I'm at best parts-changer level as a mechanic, maybe a blonde one past that, but by no means do I have much to brag about. I'm working on it, but it's slow going, so please bear with me.
I also live off in the mountains in Montana, miles down a trail that would qualify as semi-challenging offroad, and about 1.5 hours from the nearest auto parts store - or anything else, really. So any help would be appreciated - winter's coming soon and I'd like to get my small vehicle back on the road ASAP (my other truck is an M35A2C 6x6).
I've got a '96 LX450, and it's been treating me well for the past 12 years or so, with very few problems. I keep my fluids changed on schedule (yeah, including the diffs, and I grease zerks per advice on here). Try to do decent PM all around, and have only had a power steering pump crap out on me. Have the tundra alternator on the custom bracket, and a 40 gal Aussie fuel tank, as well as dual batteries.
It's developed a pretty messy valve cover leak over the last year, but it's been an insane year for my schedule so I've been putting off doing the gasket job. Par for the course with a lot of these rigs, probably.
Today my oil light came on again, and I figured I'd just put another quart in (is been losing that much every 1000 miles or so since it got leaky). Popped the hood and saw WAY more leakage from the valve cover than there has been any time before. Liked like a few ounces of oil on the front of the engine, mixed with the usual trail dust, making glossy mud.
Checked the dip stick and yep, it was down to the low mark.
Opened the oil fill cap and the oil, unexpectedly, was staring right back at me from just below the threaded hole.
What does this mean?
Seems like the oil isn't making it down to the pan, and maybe it's being forced up under pressure, driving it out past the valve cover gasket? Maybe a clogged oil filter?
I also just snapped the heads off 2 of the valve cover bolts, so I'm going to snag the appropriate replacements from town ASAP. No worries about that, I found a great thread about it already.
Any advice would be appreciated!
I also live off in the mountains in Montana, miles down a trail that would qualify as semi-challenging offroad, and about 1.5 hours from the nearest auto parts store - or anything else, really. So any help would be appreciated - winter's coming soon and I'd like to get my small vehicle back on the road ASAP (my other truck is an M35A2C 6x6).
I've got a '96 LX450, and it's been treating me well for the past 12 years or so, with very few problems. I keep my fluids changed on schedule (yeah, including the diffs, and I grease zerks per advice on here). Try to do decent PM all around, and have only had a power steering pump crap out on me. Have the tundra alternator on the custom bracket, and a 40 gal Aussie fuel tank, as well as dual batteries.
It's developed a pretty messy valve cover leak over the last year, but it's been an insane year for my schedule so I've been putting off doing the gasket job. Par for the course with a lot of these rigs, probably.
Today my oil light came on again, and I figured I'd just put another quart in (is been losing that much every 1000 miles or so since it got leaky). Popped the hood and saw WAY more leakage from the valve cover than there has been any time before. Liked like a few ounces of oil on the front of the engine, mixed with the usual trail dust, making glossy mud.
Checked the dip stick and yep, it was down to the low mark.
Opened the oil fill cap and the oil, unexpectedly, was staring right back at me from just below the threaded hole.
What does this mean?
Seems like the oil isn't making it down to the pan, and maybe it's being forced up under pressure, driving it out past the valve cover gasket? Maybe a clogged oil filter?
I also just snapped the heads off 2 of the valve cover bolts, so I'm going to snag the appropriate replacements from town ASAP. No worries about that, I found a great thread about it already.
Any advice would be appreciated!