First time owner oil filter issue

Hi. Just got a 2021 Tundra 1794 ed. I went under to change the oil and filter. Two questions.

1) do I need to replace the drain plug gasket every time? Mine looks fine and I am not sure where to get a replacement.

2) A gripe and a question. The gripe is that the drain plug on the filter cap _will not_ come off. I ended up having to remove the whole cap. My question- I the process of removing the cap,I dropped it and the metal assembly the filter fits onto came apart. I now have a spring, a small cap that went at the bottom of the center assembly, and a long metal tube.



I cannot get the thing put back together. Should I just pony up for a new one, or is there a way to put it back together? I think the pair of double tabs at the bottom of the cap are supposed to hold it in place, but I cannot seem to make the core assembly fit.

 

Start over and order a new filter cap. Those two pieces aren't supposed to separate. Better than taking the chance of nuking your engine.

$40 Toyota Oil Filter Cap - 15620-38010

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00G0OPMMG?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

 

If it came apart that easily I agree I would get a new one. If you need it today you may have to get one from the dealer.

as far as the drain plug and gasket. When you buy the oil filter it should come with 2 gaskets. One for the housing and the small one for the drain plug.

I have to use a torque wrench and torque the drain plug to 9 ft pounds. If I over tighten it, the whole housing will turn.

 

It should look like this.

 

none of the tabs look bent/broken/twisted. if you dropped it, it seems like it just got shook loose. the center core comes out fairly easily (it has in all 3 of the 5.7's i've owned). it simply goes in with a push and twist....maybe slight angle slide. if it makes you feel more comfortable, buy a new one.

as stated, the new filters come with the 2 o-rings.
if the center drain doesn't come off easily, try to carefully hold the plastic housing, and put a 3/8" drive wrench on it to take it off. the first time i went to change the oil on my sequoia after the couple free ones, it was a b!tch to get off, and i had to put my housing in a vice with towels around it to hold it while i put a 3/8" wrench on it to get it off. at that point, i was upgrading to an aluminum oil filter housing anyway.

i believe the torque on the small drain isn't but about 9#'s of torque. it doesn't take much. same with the oil filter housing

 

Oil pan drain plug 30 ft lbs
Oil filter housing 18 ft lbs
Filter drain plug 9 ft lbs

 

There is even a thread on swapping it to the aluminum one and having to remove and reuse the center tube.

 

exactly

 

I would buy a new aluminum one. That's what I did. The first time I changed my filter it was super tight from the dealer and I thought it was only a matter of time before I cracked it

Aluminum one is ~$25

 

I bought a new aluminum one in anticipation of the first oil change on my new (used) to me truck. Had to use a 1/2" drive long handle ratchet with a very nice filter socket I bought online to get the old plastic one off. Inspected it and it looked fine. Re-used it torqued properly and the next time it came off normally. Never used the aluminum one, saved it just in case. Yes, the metal tube inside was kinda floppy.