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Oil filter leak - please help

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by mfavro, Nov 28, 2012.

  1. Georgina Rudkus

    Georgina Rudkus Senior Member

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    You got the one that's Made in Japan. Maybe they don't import the one from Japan, any more, since they make it here in the USA now.
     
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  2. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Differences I can see:

    upload_2020-1-11_21-22-39.png
     
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  3. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    For the retrofit market I guess. Obvious the made in Japan newer Prius come across with that bracket installed.
     
  4. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Here's the stock filter on ours, appears to be some sorta doohickey in that vicinity. Was a thing for a while, then they thought better of it?

    upload_2020-1-11_21-31-3.png
     
  5. Georgina Rudkus

    Georgina Rudkus Senior Member

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    Could be that the supplier has only one high pressure injection mold in Japan and couldn't spare to send it here to the US.

    Thus, they revised the new mold made here in the US to use less aluminum or to make it simpler. A little saving in metal for each unit multiplied by over 100k units add up to a sizeable savings in cost.
     
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  6. Montgomery

    Montgomery Senior Member

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    My uneducated guess is that the original mold has its own patent, thus, any copy has to have something different, hence, no violation of original patented mold. Just a guess.
     
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  7. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    So I can exhale? :whistle:
     
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  8. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

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    Do you ever do that:p.
     
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  9. StarCaller

    StarCaller Senior Member

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    there HAS to be a reason for this little 'drops'; they don't leave the material there for nothing or for pure convenience /
     
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  10. Montgomery

    Montgomery Senior Member

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    It was put there so it would wind up being in a blog somewhere, causing deep comtemplation and discussion, ever reminding us of how the human species must always have an answer......................... (y)
     
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  11. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    It worked. I was gonna keep quiet, but here's a flatbed scan I did, then brought it into AutoCad, looking for clues:

    upload_2020-1-13_10-34-12.png

    Gave up, when back to my crop circle studies...
     
  12. Montgomery

    Montgomery Senior Member

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    LoL, love it Mendel, Love it!
     
  13. Montgomery

    Montgomery Senior Member

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    When you think about it, that point at the end helps you position it when installing it.
     
  14. Montgomery

    Montgomery Senior Member

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    And, I have to add, it's so much easier to change the filter. It really is.
     
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  15. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Yeah: "this point down". My favourite hunch is it's to concentrate the draining oil to one point?

    I'm sitting on my hands till the spring oil change, it's tough.
     
  16. Montgomery

    Montgomery Senior Member

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    Like I had mentioned earlier, I have been changing my own oil since 1974. The simple easy trick with spin on filters is to put oil on the rubber oil ring and hand tighten it. I always tightened it till it was fairly hard to turn. Once you start the car, the pressure sucks against the canister, sealing it. Yes, sometimes when I went to change it, it was sticky, but I was always able to losen it with the "O" ring canister remover. The plastic cover that comes with the Prius expands due to heat and literally "glues" itself to the metal around it. If the cover was metal, I bet it wouldn't get stuck.
     
  17. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    First time buying a spin-on filter for the Prius, I notice the end with gasket has a clear-plastic seal, and rubber ring under has a light coat of some clear grease. I'll add a little oil for good measure (Repair Manual instruction says to do this). IIRC the oil filter box also says to put oil on.

    I'll just torque to spec'd 13 foot pounds. I think that's slightly more than you could do by hand, with clean hands and filter.

    I was getting a spin-on filter for our son's CX-5 at same time (Open Road Toyota and Mazda are side by side in Pomo), and it had the same clear plastic over cover, light lube on the gasket. Very similar in appearance.

    Addendum: the other tightening spec is 3/4 turn beyond first contact, pretty much industry standard.
     
    #117 Mendel Leisk, Jan 13, 2020
    Last edited: Jan 13, 2020
  18. Fmoua916

    Fmoua916 New Member

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    All you have to do is put on the oil cap and attach on the ratchet and hold it whole hitting it 2-3 times with a rubber mallet and it will help loosen it and then you can loosen the rest. Not that hard at all guys come on here haha
     
  19. Grit

    Grit Senior Member

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    I got poo pooed on for saying use your foot to push the wrench. If your method doesn’t get the same treatment then i will file a complaint.
     
  20. Grit

    Grit Senior Member

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    And then put the pin in place so filter doesn’t unscrew it loose. But some says the pin is there for ornamental purpose.