I decided that I would like to change the oil on my TL myself. Can anyone tell me the torque specs for the oil filter and the drain bolt? thanks in advance

 

12 Nm for the oil filter and 39 Nm for the drain bolt

 

Or about 9 and 29 ft-lbs. Much easier to estimate the torque you are applying in ft-lbs if you don't have a torque wrench.

 

I have a torque wrench but I think it only reads English, not metric.

 

Too bad the Honda dealer that did my last oil change didn't know that! Freaking bolt was on tight! grrrr

 

There is a handy oil filter "wrench" that works well on the TL.
It's sort of like a cap with flutes which fits over the end of the filter and it has a drive hole for your 3/8" socket extension. Cheap and useful.
Don't over torque your drain bolt. It's not gonna fall out.
Good that you checked the specs but you can do it by feel.
Use a small metric wrench and always do it by hand. Never use a gun on a drain bolt.

 

My suggestion is never use a gun (air powered wrench) on any part on a car that you own. Nothing on it is too big to get done with hand tools. If something is rusted tight, use WD-40 & some time. Otherwise you have good chance of breaking the bolt either way.
The only people who use power tools on precision car parts are NASCAR pit crew members (because they have lots of sponsors paying for new parts & wheels every week!) and garage employees who don't own your car.
I have seen many car shows on TV where they are assembling a expensive restored car and when they put the wheels on, they use a powered wrench to run down the very first lug nut all the way down to full tight, and a extra pull of the trigger to make extra sure it is tight. Then they go run down the second one the same way, and so on. That is when I know that the people I am watching are just wanabe NASCAR pit crew guys that don't care, or know how to treat someone else's car properly.
And don't confuse the factory assembly line torque controlled and monitored wrenches that tighten bolts with accuracy with the air powered impact drivers.

Now if you are working on a big truck with big bolts, that is a different story.

 

This^ glad to see some intelligence here in 4G.

Have a really good compressor and several pneumatic tools, they sit in the garage and collect dust. It's almost easier to just do it by hand then to drag all that stuff out from under the work bench.

 

Great post, Little Gator. So true.

 

i cant remember the last time i used a torque wrench for an oil change...oil filter is hand tight plus another half turn or so, and and when it comes to the drain plug, just make it tight without trying to break it off...if your on your back like i am your already in an odd position to be trying to tighten something with any real force, so i dont see how you would over tighten it...

 

This has always been my method too, but the torque specs are good to have as well!

 

hand tightening is the way to go....

 

Good advice. That's what I do!

 

buy your own oil and filter and take it to Honda dealership
they usually charge $9-11 labor and will also do full inspection

better than doing it yourself

 

Yeup, OP, 3/8 drive ratchet with socket for drain bolt and tighten hand TIGHT and hand tight with your oil filter...no new for all these "torque specs"...you're not building a motor or transmission...JUST CHANGING YOUR OIL.

Funny how you can tell who MECHANICS are from people who "install parts".