I used the toyota $100 dollar gasket maker. I still have some left over from installing it 5 times, so the stuff goes a long ways. Perseverance yes, but also realizing the BS toyota would have given me, the cost and time to get it to the shop and the overall concern over poor workmanship. I have always thought cruiser ownership is a relationship and needs commitment and involvement. I have had a few, plus driven around a couple continents with them, i need to know critical systems and how to repair. In retrospect, it has always been well worth it to dig into things.
Kind of "Mystery" Coolant leak back of engine (heat exchanger valley leak)
- Thread starter cc93cruiser
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Agreed, but only the px side needs removing. I long couple extensions on a ratchet with a 12mm and its simple to get that bolt out.
Mind you, the time it took me to figure that out was not so simple. Learn from all the experience here and skip the frustrations
This is a standard instruction on the toyota repair manual. But not many in the group do this way, they prefer rather to fish this over the top of engine.
I understand why we want to do this as we are required to use jacks and work on truck on jacks is a risky thing at some level.
But working on the engine over the top also puts weight on the radiator area which may lead it to cracking (if you are not using the ledge or those special stepper ladders).
#Coolant #Valley #Plate #Leak - ClubLexus - Lexus Forum Discussion
GX - 2nd Gen (2010-2023) - #Coolant #Valley #Plate #Leak - Does anybody experience coolant valley plate leak for GX460? Dealer told me this is common problem for high mile GX460 engine. I have 2010 GX460 with 93000miles.
www.clublexus.com
Acrad, just did the same thing! Got a relatively inexpensive borescope off of Amazon and was extremely impressed with the image quality. I was lazy and took a photo of the screen on the scope rather than taking the memory card out and transferring them. No leak for me, just some small build up of particles after 13 years of being on the road. I'll check once a year or so. Highly recommend buying one for this and a multitude of other uses.
** The image qauality is MUCH better than what comes across in these posts.
** The image qauality is MUCH better than what comes across in these posts.
TLC2013
SILVER Star
@t4r2lx570 which camera did you use? Those images look great.
This is what my used and abused bore camera found when I suspected the coolant leak. Time to get a new one.
This is what my used and abused bore camera found when I suspected the coolant leak. Time to get a new one.
I went with the BauStark N50. Good battery life.
Wanted to add my wisdom on doing this work over the last few weeks as time and parts allowed.
Pay attention to the o-rings. Take your crossover pipe with you and fit the o-rings on the pipe. If they don’t fit somewhat snug, they’ll never work. When I compared the o-rings from old vs new, the new ones were clearly wrong and a few mm larger in diameter. I got the parts from the local Toyota dealership. Pay attention to these as once you have the sealant on, you won’t have time to muck around. With the right seals and a bit of lube, it’ll slip into place nicely. Wrong seals will never work. Don’t trust your parts counter. Make sure the new rings fit just like the old ones.
Pay attention to the o-rings. Take your crossover pipe with you and fit the o-rings on the pipe. If they don’t fit somewhat snug, they’ll never work. When I compared the o-rings from old vs new, the new ones were clearly wrong and a few mm larger in diameter. I got the parts from the local Toyota dealership. Pay attention to these as once you have the sealant on, you won’t have time to muck around. With the right seals and a bit of lube, it’ll slip into place nicely. Wrong seals will never work. Don’t trust your parts counter. Make sure the new rings fit just like the old ones.
I have a dumb question. I think my LX570 has or had the valley leak. I've been losing fluid from the overfill reservoir. I recently took a trip and I filled the reservoir beforehand. In the middle of the trip, I checked it (cold, morning) and it was about half full between the L and H lines. I came home and checked it again (again, next day, cold, morning) and it was full. Fluid at the H line of the reservoir. I didn't add any fluid.
How can this be? Does this make sense? Does this mean I don't have a valley leak? Or indeterminant - I just stopped when the coolant was filling the reservoir; the level will drop again when I next start / drive the car.
How can this be? Does this make sense? Does this mean I don't have a valley leak? Or indeterminant - I just stopped when the coolant was filling the reservoir; the level will drop again when I next start / drive the car.
bloc
SILVER Star
Double check your radiator cap. It should have two flat rubber gaskets, the smaller of which has a little metal top hat with a light spring that pulls the hat into the lower/smaller gasket. Make sure nothing is stuck under the hat keeping it from sealing.
The top hat allows the cap to draw fluid back out of the reservoir when the cooling system cools off and develops a vacuum. Yours may not be working correctly.
sleepycruiser
I will get by….I will survive -Touch of Grey LC200
Checked my reservoir and it is much lower than usual. So just the 2 o-rings and the Toyota FIPG is needed? And small hands and 3-4 days? 
2011 LC
2011 LC
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Why post a 1UR parts list in the 200 section and potentially confuse people? Has the parts list for the 3UR changed in the last couple of years (other than superseded PNs)?
All the parts you will need should already be posted in this thread. For example I posted this in post #188
Well it's my turn.
199,957 miles and looks like it's at least the second sealing job on the valley pan. A few clues of prior work... the wiring harness was not connected to the rear of the intake (bolts for brackets removed). Easier because I didn't have to deal with the clips. I found Gorilla duct tape around one of the the secondary air tubes. I didn't feel link dropping $100 bucks and waiting for the part so we'll see how long a JB Weld repair will last.
This thread provided good insights so the job wasn't really too bad. Those bolts on the secondary air valve are a pain for sure. Stubby ratchet wrench did the trick.
199,957 miles and looks like it's at least the second sealing job on the valley pan. A few clues of prior work... the wiring harness was not connected to the rear of the intake (bolts for brackets removed). Easier because I didn't have to deal with the clips. I found Gorilla duct tape around one of the the secondary air tubes. I didn't feel link dropping $100 bucks and waiting for the part so we'll see how long a JB Weld repair will last.
This thread provided good insights so the job wasn't really too bad. Those bolts on the secondary air valve are a pain for sure. Stubby ratchet wrench did the trick.
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Looks like I'm the next lucky recipient of this repair. I've had to top off coolant which was below E twice in the last month. Not gonna be able to put this off for long.
Dealer just confirmed it's the valley plate. They ran a boroscope and couldn't see evidence but couldn't explain where else the leak would have been coming from, and a quart of coolant loss a month meant there had to be a leak somewhere. $1400 plus ~$100 in parts. I passed on the $3k bill to replace the timing cover gasket though.
Removing the intake they also found a mouse nest with some... deceased residents. And a knock sensor wire which was gnawed but not yet broken. $44 for a replacement harness. Time to lay more traps in the garage I guess.
Thanks for the data point on pricing - what city is the dealer in and how many hours were quoted. Watching this thread as I suspect I have a minor valley leak going on - have to top off coolant to the Full line about once a month - it only currently drops about an 1-1.5” kn that time. No other visible drips or coolant leak visuals. Radiator is just fine.
The leaking hot coolant probably scorched/drowned the mouse family…. Last ditch effort to avoid the coolant they grabbed the wires with their teeth…..
Critters can do some serious damage to rigs….
The leaking hot coolant probably scorched/drowned the mouse family…. Last ditch effort to avoid the coolant they grabbed the wires with their teeth…..
Critters can do some serious damage to rigs….
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I'm just north of Chicago. Bredemann Toyota in Park Ridge. Their labor rate is $160/hour so I guess they're predicting an 8.75 hour job. Mike Schneider is the service manager I typically work with - nice guy, very reasonable to work with. I use them for a lot of service because in my experience they're often cheaper than the indie shops for fluid changes, in some cases the indie shops don't have the knowledge or tools to do what I want (i.e. none of the local shops around me know how to do a transmission full fluid exchange), they've been able to diagnose a couple things that other shops missed or couldn't figure out, and they've always done a good job with any repair I've paid for. Also no cost for the 4Runner loaner that I'll have for 3 days when all is said and done. Their repair shop is huge btw... probably 20 bays.Thanks for the data point on pricing - what city is the dealer in and how many hours were quoted. Watching this thread as I suspect I have a minor valley leak going on - have to top off coolant to the Full line about once a month - it only currently drops about an 1-1.5” kn that time. No other visible drips or coolant leak visuals. Radiator is just fine.
The leaking hot coolant probably scorched/drowned the mouse family…. Last ditch effort to avoid the coolant they grabbed the wires with their teeth…..
Critters can do some serious damage to rigs….
FWIW the $1400+ materials quote was less than the $1700-1900/11+ hours I'd seen posted either earlier in this thread or elsewhere on mud, which made the repair at the dealer a no brainer for me. I was thinking of trying a new indie shop a few miles away but I doubt they would do the job for much less, possibly more, and they're not a Toyota expert.
Coolant reservoir was empty about a month ago when I added coolant. Had to add it again last weekend as it was again empty. So I knew something was up. Pink residue generally confirmed it for me even though the dealer couldn't find the source of the leak.
I'm betting the mice thought they'd found a hot tub. In a way I'm lucky I had the leak as yeah they could have caused a lot more damage than the $1400 repair.
TLC2013
SILVER Star
That is a good price especially for the delaer to knock out. When I had mine re-sealed i got a few quotes that varied wildly. From $1400 at my indy shop all the way up to $2700 at a lexus dealer. That lexus dealer actually quoted less $ to reseal the timing cover then to do the valley leak.
I am curious to see what is the newest 200 to see this coolant Valley leak/repair. I don't recall seeing on here any of the 2016 + posting about this. A lot of 2013 and older like our model years.
