shitty oil change places, This is why I do as much myself as I can.

 

I just found you can order the inserts tubes from advance auto for like $7. They come in a kit with an assortment of lengths.

The dealer will not sell just the inserts,you have to buy an entire housing.

I will follow up and post a link to those for people that are interested.

 

I found those and think they are for Aftermarket assemblies and attach differently, I found the OEM plastic for 33.00 shipped and figured that was the way to go.

 

Simply job with trim removal tool. Apply light pressure to side over tab and it pops out

 

Just took my oil filter apart and saw that it was damaged and had no tower. Do I just slide a new tower over the tab or is there more to it? Thanks.

 

Why are any of you guys fucking around with the damn oil filter housing? The plastic one isn’t going to break, mine is original to the truck at over 15 years old.

Furthermore that stand pipe in the middle is not designed nor intended to be removed, and the spring down there is specifically calibrated to the engine and the oil pressure since that is your oil bypass valve. Do you guys really think some aftermarket clowns are going to perfectly calibrate that spring to give you proper bypass valve function if their kit comes with one? Probably not.

So now you’re driving your trucks around with the strong possibility that the oil filter is bypassing filtration when it’s not supposed to, or not bypassing when it needs to under heavy engine load.

https://youtu.be/G_vl2AYe7Yg

Go to the “do not do” section.

Leave your damn housings alone, if you’re worried buy a spare.

 

Never had a problem taking mine off and I've never had the urge to switch over to a metal housing. 6 years later, the housing looks as it did when I bought the truck new.

 

Same here. If removal is a pain, get the correct filter housing wrench.

I bought mine from the Toyota dealer, I just asked what their techs used and the parts counter had them in stock.

 

The standpipe in the center of the oil filter housing keeps those paper filters from crushing / collapsing. If you are running a metal housing made by Lexus/Toyota you can remove the standpipe when using a TRD or AMSOIL filter. They have metal ends with 0-rings. I would not personally run a doorman brand because the real deal is the same price and available. The part about the spring and it by passing because it was taken apart is pure Bull Sheet. Taking it apart and putting it back will not harm the spring. The standpipe does not put any more tension on the spring. What was said about the plastic OE housings lasting forever is true if you don't drop them from a tall building on the concrete. Whenever you are threading up the housing pay attention to the filter and the housing being straight. If something doesn't feel rite or look rite it probably isn't.

 

Yup, I saw this the day he released this video and immediately ordered a new one. In the previous oil change, I had dropped the housing and it all fell apart and I put it back together. Now I have the new one on.
Unfortunately, it wasn't $30 to $40 like he stated, but $133 at the local dealer.

 

How exactly would a spring become "uncalibrated" unless its super high stress and you compress it solid a bunch of times?

Taking out the middle pipe by rotation does not harm the spring in the middle as it can only compress to a certain point within the assembly. Any spring that is made to compress at a certain pressure and is in such a harsh environment is conditioned properly with all of its set removed. Using the same spring and center support pipe from a plastic to a metal housing is not going change any specifications of the spring whatsoever unless you intentionally try to damage it. I worked at an aerospace spring factory, there is no harm in doing this if you use care.

Now I agree I wouldn't use the spring or the pipe from an aftermarket company but if you take out the actual Toyota spring and pipe and transfer to a Toyota metal housing there isn't going to be an issue.

 

It looks to me like that bottom spring only holds the bottom drain plug / valve in place and has nothing to do with the flow and control of oil into the filter housing.

If the top and bottom gasket are in place and everything properly torqued there should not be an issue. I have had my metal housing on for 2 oil change cycles and not a drop of leaking. Why does Toyota make metal housings then of they aren't meant to be used. I find it pretty difficult to believe that if you un clip that center tube and release the spring that it ruins the entire housing. They must have a special spring compressor gauge at the factory to make them (BS). The clips in the bottom on keep it in place, they don't control the amount of compression.

 

Similar to the huge debate on keeping pistol and rifle magazines loaded all the time.

 

Brilliant.
29 in a 30

 

Similar but not exactly as in the filter it's in a less stress position most of the time unless the pressure pushes it down. The magazine is in its stressed position when fully loaded. Incidentally my factory also made magazine springs for Sccy industries and I can tell you that they were designed and conditioned to be in the loaded position without taking a set, and since you can't change the rate of a spring without messing with it considerably, it wouldn't cause an issue in and of itself being in the loaded position. But after years and years eventually you would see some deterioration through just being out in the air and humidity. The material also matters quite a bit. A cheaper company like Sccy used basic music wire whereas a higher end manufacturer would use stronger and more corrosion resistant metal.

 

LOL, yup.

Cycling wears good quality springs out, not being under constant tension.

 

LOL, Sccy pistols. They’re utter shit, I might prefer a sharp pointy stick over one.

 

That I can agree with. They are like holding a top heavy beer can.

 

So I should be worried now that I switch to a metal one and switched the tube. I just did it last week. Wish I would of seen this first.

 

Well reading this is more comforting lol.

 

At least your stick will work reliably.

It was funny, I saw on some gun forums that the sccy owners were rotating the magazine springs 180 degrees to get better feeding.