Tundra 5.7 Oil Change with Liqui Moly

My last two Toyota Tundra 5.7 oil changes I have used a different oil called Liqui Moly on a recommendation from a friend.  I normally use Mobil 1 in all my cars but I figure I would try out something new.

Liqui Moly is a German brand that has a very good reputation in Europe, it’s just not very well known here.  My Friend used it in his Tundra 5.7 oil change and also in his BMW M3.

I normally don’t go longer than 5,000 miles between oil changes and this oil has a good reputation of lasting between 7,500 and 9,000 miles.

Parts Needed

For my Tundra 5.7 oil change, I use the factory oil filter.  Toyota also makes a TRD oil filter that has zinc ends instead of plastic that is supposed to hold up better if you do a lot of off-roading.

A good practice is to replace the oil bolt washer each time you do an oil change.  You can get a 10 pack of washers for less than $10 and have plenty left over.  The Toyota part number for the Oil Drain Plug Gaskets is 90430-12031.

 

Tools

One special tool you will need is a Toyota specific oil wrench.  The oil filter is a cartridge type and it’s held in a plastic housing.  The tool slips over the end of the plastic housing and lets you unscrew it using a socket wrench.

Setup For Tundra 5.7 Oil Change

With doing an oil change, there are a couple of tips that make it go a little easier.  First is to give yourself enough room to get under the car.  I used to jack up the front of my cars and put them on jack stands, but lately, I have been using car ramps.  I bought a set of RhinoGear 16,000 pound car ramps.  They are plenty strong for a Toyota Tundra 5.7 oil change.  Even though trucks have plenty of room underneath them to work, the extra height of the ramps let you sit up and move around easier.

With a truck up on ramps, you can use a standard 5 gallon spackle bucket you can pick up anywhere.  The extra height of the bucket keeps the oil from splattering around.  It also helps when moving the bucket out from the car and keeping the oil from sloshing around and over the side.  It’s annoying to finish draining oil only to spill it all over the place when you are dragging a small oil pan from under your truck.

The other tip from draining oil is to use an oil drip pan underneath everything while you are working.  The big 5-gallon bucket will catch all the oil, but you will always need a place to place your tools and drain plug down that might have oil on it.

Remove Skid Plate and Drain Oil Pan

The first step on a Toyota Tundra 5.7 oil change is to remove the skid plate.  This will give you access to the oil pan and oil filter locations.

Draining the oil pan is pretty straight forward.  The oil pan is relatively small for the size of the motor.  The oil bolt location is in the passenger side.

Remember to replace the oil bolt washer with a new one.  The washers have a blue coating that makes them look plastic, but these are the correct washers for a Tundra 5.7 oil change.

Tundra 5.7 Oil Filter Replacement

The oil filter replacement on a Tundra 5.7 oil change is the only tricky part of the job.  By tricky I mean being able to do it without making a mess.  The Toyota Tundra 5.7 motor uses a cartridge style filter instead of the more standard metal enclosed filters.  Changing the filter element out is a two-step process, first, you have to drain the filter housing, then you can remove the housing and replace the filter.  The oil filter housing is located on the front driver’s side of the motor.

Remove Oil Filter Housing Drain Cap

On the bottom of the filter housing is a drain cap.  This can be taken off with a 3/8 inch socket wrench extension.  There is usually a little oil that leaks out when you take the cap off, but it’s not more than an ounce or so.  This cap covers a drain valve that can leak a little over time and this cap seals it off.

Oil Filter Housing Draining

At the bottom of the oil filter housing is a spring loaded pop valve.  Included with the oil filter is a plastic spout that you stick into this valve to drain the oil filter housing.  You have to press the plastic spout into the drain valve and it will click in and hold the drain valve open.

Oil Filter Replacement

The oil filter housing has fins on the side that allows the Toyota specific oil wrench to slip over and grip the housing.  Line up the slots on the wrench with the fins and remove the housing.  The filter housing has a large diameter so it might take a little force to get it started, but with the wrench and 3/8 inch drive, it will come off smoothly.

With the filter housing off, the old oil filter should slide right off.

Before putting the new filter on, there is an O-ring on the housing that needs to be replaced.  It might be hard to see, but there is a large rubber O-ring near the bottom of the housing threads. Look for a small notch and pry the old O-ring off.

Replace the housing O-ring as well as the drain cap O-ring.  The drain cap O-ring might have come off when removing the spout.  Now slide the new filter onto the housing and reinstall.

Tundra 5.7 Oil Fill

The oil capacity for the Toyota Tundra 5.7 motor is just under 8 liters.  Toyota recommends 2 oil weights, 5W-20 and 0W-20.   You will need about 1 and a half jugs of the Liqui Moly oil to fill.

Fill with just under 8 liters of oil and then start the motor.  Let it run for 30 seconds or so to build up oil pressure and circulate the oil.  Back the truck off the ramps and shut off the motor.  Check the dipstick for the oil level.  Also, take one last look under the motor for leaks.  If everything is dry, install the skid plate and you are done!