What services should I get done to baseline LC? (2 Viewers)

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Valvoline 75w90 in the bags is awfully convenient, and a top rated oil.
You don’t change gear oil very often…

I filled front, rear and transfer case with Amsoil Severe Gear 75w-90, in the 1qt bags… you don’t even need a pump.

100% synthetic. Group V base stock. $22/quart.

Good stuff…
 
Thanks.
Yes the gear oil from napa would be fine. You will also need a smaller oil container with a hand pump attachment to actually get the oil into the diffs or other available apparatuses, as the big jug of gear oil definitely wont help with the filling process.
Thanks. I did order a fluid transfer pump as well. Another question, pertaining to this very oil, it says that "contains limited slip additives " would it matter if using this in T case ? Also, my understanding is that 2003 LC dont have limited slip.? Or should I opt for this : https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/VAL975 ? 🙏
 
You don’t change gear oil very often…

I filled front, rear and transfer case with Amsoil Severe Gear 75w-90, in the 1qt bags… you don’t even need a pump.

100% synthetic. Group V base stock. $22/quart.

Good stuff…
It seems that Amsoil is only available online.. not in stores. I agree with that it is one of those things not changed very often, i would not mind spend little more for something that will serve well.
 
Thanks.

Thanks. I did order a fluid transfer pump as well. Another question, pertaining to this very oil, it says that "contains limited slip additives " would it matter if using this in T case ? Also, my understanding is that 2003 LC dont have limited slip.? Or should I opt for this : https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/VAL975 ? 🙏
No it wouldn't matter. Limited Slip oil is okay for non limited slip applications, as far as I am aware. I have used LS oil before when that was only oil available to me at that moment
 
Walmart 80w-90 here.. available, cheap and not that prone to leaks from rear axle seals as thinner oils (in my mind).. For center diff Valvoline 75-90 in a squeegee pack cause it's so quick and easy. The center diff gets darker faster, so I halved the mileage to 15k miles on center oil change and 30k on fr/rr diffs.

Edited to add, power steering- Redline D4, magic fluid next to the Mobil1 I had before, so niceeeee..

Oil is Pennzoil Ultra 5-30, BC why not.. it's a few more $ but makes me feel good. I could use anything in this engine and still be fine.. filter? Toyota, cheap and comes sealed and oiled so no hooligans will put stuff in it while on the shelf.

Trans- WS toyota, cause that's what goes in there, no but's. 3qt every 15k miles..

Coolant, Toyota pink, even though some others are cheaper, but 50k intervals ain't gonna kill me.

Most important, gas every 200 miles, cause without it I'm stranded..
 
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Can I overfill the engine? I did my first ever engine OIL change ( on any car) today. Poured in 7.2 Quarts. When I use the dip stick it shows over the full line. I measured the old OIL that came out and it is about 6.6 quarts. Before taking the measurement, I started the car for 30 seconds, it showed over the FULL line. Then drove it for about 10 mins, came back, let it cool for about 30 mins and still the same. ( it is very possible that i am not able to see as the oil is so clear/clean ). Not sure what to do? Should i drain a bit from the filter? Speaking of the filter, i dented it while putting it on, squeezed it bit hard with the wrench :(.

I am still planning to do the diff/trans/transmission by myself albeit in couple of weeks. Was planning to do it this week but my torque wrench did not show up :(.
 
Can I overfill the engine? I did my first ever engine OIL change ( on any car) today. Poured in 7.2 Quarts. When I use the dip stick it shows over the full line. I measured the old OIL that came out and it is about 6.6 quarts. Before taking the measurement, I started the car for 30 seconds, it showed over the FULL line. Then drove it for about 10 mins, came back, let it cool for about 30 mins and still the same. ( it is very possible that i am not able to see as the oil is so clear/clean ). Not sure what to do? Should i drain a bit from the filter? Speaking of the filter, i dented it while putting it on, squeezed it bit hard with the wrench :(.

I am still planning to do the diff/trans/transmission by myself albeit in couple of weeks. Was planning to do it this week but my torque wrench did not show up :(.
I’d remove some since the fluid will expand when hot, and it’s possible it’ll reach seals that aren’t designed to be flooded and might leak or fail under higher than designed pressure. Oil is cheap
 
Can I overfill the engine? I did my first ever engine OIL change ( on any car) today. Poured in 7.2 Quarts. When I use the dip stick it shows over the full line. I measured the old OIL that came out and it is about 6.6 quarts. Before taking the measurement, I started the car for 30 seconds, it showed over the FULL line. Then drove it for about 10 mins, came back, let it cool for about 30 mins and still the same. ( it is very possible that i am not able to see as the oil is so clear/clean ). Not sure what to do? Should i drain a bit from the filter? Speaking of the filter, i dented it while putting it on, squeezed it bit hard with the wrench :(.

I am still planning to do the diff/trans/transmission by myself albeit in couple of weeks. Was planning to do it this week but my torque wrench did not show up :(.
Well now…

You can most certainly overfill your engine oil. If the engine oil is too full, the PCV valve, part of the emission controls, is most likely going to intake oil mist instead of oil fumes. This may cause gumming up or failure of the PCV valve.

The worst part of over filling the oil is that your engine will be breathing oil mist, and that will most certainly contribute to and cause early failure of catalytic converters. Without a doubt.
I would drain out enough so that it shows right at the cold full line while the vehicle is level.

Regarding the dented oil filter…
Small superficial dents, depending upon where they are, may not be the end of the world. Minor crushing with filter wrench pliers may not be an issue.
But if you deeply scratch or gouge the metal structure of the oil filter, the filter will most likely fail… oil filters are pressurized when the engine is running. And they return to un-pressurized state when the engine is not running… the pressure/non-pressure condition creates minor oil canning (flexing) of the housing. Any deep scratch or gouge will become the point of focus for structural failure.

Cheap insurance to just replace the damaged oil filter.
 
Well now…

You can most certainly overfill your engine oil. If the engine oil is too full, the PCV valve, part of the emission controls, is most likely going to intake oil mist instead of oil fumes. This may cause gumming up or failure of the PCV valve.

I’d remove some since the fluid will expand when hot, and it’s possible it’ll reach seals that aren’t designed to be flooded and might leak or fail under higher than designed pressure. Oil is cheap

I would drain out enough so that it shows right at the cold full line while the vehicle is level.The worst part of over filling the oil is that your engine will be breathing oil mist, and that will most certainly contribute to and cause early failure of catalytic converters. Without a doubt.

Regarding the dented oil filter…
Small superficial dents, depending upon where they are, may not be the end of the world. Minor crushing with filter wrench pliers may not be an issue.
But if you deeply scratch or gouge the metal structure of the oil filter, the filter will most likely fail… oil filters are pressurized when the engine is running. And they return to un-pressurized state when the engine is not running… the pressure/non-pressure condition creates minor oil canning (flexing) of the housing. Any deep scratch or gouge will become the point of focus for structural failure.

Cheap insurance to just replace the damaged oil filter.
Thanks for your inputs. I will do that tomorrow, take 2 on oil change :). What would be best way to drain the oil? Should I do it by removing the filter? I may need to remove about a quart and then go from there. However, I am not understanding why it would be showing above the full line when i poured in exactly per the manual.
 
I’ll take the counterpoint. You’re fine, don’t sweat it. Now I’m assuming you did put in 7 and not 8 or 9 quarts. If it’s a bit over the line it’s fine. The oil pump doesn’t pump more oil to the cylinder heads when you have more oil in it, so I struggle to conceive how you get oil mist, or even how it could damage anything. You would only have an issue if you put so much oil in that the crankshaft and rods were hitting the oil during rotation, causing drag.

Btw, you should never use a wrench to put an oil filter on. Spin it until it makes contact, then turn it another 1/2-3/4 turn by hand. Any more and it’ll be a bear to get off.
 
I’ll take the counterpoint. You’re fine, don’t sweat it. Now I’m assuming you did put in 7 and not 8 or 9 quarts. If it’s a bit over the line it’s fine. The oil pump doesn’t pump more oil to the cylinder heads when you have more oil in it, so I struggle to conceive how you get oil mist, or even how it could damage anything. You would only have an issue if you put so much oil in that the crankshaft and rods were hitting the oil during rotation, causing drag.

Btw, you should never use a wrench to put an oil filter on. Spin it until it makes contact, then turn it another 1/2-3/4 turn by hand. Any more and it’ll be a bear to get off.

You are absolutely correct… in this engine, a minor overfill of engine oil is likely to have no detrimental effect.

These 2UZ-FE engines were designed to withstand harsh environments and shrug off sketchy service intervals. They just keep running.

A grossly overfilled oil sump would cause oil aeration from the spinning crankshaft. I do not think that the 2UZ-FE engine has a windage tray, but the oil sump is quite low, due to the 2 piece oil pan and oil pan baffle plate.
Most newer small engines in European vehicles are very particular about the oil level because of oil aeration.

In this instance, I tend to agree with Bisho… I think you’ll be fine with the oil level, but I would check the filter to make sure it is not scored.
 
I'd drain some off, but that's just me, I've had an overfilled car blow the filter off. One of the many reasons not to use quick lube places. I don't know where the manual comes up with 7.2 including filter, my LOF's have always been 6.5-ish. Good lesson to not just dump in what you're told, but to measure the dipstick as you fill periodically.
 
Thanks all. Checked again ( in a better light) and it just a hairline over the Full mark. I do see filter is dented, I cannot tell if it is ruined or not. I am going to replace it, and the drainage from that (hopefully) will take care of the overfill situation. Thank you all for your advice.
 
Thank you all for your inputs. I managed to change the filter and it appears to have addressed the oil overflow issue... it might be bit low now but will drive a bit and then check again. While changing the filter i noticed a lot f oil/grease etc on the front wheel (driver side). The vehicle is also slightly leaning to the same side. Can you please take a look at this pic and advise if the shock is bad or the axle? Thank you.

IMG_0107.jpg
 
Thank you all for your inputs. I managed to change the filter and it appears to have addressed the oil overflow issue... it might be bit low now but will drive a bit and then check again. While changing the filter i noticed a lot f oil/grease etc on the front wheel (driver side). The vehicle is also slightly leaning to the same side. Can you please take a look at this pic and advise if the shock is bad or the axle? Thank you.

View attachment 3857475
I would de-grease the entire area and then watch to see what gets wetted again.

Looks like your shock absorber may be leaking. And possibly the inner CV boot.

Check the ball joints for play, and integrity of the ball joint boots.
 
I would de-grease the entire area and then watch to see what gets wetted again.

Looks like your shock absorber may be leaking. And possibly the inner CV boot.

Check the ball joints for play, and integrity of the ball joint boots.
Cool. Thanks. I will do that. I did try to measure the shocks ( in my own stupid way) and the shock on the driver side ( which is leaning,) is about 3/4 inch shorter than the one on the passenger side. I also see grease spewing out of boots. So for sure, imo, i do need to replace the shocks. I been searching this forum and it seems, for me, the best is to stay with OEM shocks and perhaps add OME springs. Not sure what to do with CV boot, replace the entire thing or get the rebuild kit - i am not smart enough to tell what is required. Will need to rely on a shop for that.
For shocks, I found these on sale: Shock Absorber Set Rear #48531-69835 | Autoparts.toyota.com - https://autoparts.toyotaofdecatur.com/products/product/absorber-set-shock-rr-4853169835 and Shock Absorber Set Front #48511-69585 | Autoparts.toyota.com - https://autoparts.toyotaofdecatur.com/products/product/absorber-set-shock-fr-4851169585.
For the rear shocks , part number 4853169835, Toyota website is stating that it may not fit my vehicle but partsouq confirms that it is the part number for 2003 LC. I am thinking I should buy them before the sale ends today.
 
Hello friends, may i please ask a question related to the suspension. Should, I replace the UCA and LCA? Or Replace the ball joints? ( not enough info i can find it here on replacing only the ball joints) or reboot the ball joints (saw this process here as well)? Based on what i learned, my understanding is that the OEM ball joints are not available for sale so you have to replace the entire thing.. with current sale, 25%, on parts at the toyota dealership, all 4 ( 2 UCA and 2 LCA) are about 1100$. So wondering what to do here... i know I have to replace the shocks and reboot the CVs ( although i dont see anything torn just grease spewing out from them). Just trying to get all the parts possible to base line the suspension, your expert opinion/advise is appreciated.


Please see the phots i have taken of the UCA/LCA - might give you an idea what i am working with. thank you.

IMG_0126.jpg


IMG_0125.jpg


IMG_0124.jpg
 
Hello friends, may i please ask a question related to the suspension. Should, I replace the UCA and LCA? Or Replace the ball joints? ( not enough info i can find it here on replacing only the ball joints) or reboot the ball joints (saw this process here as well)? Based on what i learned, my understanding is that the OEM ball joints are not available for sale so you have to replace the entire thing.. with current sale, 25%, on parts at the toyota dealership, all 4 ( 2 UCA and 2 LCA) are about 1100$. So wondering what to do here... i know I have to replace the shocks and reboot the CVs ( although i dont see anything torn just grease spewing out from them). Just trying to get all the parts possible to base line the suspension, your expert opinion/advise is appreciated.


Please see the phots i have taken of the UCA/LCA - might give you an idea what i am working with. thank you.

View attachment 3885061

View attachment 3885062

View attachment 3885063
According to your first post, at 110,000 miles, it is not likely that your ball joints have failed… But it’s not impossible.
Why do you think your ball joints have failed? What symptoms does it exhibit?

New Sankei 555 ball joints are 1/10 of the cost of upper and lower control arms. Replacing ball joints is not difficult, but it takes a few tools.

I would begin by cleaning up the area with degreaser, so that you know what you’re working with. Then, you can check the ball joints for abnormal vertical movement, or other issues.

Lastly, from where are you sourcing OEM Toyota parts at 25% off at this time of year? I am genuinely interested.
 
According to your first post, at 110,000 miles, it is not likely that your ball joints have failed… But it’s not impossible.
Why do you think your ball joints have failed? What symptoms does it exhibit?

New Sankei 555 ball joints are 1/10 of the cost of upper and lower control arms. Replacing ball joints is not difficult, but it takes a few tools.

I would begin by cleaning up the area with degreaser, so that you know what you’re working with. Then, you can check the ball joints for abnormal vertical movement, or other issues.

Lastly, from where are you sourcing OEM Toyota parts at 25% off at this time of year? I am genuinely interested.
Thank you for the input. I am not able to tell ( not that expert ) if the ball joints have failed.. i only see a lot of grease in those areas... the only think i can say is that i feel the steering has a little bit of play ( i think) though my comparison is with LC200 steering which is a lot heavy than the 100. Toyota of Decatur has 25% of and today is the last day Genuine Toyota Parts and Accessories: Official Online Store Serra Toyota of Decatur - https://autoparts.toyotaofdecatur.com/ . Also, does anyone know the part number for the CV reboot kit? I will be order the OEM shocks and CV reboot kit from them today.
 

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