93 5S-FE Mechanic Search rear main seal

[vtboomamj]

Hey,
I currently have a 93 5S-FE (4 cylinder for those who get the two confused) with 270k+ miles that has a pretty bad oil leak. I went to the dealership and they said that my Rear main seal is leaking ($1200 OUCH) and possibly my Cam and Crank seals ($775 OUCH). I live in an Apartment in Alexandria VA and do not know any one with a garage up here so I can't do the work myself (I also don't have the time, tools or know how). I have been reading some forums about seals busting and one person recommended that I check my PVC valve and make sure it is not dirty so that it can release engine pressure which will prevent what has already happened to me. Is this true? 2nd, does anyone know a Mechanic I can go to for this repair. I noticed in other forums that people were paying about one half what I was told for the repair work that I need done. Thanks in advance.

[Eye8Pussies]

a bad pvc valve could cause increased pressure leading to leaky seals....but if it's as bad as you say though, even if you fic the pvc valve (presuming that was the problem), the damage has already been done.

as for the work....it's hard to say...dealership prices seem to be about right, though the price on the cam and crank seals are rather ridiculous. to get to the rear main seal, it's a big job that requires dropping the transmission.


in regards to cheaper prices...only people around area could tell you. but by the same token, I'm sure that any run of the mill shop would have better prices than the dealership.

an option though, is to get a low mileage (or decent mileage) motor and get that dropped in to replace your current engine. the labor on that along with the cost of the engine would be less than that of the quoted prices for hte seals from the dealership

[vtboomamj]

First of all let me say thanks for the detailed reply. However, an engine swap will require a lot of research on my part which I don't mind doing but I wonder how much longer I'll be able to keep topping off my oil before it gets to the point where its just not worth it and I'm without a car. Actually speaking about being without a car, an engine swap isn't a day job is it? Is this something I'd ask the dealer to do or would I need to find a local mechanic. And I understand the dealers are usually more expensive but I've had some pretty bad experiences with local mechanics. I've been a lot more careful lately but sometimes the work mechanics do, you have to take their word that they actually did it and I hate doing that because I swear I fixed these same leaks 2 years ago, but I know I've never replaced my pvc valve nor has any mechanic ever brought it up. That sounds to me like they want my seals to break so I have to come back every 2 years for a 1200 repair. Yes it is partially my fault for not doing reserach on them until now but I won't make that mistake again either (hence why I became a member of this forum today).

[Eye8Pussies]

^no, that's a fair concern...it's always tough when you aren't quite so mechanically inclined and don't have a mechanic that you can trust...

the first thing that I would do in your situation is go through your yellowpages or whatever you have locally to find some local mechanics specializing in toyotas or imports...then pay them a visit and talk with them. don't tell them what the dealership told you, and just see if they come up with the same diagnosis, or more. if they come up with more, then chances are they are trying to screw you, since the dealership will mention literally everything possibly needed to make money

then compare their price as well. it should be 3/4 of what the dealership quoted you if not less than that. also, ask them why it costs so much and if they are trustworthy, they will usually describe the basic procedure to you. if there are doubts, then come back and ask us if what he said was right or not.

as for an engine swap- it's fairly simple when you get an engine from the exact same car that you have (www.car-part.com - best place to look, and you can specify exactly what year you want, etc). I'm not sure how long a shop will take to do it, but from experience, I can say that a direct drop in can be done in 1 day by somebody who has dealt with that particular engine before.

[vtboomamj]

If I choose to get the rear main seal fixed. Is there anything else that I could get fixed that would also require the transmission to be dropped?

[toyomoho]

As there seems to be some ambiguity on which seal is bad. You might see for yourself where the oil is leaking. If a rear main seal the oil will be leaking out the bottom where the trans bolts to the engine. If a front cam or crank seal the oil will be leaking front of the engine.

Replacing the rear main seal requires removing the trans and is a time consuming job. The front seals would require a couple of hours; as such this quote seems very high.

The only other seal accessible with the trans removed is the trans input seal. As both axles need to come out to remove the trans this is a good time to replace and drive train or suspension parts.