85 4runner leaking bad, local HP shop?

devlsh1

Active Member
Joined
Jan 10, 2007
Location
High Point NC
My almost stock (205,000 miles) 22re 4runner is leaking oil bad all of a sudden. Its got it all over the front of the motor and dripping off the front axle, rad hoses etc.. Oil level is full, radiator over flow is full, brakefluid is full. It doesnt smell like anything (diff fluid etc..) I need to find an honest local (Greensboro/High Point) shop or individual to help diagnose problem. Here is a few pics (green circle is where I see the most oil.)
 

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So fix it !!
It'll cost ya $10 in gaskets and seals and take an hour if you have a clue with a wrench
The leak you are experiancing is the oil pump blowing oil past the sealing gasket on the front of the engine.
Oil pump is right behind the harmonic balancer, bolted with 5 bolts
Remove all belts, remove balancer, remove oil pump, clean, replace "O"ring seal and balancer seal, reassemble, CAREFULLY tighten the bolts for the pump, the timing cover can strip easily, and keep track of which bolt goes were, there is one short bolt that goes in the top hole, if you use a long bolt, it'll go thru the cover, possibly hitting the ting gear and chain.
This is a very easy fix, you want to ask for a timing cover gasket set at the parts store.
I bought an '82 Toy 4x4 years ago, lost oil 1 qt every 100 miles, dripping wet with oil. I bought it for $250, dude said 3 shops quoted him $200 to fix the oil leak.
He was PISSED when he found out I drove the truck to CHicago a week later. and never lost a drop of oil. ( 2 yrs later, GF driving truck, gets rear ended, Insurance paid $2500 :huggy: )
Hell, I'll even make it easy for ya,
I suggest the " sleeve and seal" timing cover kit ($12.66), as your balancer will more than likely have a grove worn in it due to age.
http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/x,carcode,1272147,parttype,5484,EPIsubcategory[1322],Timing%2BCover%2BGasket,partGroup,20
 
I got the timing cover gasket kit, and started to pull things apart. I dropped the oil pan and found a bunch of plastic pieces in there...that makes me really leary of what I will find. I next tried to remove the crank pulley...not happening! I cant get that thing to loosen....Ive got an appt. to have it checked Monday morning...I guess I wimped out on this one.:gay:
 
ok, for your oil leak, you DO NOT have to pull the pan or the whole front cover. just the balancer and the oil pump.

BUT, since you have already pulled the pan, what you have found are what remains of the Timing chain guides. NOW, does your engine have a rattle to it at idle ? similar to nails in a coffee can ? If so, you'll need a timign chain set, we'll get to that after you check it out.

Pull the valve cover off, look down the drivers side of the chain, you should see a guide there, IF the guides have been replaced, it is possible the pan was not pulled to remove the debris, not uncommon, and usually causes no issue other than make the guy who pulls the pan off and is unaware of this issue kinda nervious. ( factory pan is sealed with grey sealer, if this is the case, your engine may never have been apart before, not unusual)

at 205k, I would think the guides and chain have been replaced at least once. If you are hearing no rattelng noises, don't get real concerned.

DO check the guides, maybe the previous owner was smart enough to replace the plastic guides with rubber faced steel guides. if so, no worries for awhile, though I would keep an eye on the chain. ( they do wear and stretch and break)

As for the balancer bolt, 19mm short socket, long breaker bar ( 1/2 drive preffered)

put socket on bolt, lay breaker bar against the drivers side frame kinda wedged by the steering box. be sure truck is in neutral, set parking brake, PULL COIL WIRE from cap or coil ( you don't want the engine to start, especially with oil pan off ), get in and TAP the key to turn the engine over, this will break the bolt loose.

remove bolt, balancer should slide right off, be sure to keep track of woodruf key, it may fall out.
 
Hey, I was just following the Hanes manual that I have. It said I had to drop the oil pan (had 2 different kinds of RTV, grey and whiteish clear) and drop the screen. I have already put the oil pan back on. The previous owner was my father-in-law, we inherited the 4runner when he died...I dont have any previous records of when or whats been done to it. I will try again in the morning to get the pulley free.
Thanks
 
next step TOSS THE HAYNES MANUAL, no, really, you need to read the manual and study what needs to be done. BEFORE you tear into it. most manuals (including Factory Service Manuals aka "FSM") assume total disassembly. While very infomative, also very time consuming. Many times if you study what you are working on, you can work around many of the steps in the manual, just because they are not nessisary to the task at hand.
Keep in mind a Haynes manual also attempts to cover several year models in one book, many details and and a lot of info is lost in the translation, a year specific manual is your best bet, but also more expensive.

OK, you said 2 different sealers on the pan, willing to guess that the front 4 inches of pan rail had the clear sealer on it. Which tells me that the timing cover has been removed before ( and probably the cyl head) but not the oil pan. Not a problem. Also tells me that the chain and guides have been replaced at least once.

IF you decide that a new timing chain and guides are needed, you DO NOT need to pull the cyl head to do this, pulling the oil pan is the easier and better way, but we'll get to that when the time comes.
 
Got the engine cleaned up enough to find that it was leaking from the crank seal. Replaced seal and went ahead and replaced oil pump seal, water pump and belts...seems to be doing fine...Thanks for your help!!!:beer::beer:
 
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