OIl pan or rear main? (1 Viewer)

[Doc]

Hey guys- about three weeks ago I had a new clutch installed along with a new rear main seal.

Yesterday after I parked the car in a neighbor's driveway in less than an hour it leaked a 6" puddle of oil. The oil is coming off of the transmission cover, not the oil pan skid.

This makes me think it was the rear mian leaking. Not the oil pan gasket.

I call the local Toyota dealership because they did the work on it. They insist it's the oil pan gasket.

They say the 'only way to tell is to install a new oil pan gasket and see if the leak stops'.

True?

I just ordered a new gasket from the auto parts place, but want to know if this guy is blowing smoke up my butt to cover his mistakes.

 

[saint60]

i don't think he can make any such 'guarantee'. it could be the oil pan gasket, but from what i gather it wasn't leaking like that before you had the rear main replaced. it also sounds like the oil pan gasket was never messed with. it sounds like something could be a bit screwy with the rear main, but it's hard to tell. you could try spraying it all down with some brake parts cleaner and then run it and inspect it to see where it leaks. another thing to keep in mind is that the main seals on the block don't just leak from sitting there. they have a bunch of oil sloshed all over them while you drive and if it leaks it all drips down off of everything it has covered underneath. i would just try checking it and try to deal with an honest mechanic if you're going to take that route.

 

[Doc]

I'll change the pan gasket myself, but if it's the rear main leaking again, I'm going to have Toyota re-do it until they get it right, and I'm going to try to get them to put in a new clutch each time to, as I don't want an oil contaminated clutch disk.

Yes, it's leaking more oil than ever before right now.

Oh, and I went around and tightened all the oil pan bolts except the rearmost, they were all pretty loose. Then I took it up to the car wash and put it up on ramps so I could soap down the entire underside of the pan and tranny cover. Hopefully making it easier to diagnose.

 

[Cruiserdrew]

There is a rule of thumb to help you with the diagnostics. Pull off the inspection cover and look at the engine side of the flywheel. If it is streaked with oil, then suspect the rear main. If it isnt streaked with oil then it is most likely the rear of the oil pan, or if you are unlucky, the cam plug.

After the inspection, replacing the oil pan gasket is a pretty good plan. They do develop leaks. Make sure to use the OEM gasket and clean the mounting surface very carefully of all the stuck on cork. It isn't a trivial job, and you will get very oily doing it. There are a few tricks for removing the pan so post up if you run into issues.

One other biased opinion...I use gray RTV sealer on both sides of the new gasket-a very thin amount, with a bit extra in the saddle corners. The sealer will allow you to stick the gasket to the block, and then raise the pan and begin screwing in the small bolts. The sealer also allows you to seat the gasket perfectly in the saddles-you'll see what I mean when you do it. The other purpose of the sealer is that when that day comes that you have to remove the pan again, it will be much easier since the cork won't stick so tight to the block.

 

[crucible]

I'd also recommend an OEM, or at least a one peice gasket, as well as getting the Toyota FIPG (FPIG? FIPG?) sealant/adhesive to seal it with (later Toyotas used that gasket sealer just by itself).

I did mine earlier this year, and while I didn't get very oily, it was a time consuming job, and I made it that way purposefully too: you don't want to do this anymore than one has to do it, this isn't easy.

Biggest tip I can give is if the pan still sticks when all the bolts come off, don't pound it or pry it off, that will damage it possibly beyond repair. Use the bottle jack to help slowly 'pressure' it off:

-Position the bottle jack against the frame (jack bottom side), and the top -side against a piece of 2x4 running the length of the oil pan to protect the surface and put pressure on the whole thing rather than just a small part..
-Manually tighten the jack until you get it snug and it holds up by itself (should be horizontal from the frame to the oil pan/2x4).
-Tighten some more to get pressure on it, walk away for a few minutes.
-Tighten some more, walk away.
-Repeat as necessary.

The bottle jack is also handy for helping to hold up the pan when you try to get it back on the block.

G'luck.

Cruc

 

[morganism]

found this while searching on stuck oil pans so will drop this here.

ToyoNation

"What worked was taking a carving knife(thinner than the putty knife), putting it through the opening I made with the putty knife, then tapping it sideways with a small hammer, moving the knife's edge around the circumference of the oil pan. When I got around almost halfway around, the pan came loose. I had tried doing this with the putty knife, tapping it at an angle, but the putty knife I used was too wide and not flexible enough, and seemed to be putting too much pressure on the oil pan lip."

and from here, using the jack from the side with a block of wood.

I ordered the new FelPro blue for the gals Honda, and it only needs RTV in the corners, and is reusable , they say. Ordered the same for a head gasket.
The pan gasket comes with these cool little plastic push connectors you can jamb in the corners to hold it while you start the other bolts. (13 bucks stand alone part)

There are also some tools, like a threaded screwdriver handle, that you insert into the drain plug hole, to give you some leverage to lift it off. So keep your eye out for a long version of the drain plug bolt.

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