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Tools to get to work on a toyota 1.8

Handforged

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Apr 22, 2013
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Virginia
Just got my daughter a 2010 Toyotal Corolla (only 18,000 miles) for her first car. Other than the body tools I'll probably end up needing (but I hope not), anybody have any ideas about wrench and socket sizes that predominate on the engine or any special tools I should get to work on the 1.8? Never had one of these, so just want to make sure I am kitted up to work on it. Thanks for any and alll help.
 
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Deskmechanic

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Aug 17, 2010
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Long Beach, CA
P2 phillips, 8mm 10mm 12mm 14mm 17mm 19mm sockets and combination wrenches will cover 99% of the fasteners on that car.

Also a 9/16" (14mm) spark plug socket and a wobble extension.
 
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Handforged

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Virginia
Great. Thanks. Any oddball tools, like a 3 foot extension to reach the fuel filter bolts or anything like that you know of?
 

G1GRANDEUR

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2,094
-once you take out water pump pulley, you can make your own pulley holding tool with flat metal stick.
use non premix "red" color coolant, "pink" long life tend to destroy water pump every 30k or so.

-serpentine belt tool.

-MUST have:
KD-3253.jpg

don't buy plastic or thin metal one. buy thick metal one if you can, it will last life time.
http://www.toyotapart.com/09228-06500-02.html

I never used this type, but seem like it will work better than cheaper caps.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Toyota-Lexus-Scion-Special-Oil-Filter-Wrench-Tool-V6-V8-/221175691417
 
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Handforged

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Thanks. That's exactly the kind of thing I was looking for, especially the advice on the coolant. Any thoughts on the oil - conventional or synthetic?
 

Rico.

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May 28, 2009
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England
Any oddball tools, like a 3 foot extension

How dare you become a member here without owning at least two of each
of those in multiple drive sizes already... :evil:


Seriously, the first response you got is on the money.... I owned a Mk3 Supra Turbo
and stripped the engine down and did all basic servicing with just those tools. A few
long and flex head ratchets, plus ratchet wrenches to make your life a little easier and
you will be golden... :D
 

BK13

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Mar 1, 2013
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PDX, OR
Honestly, outside of damage, I wouldn't worry about much outside of oil changes for a good long while... it is a ******** Toyota, after all. I beat the **** out of a 4x4 pickup for 200k miles with out much trouble
 

dankicksass

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New Jersey
Keep an oil bottle with a big cap - Mobil 1 works - and cut the bottom off. This is your oil fill funnel, it will thread right in to the valve cover. Saves you $30 over the commercially available funnel. Fits Toyota with threaded cap except Prius.

4.4 qt oil 5w20 5k regular service interval, 0w20 optional 10k service interval

14mm drain plug tools. I recommend a ($6) magnetic socket. Always replace the gasket. There are cheap paper ones available but they **** to get off. Sometimes you need a scraper to remove the metal ones anyway.

Needs the special ($17) 64mm oil filter adapter and a 15/16 or 24mm wrench to go with it. I use the one I linked and the Blue Point with the fingers ($24 ish) works nice too. The cheap ones break easy. Ask me how I know

14mm spark plug socket - AKA 9/16. I recommend ($12) this magnetic one with built in extension

10mm and 12mm all over the place

21mm lugnut tools

Plastic pry tools and 10mm magnetic nutdriver to change the radio

8mm bendy ratchet wrench to adjust headlamp beam

Air filter and cabin filter are serviced without tools.
 
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dankicksass

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use non premix "red" color coolant, "pink" long life tend to destroy water pump every 30k or so.

This is bad advice. No need to change out the pink SLLC for red.

If you do change the coolant out ever, don't skip out on draining the block. There is a 10mm petcock on the side facing the firewall about in the middle.
 

treblarefils

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Nov 28, 2013
Messages
148
Just replaced a timing chain on a 1ZZFE 2004 Corolla 1.8L some of the teeth on the crank gear were sheared off somehow so it made one hell of a rattling lol. These cars are very basic 8-19mm you could probably take the entire car apart and for the most part these cars are very easy to work on as well as reliable.
 

jfcasey

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Jan 30, 2010
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New Hampshire
Buy an AST oil filter cup. You absolutely positively do NOT need one of the toyota/lexus filter housing drain kits, your car doesn't even have the plug to drain it and has the cleanest filter changes you've probably ever seen. The ones with the fingers on them are alright but the AST ones are just easier to use all day IMHO. The torque spec on that housing is 18ft lbs, aka just tight enough to seal that o ring up... do NOT over tighten it unless you want to remove it with a chisel next time. Its easy to over tighten because of how easy it is to get to but trust me do not yank on it for gods sake.

Replace the O ring on that filter housing every time you change the filter and don't worry about if when that metal tab breaks off the filter housing they all fall off after the 2nd or 3rd LOF.

Don't waste your time draining out all of the SLLC coolant... more work to do than it could ever save you. I haven't seen any blow out water pumps especially not every 30k.

For home owner maintenance you will only really need a 21mm for the lug nuts, a 14mm for the drain plug, everything else you will mess with at home will likely be a 10 or a 12. Other than rotating tires, maybe a serp belt, and cabin/ engine air filters you likely won't need many tools because its not going to give you much to fix.

The cabin filter btw is behind the glove box if you ever go looking for it. If I am remembering correctly that year can do 0-20 syn or 5-20 semi syn, either will work fine... they say you can go 10k on LOF's if you do the syn but I would still do it every 5, it gets pretty nasty after 10.

To reset the maintenance light put the odometer on trip a, shut the car off, then press and hold the odo button down while you flick the key back to 'on' and keep holding till all the dashs go out....... you'll see what I mean.


That should cover most of it from a Toyota tech.... if you have an specific questions shoot me a PM.
 

dankicksass

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You may want to buy some ($20) skinny wrenches for use on the front brake caliper slide pins. Without them, you can have a difficult time putting the caliper on some Toyotas, as the working area is not large enough for use with most wrenches and the pin tends to spin if not held.
 
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jfcasey

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I see some yall have probably seen those housings over tightened lol.. thats about the only time I've ever seen any filter wrench break. I have much better luck using a 24mm socket on an AST filter wrench when they're stuck on that bad, if you use the square drive on them it will surely explode.
 

dankicksass

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When it comes from a quick lube, sometimes you have to use the really big breaker bar. And a hammer and punch and a second guy. And sometimes it's good that the replacement filter housing is in stock.
 

toolaholic

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Jul 26, 2012
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PA
You may want to buy some ($20) skinny wrenches for use on the front brake caliper slide pins. Without them, you can have a difficult time putting the caliper on some Toyotas, as the working area is not large enough for use with most wrenches and the pin tends to spin if not held.
Bought facom metric tappet wrench set to do my yaris brakes(17mm).
 

Frosthy

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Mar 28, 2013
Messages
196
Location
FL
You may want to buy some skinny wrenches for use on the front brake caliper slide pins. Without them, you can have a difficult time putting the caliper on some Toyotas, as the working area is not large enough for use with most wrenches and the pin tends to spin if not held.

Possibly an excuse to pick up a set of Knipex Cobras too. I use the 7" set to hold caliper pins in place should they decide to spin.

Buy an AST oil filter cup.

I second this. It is DA BOMB. Takes like a 24mm socket/wrench and never ever slips.

Looks like this:

Toy640_lg.jpg

TOY_640.jpg
 

Deception

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Jan 15, 2012
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204
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New York
it shouldnt have a fuel filter in the engine bay, it would be part of the assembly in tank with the fuel pump. I had a 2003 MR2, pretty sure your corolla has the same 1zz motor
 

abvw

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Apr 9, 2012
Messages
645
Location
Toronto, Canada
You don't necessarily have to lift the vehicle up to do an oil change. Use the inside left front wheel as your "ground" leverage should the filter (the filter wrench that fits snugly is a MUST) or drain plug is on too tight. Trust me you can't get much torque from your back.

A 10mm hex bit socket for the transmission drain plug. If the fluids smell rancid or looks dark change it out with OEM fluids. A hand pump to change the power steering and brake fluids. If the water pump decides to fail, have a 10mm offset box end wrench handy (loosen the pulley bolts first before belt removal, nothing else will fit between the frame and the water pump). The belt tensioner can be relieved by using a breaker bar (not too long, 12"-15" or so) with a 19mm deep socket (look for the 3/4" hex sticking out around the tensioner pulley, you'll wreck the pulley bolt if you torque on that). If the radiator starts to leak you can pinch off the rad hoses (with a pair of needle nose visegrips) and run the cabin heat on full blast until you get a replacement (still, don't drive too long like that), that'll save you from running the engine dry.

10mm/3/8" wide coarse file and some brush to clean the brake brackets and the edges of the rotor. 1/2" impact, 17mm swivel impact socket, piston retracting tool (or a giant Channellock) and a file is all I need to do a front brake job. It's much easier to slide the whole assembly off the rotor, remove the pads and slide the bracket off the pins than to fiddle with the 14mm bolt. Service the brakes often, like at least twice a year, stops the pins from seizing up. Also make it a habit to use the parking brakes, the cables seize up if left unused for too long.

Take a good care of the Toyota negative battery terminal. They're a ***** to change out.

Above all else, make sure your daughter drives safe and knows how do deal with emergencies (like flat tires and busted radiators like mentioned earlier)
 
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gsingh

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Dec 26, 2012
Messages
1,003
Location
NOVA
-once you take out water pump pulley, you can make your own pulley holding tool with flat metal stick.
use non premix "red" color coolant, "pink" long life tend to destroy water pump every 30k or so.

-serpentine belt tool.

-MUST have:
KD-3253.jpg

don't buy plastic or thin metal one. buy thick metal one if you can, it will last life time.
http://www.toyotapart.com/09228-06500-02.html

I never used this type, but seem like it will work better than cheaper caps.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Toyota-Lexus-Scion-Special-Oil-Filter-Wrench-Tool-V6-V8-/221175691417

Never had that happened, been running pink coolant in all 4 of my toyotas for well over 150k miles. :dunno:
 

nicksnothereman

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Joined
Oct 19, 2013
Messages
3,608
Location
In the Mojave
Just got my daughter a 2010 Toyotal Corolla (only 18,000 miles) for her first car. Other than the body tools I'll probably end up needing (but I hope not), anybody have any ideas about wrench and socket sizes that predominate on the engine or any special tools I should get to work on the 1.8? Never had one of these, so just want to make sure I am kitted up to work on it. Thanks for any and alll help.

You won't need much for like 7+ years except oil change and plug stuff...honestly. :lol: Most guys on here would have the equipment off the cuff (even if it's a drop in filter) so you should have everything. Just don't let her add any heavy electronics (aftermarket sound system) to the car or you're going to have the kind of electrical issues that make you pull your hair out.

I'm not wrong either.:lol:
 

humber2

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Joined
Feb 13, 2011
Messages
1,770
Location
Downunder
My minimalist toolkit.

In car,

10mm wrench for battery terminals

21mm socket on powerbar for lugnuts.

Cellfone


At home

14mm wrench for sump plug.

Channellock multigrip for oil filter removal.


YMMV
 
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