1996 Land Cruiser Rear Seal or Oil Pan (Pain) leak? Mechanic near Danville VA? (1 Viewer)

[Lucy11]

176,000 miles.
Hey I am getting a leak (or 2) underneath engine - this is 2 years after headgasket and all that goes with that (PHH, rear heater bypass, new rad, shroud, fan clutch, fan, hoses including rad and vape system, too much to list) about 2 years ago - this is not even a daily driver - about 5K miles a year. Also went through exhaust and nearly 100% rear brake replacement including lines from the front.
History - when replacing head gasket I decided to go with full synthetic oil. I thought that was the time to do it. Around a year later, she started blowing blue smoke for a couple of weeks, but that passed. When it first occurred, I immediately went for an oil change, again to full synthetic, and everything calmed down. BTW, the oil cooler on the side of the engine was cleaned when I did the head gasket - just in case that matters.
Now I see drips here and there - not much, but still...... Could it be that the change to full synthetic cleaned/cleared out old oil stuck in places where it should stay to prevent leaks, and now I have these small leaks? If I go for another oil change BACK to regular oil, and do that, say, 2 or 3 times, each a week apart, do you think I might gunk up those leaks again and stop these annoying drips?
Also, any suggestions for a mechanic for my baby near Danville, VA - I want to do the front end major maintenance as suggested.
Thanks gals/guys,
Lucy
PS - she is rusty, but not that bad....

 

[FMC80]

Lucy, try this thread for mechanics near you:

CRUISER MECHANICS - Listed by State

OK guys, after searching through 12 pages of mechanics, I decided it was high time someone did this. Ive basically complied the 12 pages into the following list, with a little help from Google. Please email or PM or respond to this thread if you have someone to add and I will do it. Lets get a...

forum.ih8mud.com

Oil leaks can be numerous things. Have any pictures for the community to weigh in on?

 

[OGBeno]

OTRAMM. Bealeton.

@OTRAMM

 

[Lucy11]

Lucy, try this thread for mechanics near you:

CRUISER MECHANICS - Listed by State

OK guys, after searching through 12 pages of mechanics, I decided it was high time someone did this. Ive basically complied the 12 pages into the following list, with a little help from Google. Please email or PM or respond to this thread if you have someone to add and I will do it. Lets get a...

forum.ih8mud.com

Oil leaks can be numerous things. Have any pictures for the community to weigh in on?

Here are a few pics - the caked on black oil is left over from the HG issue - wasn't cleaned off and I have to add that it is probably helping with rust prevention :-?
I just got under the truck and the "clean" oily area is apparently where the oil is leaking.... Ok -Yeah yeah yeah, oh that rust!
Thx!

 

[Mat Jadamec]

I have a rear seal that I know is blown (grooved crank shaft) and it looks similar.

 

[Kernal]

Search in the 80 forum for these terms Rear Main Seal Arch Pan Leak:

Here's one link:

Oil pan arch seal

Looking for answer on the big groove in the number one pan. Does it require fipg? In the FSM it doesn't look like it. I will post a pic.

forum.ih8mud.com

 

[Lucy11]

I have a rear seal that I know is blown (grooved crank shaft) and it looks similar.

Hi Mat thx for the info - how do you know it's a grooved crank? Any estimate of repair cost?
Is there danger in driving it around like this?
Thx!

 

[iptman]

Hi Mat thx for the info - how do you know it's a grooved crank? Any estimate of repair cost?
Is there danger in driving it around like this?
Thx!

Not dangerous per se. The risk is if it's leaking fast enough and you're not checking it enough and it gets low enough to do damage to the engine. How often are you adding oil to maintain the level on the dip stick? This would help determine how back a leak this is.

 

[Mat Jadamec]

Hi Mat thx for the info - how do you know it's a grooved crank? Any estimate of repair cost?
Is there danger in driving it around like this?
Thx!

I agree with iptman not much danger, just watch how fast you're losing oil. I took it apart to try to fix it, that's how I know. New seal did not work very long, and that was over 100K ago. No idea on repair (attempt) cost. I dropped the transmission with a hoist rigged through the sunroof in my garage.

 

[Heckraiser]

No danger, just keep any eye on your oil level. If your low oil idiot light is working properly, it should light up when you're about a quart low from "full." That is pretty harmless in an engine that takes 8 quarts. So I just use my idiot light as my reminder to put a quart in. Start out by checking the dipstick to make sure the light is working as I just described before relying primarily on the light. Good policy to check the dipstick anyway when you fill up.

If it's the upper oil pan seal, I would assume probably 6-8 hours at your mechanic's labor rate. It's a BIG PAIN IN THE @#)*$&#. I went through all the trouble to reseal my pan myself and it still leaks so either I botched the job (very easy to do) or it's the rear main, which would require dropping the transmission to fix. After that ordeal, I decided I'm fine just topping off the oil for now

:edit: I would second that if you're anywhere near OTRAMM, that's where you should take it.