Removing the Air Filter

[timsrv]

Yeah, I've been working on these vans forever, and I still cuss like a sailor every time I change an air filter . My hands and fingers are big so I usually use a long slot-tip screwdriver to get in there to unlatch the clips. Then I lightly lift on the front and use the screwdriver to pull the hanging hook part of the front clips away from the lower housing. Once the fronts are clear I hold it high enough to prevent accidental re-clipping of the fronts, then get the backs. If your air tube isn't old and hard, you should be able to tweak things enough to drag the filter out from the front. If your air tube is old and hard, then it'll probably crack and you'll need to get a new one. I don't know what hell Toyota was thinking when they stuffed that filter down there but somebody sure had their head up their rear end. Don't worry about your dignity (it cracks me up though) because at one point or another I'm sure all of us have determined changing air filters to be impossible on these things. Tim

PS: After putting the new filter in, before latching ANY of the clips, use a flashlight and a long screwdriver to make sure none of the hanging clips ended up pinched between the upper and lower filter housings. Only then should you latch them. I usually use the screwdriver to latch 3 of the 4 clips.

[User1]

Thanks for the quick replies!

Good to know I wasn't out in "left field" on this one! Looks like I'm going to get a mirror and light to see what I'm dealing with. I really couldn't see the two outside clips. I uncliped the two inside ones. I assume I'm dealing with 4 clips? What exactly will I gain by unfastening the two nuts from the bottom of the filter? I'm thinking nothing much?

The K&N filters sound VERY appealing and will look into them. Any connections are welcomed. I thought my Fram filter that said "12000 miles between tuneups" sounded sweet! Not now!

Yeah I don't what Toyota was thinking on this one, and really, not a word on the manual.

[timsrv]

There's 4 clips (at least there were originally). The clips are the only things you need to undo (no nuts). Like llama said, removing the air tube helps, but isn't necessary. The rest is just determination and anger motivation. For me, things like this only get done when I develop a certain degree of anger . When I get into that mode things get done quickly............but I also tend to bleed (or at least feel the results for a few minutes afterwards) .

[eddieleephd]

I do find removing the air tube a pain but useful.
It is hard to get out and such, but you can take the wires connected loose fairly easily.
This gives you an easier ability to seat the filter easier and without any damage while putting it in.

The hardest part if you remove the Air tube is removing the air tube...

This will allow you to see how dirty the box is and the ability to clean it if necessary..
I do recommend doing this the first time anyhow beings you have not looked in there before and do not know a thing about it.

[ARP]

If it runs rough after you are done either you cracked the air tube or one of the many vacuum hose connections in the vicinity has slipped off

[User1]

Running good! Feels like I'm finally making some progress on this!

I wanted to respond on a couple of things above;
The nuts I was referring to were these two. This is from looking up from the bottom. The nuts are on the inside of the air box.


But then you have a nut on the outside of the box;


So I just went with provided advice and got everything squared away. The forth and final clip I had to deal with was rather interesting. Pic is below.


I never did get this one fastened and will just find a replacement C clip that I can rig on the front outside corner. I managed to get the air tubes reconnected with a lite layer of lite lub on the mating surfaces of the tube. Everything went on easy with this and should be easy to disconnect too, but will see.

Thanks all!

[mons]

Hey y'all! I was just looking at the air filter for the first time and as I was trying to get it back in, there was a rubber seal that doesn't seem to fit around anything. I can't figure out exactly where it came from and I am worried about not putting it back in the right spot. It looks like it should go around the edge of the filter, but like I said, it is too big and won't fit right. Any thoughts?

[timsrv]

The only seal in this area is what comes formed into the filter. If you found something left over from before, it's likely off the old filter & I'd consider it junk. Tim

[PNW vanwagon]

thought i'd pass along some potentially good info that will probably save you at least some time and effort changing air filter. first time replacing air filter today and quickly understood why everyone says it's a pain. the clips get hung up getting the lid open, and hung up on the old filter and new filter and getting it back together. looking around my shop for help i grabbed two small mini bungees and hooked them over the clips (part that hooks down under lid) this kept the clips up and out of the way and i could concentrate on getting the box open and filters swapped out.

still had to remove the air intake hose to get enough room. and the process is still a pain but getting the clips out of the way up front really helps.

*additional tip* mini bungees need not be tight just enough to keep the clip hooks up out of the way. if the bungees are too loose - tie a knot or two into them and it'll be the right length

also my wife has a thin wood dowel with a hook at the end to pull down our window blinds - this wood dowel was great at getting at the far right rear clip - releasing the clip / hooking the bungee / releasing bungee and re-clipping

[BetsyBrown]

wow.. this really kicked my butt!

couple things I learned.

1.Remove the air hose if you can! I tried doing this without removing and it was impossible... for me at least. DO NOT recommend. Mine was very stuck to the metal bits, but then I just rode around all day, got it nice and hot and pop! No problem getting both sides off and back on. I just removed the side closer to filter though.

2. If you can swing it, BUY a K+N filter. Part is 33-2009 and cost me $60 at autozone. ya pricey, but if it keeps me from messing with the filter for a couple years... YES PLEASE. Also the K+N has a very low profile, so very easy to slip in. The one in there was double the height and a pain in the ass to get out.

3. The hooks did snag on the back, i just overbent it a nudge and it stuck in place long enough to get to the filter in.

4. find a friend with long skinny hands for the back clips... or a deft flathead screwdriver. they are a little goofy

now if i can just get the darn windows to roll on the way down...

Hope this helps!!

[Burntboot]

User1 - those nuts you were looking at actually hold the base of the housing to the frame, taking them out would only have made your task harder.
And for what its worth the 2 nuts on the bracket attach to rubber mounts that love to separate when you try to remove them.
Those little rubber isolated mounts are NLA, so all the more reason to leave them alone

[SamVan86]

Hey everybody,

I just went through the painful process of changing my Toyota Van 86 air filter, after I succeeded and drove the van normally, I noticed that the engine won't work as before, in low idle, the engine just dies... any help would be great of what might have one wrong

[llamavan]

SamVan — check to make sure the small pipe under the large "air cleaner hose" is properly connected, and if that's OK, then check the large "air cleaner hose" for cracks. You can check for cracks by starting up the van and squeezing that big corrugated hose (gently — don't crack it in the process!). If the rough idle happens in response to squeezing the hose, you've found your problem.

Gwen

[SamVan86]

SamVan — check to make sure the small pipe under the large "air cleaner hose" is properly connected, and if that's OK, then check the large "air cleaner hose" for cracks. You can check for cracks by starting up the van and squeezing that big corrugated hose (gently — don't crack it in the process!). If the rough idle happens in response to squeezing the hose, you've found your problem.

Gwen

Thanks a lot Gwen, I will do that tomorrow and come back with the results, I remembered connecting that small pipe, but will check, I will look for cracks in the air cleaner hose!

[llamavan]

Finally located Tim's photo:



Although it may not be YOUR van's problem, it's so common that it's worth checking, and worth the repost in this thread.

Gwen

[SamVan86]

Gwen thanks this was great, so I checked on the air cleaner hose, was ok, but I saw one of the small Vacuum hose is disconnected, that is probably the problem, right ? Any idea where I connect it?

[SamVan86]

Two hoses connected, and this one is loose, but don't see anywhere where to connect it

[timsrv]

That goes to the charcoal canister down below. Here's a thread with a vacuum hose diagram: https://www.toyotavantech.com/forum/...tached-diagram

[SamVan86]

That goes to the charcoal canister down below. Here's a thread with a vacuum hose diagram: https://www.toyotavantech.com/forum/...tached-diagram

Tim, thanks so much, we are in Colombia right now, and mechanics here never saw this kind of van... We are on our trip Alaska Argentina, and this has been our first issue so far!

The engine use to work like a Swiss watch, but immediately after the air filter was changed we got problems.

Do you think that this disconnected hose form the charcoal canister could be the source of our problem, since the air filter was changed, van has shown this issues, and it is getting worse with time:

1. the truck hiccups at low rotations
2. the idle got a rough sound
3. the engine has lost power,the throttle does not respond when accelerated, does not manage any hill up
4. it is consuming a lot of gas
5. smell of fuel

Also, from my pic where can I find the canister?

It is a Van 1986, manual shift.

Should I be looking for other things as well after connecting the hose?

Thanks guys for your help!

[llamavan]

"Smell of gas" should always get your attention.

Having said that, please search the forum first for answers to that and to your other questions. (HINT — try the tag "gas smell"!) If you cannot find the answers, post your questions in similar threads, or (only if no similar issues), start new ones.

You'll always find the answers faster by searching on your own (when the answers are there; mostly they are) than by waiting around for someone who has the knowledge to choose to use their lunch or break time to help you instead of doing something else they oughta do!

Gwen