I am very intreasted in what Toyota you run

I have a Previa D4d 2,0 and it has a tractor size filter that is very difficult to remove as it has a cross member in the way but I have prefected this task should anyone wish to know

Landcruiser 120 series with the 3.0 D4D, wouldn't be at all surprised if they are the same filter model, fortunately the LC filter sits upside down on the side of the lump and easily accessible from above, Mr T thoughtfully provided a channel for oil to collect in when you undo the filter (has anti drain valve in filter) with a drainpipe from that channel leading down and clipped to the sump so no mess it goes straight into the drain can.

Talking of draining oil, i've had to stop using my years old drain can, and quietly 'borrowed' permanently a standard sink basin for the purpose from SWMBO, 7.5 litres of hot oil comes out fast and with my old oil drain can there was just too much splashback, much easier in the basin.

Previa filter was never going to be quite as easy given where the engine is situated, but i do have a soft spot for Previas, a nice drive and so roomy with that walk through front section.

There are some videos on Youtube for anyone interested, where mechanics (mainly in the USA but some in the UK if you look hard enough) have bought and dismantled umpteen filters to see how they are made, some rather shoddy stuff out there at the typical accessory shop end.

Edited by gordonbennet on 07/08/2017 at 07:30

I suppose it must be otherwise diesel engines would die sooner than petrol engines. Do they wear out piston rings and bores quicker than petrol engines, all other things being equal?

I've fully stripped three of my own Diesels, but many years since needed to, luckily i've been able to buy cars that didn't need attention as i got older and i have overmantained my cars for ever...ever since my first boss astounded us by authorising an oil change on one of the Transits with the Perkins 4108 lump, and use the term lump advisedly, even with the engine hot with the sump bung removed some time poking about through the hole was needed before actually getting any of the lumpy gruel that was in there out... could he have been your dad John, he did live at Earls Barton.:-)))

First was a 2 year old Granada 2.5 Diesel (Peug 505 NA engine), bought car cheap breathing heavily, had been badly neglected run low on oil and lack of oil changes, engine basically worn out, rebored it new pistons and some top end wear but i forget what i needed to replace up top, pushrod design by the way, crank very tough casting with no wear at all but bearings shot to pieces so new bearings, very simple engine.

I was quite proud of that first Diesel rebuild, a mechanic i know rebuilt an identical engine which detroyed itself about a year later, what he'd done wrong i don't know.

Second was the VW Golf mk1 i bought cheap which was running on three, had a holed piston, basically there was no appreciable wear to the engine but together with the new piston i chucked a new set of piston rings and shells in for good measure, rings replaced mainly in order to even compressions out.

Third was the 2098 cc Renault 21 Savanna, done 130,000 miles and it sprung on oil leak from the CHG, so one week i whipped the head off and also dropped the sump and pulled the pistons out, no wear at all to be found, that car had a FSH and very regular oil changes, probably every 5k (someone get John a chair for pities sake -:) , while down i got the injectors reconditioned for the princely sum of £60.

In theory Diesels should wear slower than petrol engines due to the lubricity of the fuel, whether that has changed with lower sulphur content fuel i don't know, but too long (IMHO) oil change intervals won't help wear.

In lorry world those old engines were generally larger but much easier running, ie 320 or 350HP from a 14 litre engine was as much as they wanted to offer in the 80's (torque was massive though at around 1100 rpm peak torque), and given sensible maintenance they lasted over 1 million miles before needing any attention beyond torquing the injectors down and setting the tappets annually, Cummins 14 litre i'm referring to here, revved low too, IIRC 90% of max torque from 800 rpm, max revs 1800 rpm, geared to 70mph at 1100 rpm peak torque, run forever.

Fast forward to today and they're pushing 450/480hp from 11/12 litre engines, with much longer oil change intervals, the mechanics at the local dealership of one make we lease from say some of ours have to have full engine rebuilds when they go back at 5 years (thats if they've made the 5 years without one!) with around 800,000kms (half a million miles) on them.

I've long thought that trying to get too much power from a small engine, at the same time hobbling it with dirty oil isn't a recipe for long life.

I like you a lot John and would be happy if we ever met to chew the cud over, you remind me of my mate who virtually lights the blue touch paper and stands back to watch the fireworks.

"Anyway, isn't carbon a lubricant? (graphite...)"

A bit off-topic but... I'm not a chemist or physicist, but isn't there a fundamental difference between carbon (as formed like soot from combustion) and graphite? A difference in their molecular structure? Graphite has a crystalline structure, for a start. That might mean that, although ordinary carbon and graphite are the same chemically, they might not have the same lubricating porperties. (Diamond is another form of carbon, of course. Interesting stuff, carbon.)

Edited by FP on 07/08/2017 at 13:38

V12 series 3 ecu lucas anyone...

Think that says more about the reliability of Jaguar V12 Series 3 ECU's, than your memory!

<< ... it would indeed probably suffice as its 5-30 might have degenerated to around the 10-40 viscosity ... >>

I thought oil usually got thinner with prolonged use. It may collect some crud in a 'dirty' engine, but normally the molecules suffer like going through a bacon slicer. I guess there may be some oxidative cross-linking.

Not the TR7 (although it would indeed probably suffice as its 5-30 might have degenerated to around the 10-40 viscosity the TR7 specifies).

Oil degradation with time/miles goes the other way - 5-30 will degenerate to a 0-20 over time/miles - although modern ACEA-rated multigrades are more likely to "stay-in-grade" longer than those from previous generations.

I was just thinking on that subject, I have a neighbour with a venga same spec as mine who wants to save a few bob by not getting it serviced at Kia... so he can kiss his wrranty goodbye then.

I rember in the early 1980s when the German metalworkers union was on strike we could not obtain genuine vw/audi oil filters so the main dealers in switzerland would not do oil filter changes, only oil!

Too often, the term "fits model xyz" simply means that it has the same fitting interface - it's no indication at all of the correct internal specification - often omitting non-return or pressure-relief valves or pleat area to save costs - and the micron filtration size may be different.

If you DIY an oil change, settle for the money saved on the oil (easy to get the right specification) and the labour - the few quid "saved" on the filter could cost dear in later use.

To be fair, even if you get an oil and filter change at a good independant garage, they'll probably still be fitting a generic filter.

As your Focus is 16 years old (just did a search on the Forum). Probably won't have many years life left in it (although Focus's of this era seem to go on and on). I wouldn't be concerned about which make of oil filter it has. The main thing is that it has had an oil and filter change.

I know someone who bought a 10 year old Focus with full Kwik Fit Service History (Yes, I know) (So definately no OE oil filters). It's now 16 years old and still going strong.

My "good independent" are quite happy for me to supply OE filter and correct oil and just supply the labour - even done that way it's a lot cheaper than using a franchised dealer.

I'm not disagreeing with you. I think it's better to use the correct manufacturers filter and oil too (especially for newer cars).

I'm just making the point that most people who choose an independant, let them source the parts which are unlikley to be OE. There are plenty of cars which are running Generic parts. My friend's Focus has been serviced outwith the Ford dealer network for the past 13 years and has been getting whatever oil and filter the independant supplies and is still going strong. I do know it's important to use oil of the correct spec.

There's plenty of people who don't service their cars at all and only think about oil when the red oil can light on the dash board comes on.

In this case the car's near the end of it's life. John F posted a few months back, asking if it was worth doing work to get it through it's MOT. I think he's done the right thing by doing an oil and filter change.