JZA80 oil change and trolley jack placement...

**Alchemist** · 19-09-2006, 08:24 PM

This is going to sound stupid, but on Saturday I'm doing an oil change on the beasty, first one I'm doing myself as I've managed to score a trolley jack and some stands for the day....thanks Stitt

Oil filter, my feeling is it's easiest to get from the top, not underneath(actually it looks near impossible to get at from underneath)...true?

Have done plenty of oil changes on other cars in the past, but any JZA80 specific tips?

Also, usually when I jack up my car it's with those pissy spare tyre jacks, but now I've got a trolley jack I wanted to jack up the car in one go and then insert the stands. Where is a good place to put the trolley jack to take the weight of the car and not break something.....

Cheers

**XR Pilot** · 19-09-2006, 08:29 PM

Not sure how specific this would be to the Supra, but when I did the engine swap on the ST162 Celica I used the engine crossmember for the jack point, seemed to be very sturdy.

**Adash=P** · 19-09-2006, 09:03 PM

As XR Pilot said, front x-member or chasis rail or the jack up points as illustrated on the scissor jack.

I did a oil change on a 1J recently but I've forgotten how I did it (removing the filter that is)

**Toobs** · 19-09-2006, 09:14 PM

Yep crossmembers are usually a safe bet... both the front engine crossmember and the diff cradle.
Also the area next to the tow hooks on the front are tough as... thats where I put my chassis stands on the 185... the JZA80 would be very similar I assume.

ed · 19-09-2006, 09:48 PM

i wouldnt touch the x-member - its cast alloy

theres a tow hook bolted into the Land R front chassis rails - jack these points. youll have a big smile when you see how rgid the jza80 chassis is and how much it DOESNT flex when jacked at a corner.

there are only a few good point to jack a jza80:

front and rear tow hooks
belly of the diff

i jackstand the front 'legs' of the diff, and at the front, jack stand the rear swing arm mounting point

**5000gt** · 19-09-2006, 09:55 PM

i normally jack under the LCA bush (the one closer to the rear).... but to get that far, you need a low profile racing jack, or use a scissor jack to raise the car enough to fit a regular jack underneath.

**Toobs** · 19-09-2006, 10:40 PM

Heres the official Toyota lift points for the Celica... I assume the jack points would be similar to the GT4 ones.

Also please supply pics of this cast alloy xmember doc!

ed · 19-09-2006, 10:46 PM

ed · 19-09-2006, 10:47 PM

**Kagetsu** · 19-09-2006, 10:48 PM

The GE's are fairly easy to get into and change the filter. I suggest using a toothed filter spanner thingy, not the belt type. I found it much easier. ^_^ You won't have much room to work with, but it's not impossible. Once you have it loosened, it's easy as.

Obviously empty the oil first, but go for a drive around the block and warm up the oil before hand. Just jack it up, and reach under, pretty easy, then drop it down over the pan, and it'll fit. Make sure you have a fair bit of capacity though.

ed · 19-09-2006, 10:49 PM

it could probably take it, but a jack has potential to produced a very concentrated point of load... so not only provides a bending moment, but also can produce its own stress riser, and cast alloy doesnt like to give much

**jonchai** · 20-09-2006, 12:45 AM

When we did an oil change on my brother's tt supra, the jack wouldnt fit under the car,

i) took trolley jack to driver side, behind front wheel and jack up placing a block of wood between the jack & car

ii) place car stand one

iii) took trolley jack to passenger side behind front wheel and jack up placing a block of wood between the jack and car

iv) place car stand two

v) remove oil filter and replace with K&N version....refil oil with the good stuff (Mobil1) otherwise known as liquid gold!!!

**AndyTTR** · 20-09-2006, 03:10 PM

courtesy of mkiv.com!

The only problem I had was that I couldn't get the jack far enough under the car from the front. One time I lifted the car at the back, put it on axle stands then jacked up the front from underneath, but facing forward (if that makes sense). Another time I did what someone else suggested and jacked it up from the front LCA chassis mount points.

Changing the oil filter looked impossible from below. Managed to do it from above but it made a decent mess of the engine bay as I couldn't get a rag in there to catch the oil dribbling from the filter as I unscrewed it.