QuestionQUESTION: Hi Ted,
My 1995 4 cyl 170K miles Camry LE has several oil leaks. There was a 5 inch puddle under the motor yesterday morning. I put 6 tens of a quart into the motor and drove 10 miles to work. At lunch time there was only a few drops under the car.
Back at home I put a 500 Watt flood light bulb under the motor while on car ramps I noticed dripping off the corner of the top of the oil pan on the passenger's side of the motor. This is the corner between the passenger compartment and the timing belt area of the crank.
With the motor running there is a drip about once per minute. At this time I can't detect how the oil is getting onto the top of the oil pan to fall of that corner of the pan. My initial guess is the oil pump but with the plastic cover over the timing belt area it is hard to be certain?
Generally speaking does the gasket between the motor and oil pump fail or do the pumps have a history of failing too?
With 170K on the car, would you recommend just replacing the gasket or the pump too since one has to remove the passenger’s side of the engine to remove the timing belt to get to the oil pump?
If the pump is leaking, I have this concern. I thought there is a sensor on that crank gear for timing and that the oil leak may seep into the crank gear may mess up the timing??
There is also several leaks on the top of the engine on I guess valve cover (part the spark plugs screw into) Enough oil leaks out the front of this cover to run down the front of the motor onto the front of the oil pan. Oil leaks enough out the back of this valve to keep the back of the engine wet with oil. To replace that gasket does one also have to remove the timing belt cover? I don’t see how that cover is attached to the motor?
Thanks for pondering all of these questions, Ted!
ANSWER: The valve cover is attached by those four large nuts where the spark plug connectors go in. When the gasket is replaced replace the distributor o-ring as well. At the fron of the engine the most common leaks are the cam seal the crankshaft seal and the oil pump seal and o-ring, since the timing belt has to be removed anyway it may be a good idea to replace it. The oil pump housing has several 10mm bolts that need to be removed, then the pump with the drive gear comes off, the gear can be removed and the seal replaced as well as the o-ring that goes on the back of the pump housing. You should consider replacing the water pump as well at that time.
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QUESTION: Hi Ted,
Thanks for your answers to my original valve cover questions. May I ask a couple more before I start the project?
What is the Torque for the four big nuts on top of the valve cover that hold it to the spark plug tubs?
Do those nuts need tightened in any sequence?
How good are the aftermarket Valve Cover gaskets with 1 or 2 year warranties? How do the aftermarket compare to buying from the Toyota dealership or I should I only buy the genuine Toyota OEM made parts from the dealer?
The valve cover is leaking so much that oil is on the side of the oil pan facing the radiator. The oil is also creeping up the valve cover to wind up around the spark plug boots and on the boots and on the wires a bit. What’s the best way to clean the surface of valve cover where the gasket touches and also the surface on the motor where the valve cover gasket touches it?
What cleaner should I spray or brush on the dirt and oil covered side of the motor facing the radiator or should I not worry about cleaning that?
The back side of the motor facing the passenger compartment has oil drips scattered on the back of it. Should I clean that too or?
Many thanks Ted for your help!
Sincerely,
Mike
ANSWER: The torque for those valve cover nuts iq 17ft/lb. Tighten from the middle to the outside.
Aftermarket valve cover gaskets are ok to use, The gasket usually just pulls out of the groove on the valve cover, clean the head surface with a putty knife and be sure to remove the old silicone sealer, apply sealer to the corner areas of the valve cover near the cam bearing housing surfaces. Clean the entire engine using a high pressure washer at a coin operated car wash.
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QUESTION: Hi Ted!
Thank you for all your helpful ideas and insights! You inspire confidence in me to tackle mechanical work more and more!
In June of 2009 I replaced the timing belt and water pump. I did not see signs of oil on the cam, crank, or oil seals with the motor not running back then. The o ring on the distributor was replaced in 2008.
Removing the front wheel and the plastic splash guard protecting the motor from the wheel, I can see the oil pump does leak with the motor running. With the engine torn down it seems to make sense to replace all the seals. While the engine is tore down, should I replace the crank and cam seals since the motor has 170K miles on the 95 Camry 4cyl?
As I look at the work after reading Hayes Manual and Chilton, these questions come to mind.
How does one get the gear off of the oil pump?
I don’t have special tools just wrenches etc. How do I hold the camshaft sprocket still while unloosening the bolt or nut? If the sprocket does not pull off easily after removing the retaining bolt, how does one remove it?
I used an impact wrench to break the nut off the crank pulley in June of 2009 when I replaced the timing belt. How does one get the crank gear off if it is stuck?
Many thanks to you Ted for your advice.
Sincerely,
Mike
AnswerAfter removing the oil pump clamp the gear in a vise and remove the 14mm nut, the gear can then be pulled off, note that it is indexed to the shaft.
With the valve cover removed the cna can be held with a large wrench, I think it's 24mm using the hex shaped casting on the camshaft. After the bolt is out the gear just pulls off.
The crank gear can get stuck, sometimes it can be loosened by tapping around on the front using a hammer and a flat punch, some of them have threaded holes so a puller can be used, in some cases it may have to be pried off which will damgage the reluctor teeth and it has to be replaced.
