Oil Leak Near Crankshaft Pulley - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

milano maroon · 02-03-2008, 02:57 PM

I have a '97 Camry LE with the 4 cylinder engine. Recently noticed an oil leak near/behind the crankshaft pulley. Oil appears to be running down aluminum housing (is that the oil pump housing?) and then down to the pan and dripping. I can't see where it starts from but could this be a bad front main seal?

Any other ideas?

In the attached photo my pencil is pointing where the oil is running down.

Thanks for any help,

Jeff

bronzemaxell · 02-03-2008, 04:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by milano maroon

I have a '97 Camry LE with the 4 cylinder engine. Recently noticed an oil leak near/behind the crankshaft pulley. Oil appears to be running down aluminum housing (is that the oil pump housing?) and then down to the pan and dripping. I can't see where it starts from but could this be a bad front main seal?

Any other ideas?

In the attached photo my pencil is pointing where the oil is running down.

Thanks for any help,

Jeff

i think that is that is the oil pump o-ring leaking, around $5 or $7 part from dealer,
but requires removal of timing belts to get to the oil pump, probably good idea to change oil pump seal as well.

Gandalf · 02-03-2008, 08:57 PM

My daughter's Camry, '92 with 5s-fe engine, 4 cylinder 2.2 liter, is leaking oil in an almost identical manor. The oil is dripping from the rear passenger side of the oil pan, at the junction with the block (just a bit below the pencil in the picture). As nearly as I can tell, trying to trace oil on a greasy block, it is coming from either one of the oil seals on the end of the engine, or perhaps the rear passenger side of the head gasket.

The head gasket area is oily, but I'm not sure there is enough there to cause the drip lower down. The drip is one drop about every 4 or 5 seconds. Yesterday she drove 125 miles freeway, and lost about half a quart of oil.

Therefore I'm very interested in any answers here. Are there any seals or problems more common than others which would cause this leak?

mickeyd · 02-03-2008, 09:34 PM

Seals tend to leak over time. The 3sfe & the 5sfe have 5 seals that over the life of the car will be replaced, the valve cover gasket# 11213-74020, cam seal #90080-91033, crank seal #90080-31022, oil pump seal #15165-74020, & the oil pump o'ring #15188-63010.

***CharmCityES*** · 02-03-2008, 11:10 PM

thats teh oil pump O ring

milano maroon · 02-04-2008, 06:31 AM

I have looked at an exploded parts diagram and see the seal at the oil pump drive sprocket bet where is the oil ring and how do you replace it?

Thanks to everyone for their replies.

Jeff

marragtop · 02-04-2008, 08:41 AM

If you have to pull the cover off, you should consider replacing the timing belt and water pump depending on how long it's been since they were replaced.

ycartf · 08-10-2010, 01:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by milano maroon

I have looked at an exploded parts diagram and see the seal at the oil pump drive sprocket bet where is the oil ring and how do you replace it?

Thanks to everyone for their replies.

Jeff

The oil pump O-ring (which is not shaped like an "O" at all) is actually between the oil pump portion that comes off and the remainder of the oil pump body that goes around the crankshaft. It is best held in place with a little wheel bearing grease applied to the groove it goes in. The grease will hold it in place and then dissolve into the oil supply once hot.

If I were you, I would do e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g while you are in there. If that seal or O-ring is leaking/worn, you can bet it won't be long before the others are (they're probably all the same age). I would replace every seal in there (oil pump seal and O-ring, crank seal, cam seal). The valve cover gasket is up to you, as it is easy to get to and not in the same hard-to-reach area that these other seals are. I would also replace the timing belt and water pump (while you're there) and check on if the pulleys need replacing (idler and tensioner). Replacing the two accessory belts only makes good sense too, as you have to take them off anyway. I have this job to do again sometime soon on my wife's 5SFE Camry, as it is leaking a little oil from about the same area as your's (I last did it about 52,000 miles ago so it's almost due a timing belt anyway). Hope this helps.

Tracy

moose enterprises · 02-26-2011, 08:45 AM

replaced oil pump o ring and oil seal on 98 camry 5sfe engine still leaking in bottom corner between oil pump housing and oil pan,also has new pan gasket....did i miss something on assembly???

carsrus · 02-26-2011, 10:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by moose enterprises

replaced oil pump o ring and oil seal on 98 camry 5sfe engine still leaking in bottom corner between oil pump housing and oil pan,also has new pan gasket....did i miss something on assembly???

Did you also change the camshaft and crankshaft seals? How about the valve cover gasket?

These all tend to leak at the same time. Also, your oil pump rotor might have a groove worn in where the seal rides. Its a common issue.

***JohnGD*** · 02-27-2011, 01:43 PM

+1

Quote:

Originally Posted by carsrus

did you also change the camshaft and crankshaft seals? How about the valve cover gasket?

These all tend to leak at the same time. Also, your oil pump rotor might have a groove worn in where the seal rides. Its a common issue.

moose enterprises · 02-28-2011, 07:18 AM

[QUOTE=carsrus;3489986]Did you also change the camshaft and crankshaft seals? How about the valve cover gasket?

These all tend to leak at the same time. Also, your oil pump rotor might have a groove worn in where the seal rides. Its a common issue.[/QUOT I have replaced front crank sealas well have done several of these oil leaks,but this one haunts me! the leak is coming from the same place as above pictures in this thread. with blacklight dye botttom left of oil pump cover between block and bottom bolts above oil pan, is it possiblw cover causing leak? front oil seal and crankshaft seal are dry and clean.also wont leak sitting still after repair only after driving....help!

carsrus · 02-28-2011, 04:15 PM

[quote=moose enterprises;3491799]

Quote:

Originally Posted by carsrus

Did you also change the camshaft and crankshaft seals? How about the valve cover gasket?

These all tend to leak at the same time. Also, your oil pump rotor might have a groove worn in where the seal rides. Its a common issue.[/QUOT I have replaced front crank sealas well have done several of these oil leaks,but this one haunts me! the leak is coming from the same place as above pictures in this thread. with blacklight dye botttom left of oil pump cover between block and bottom bolts above oil pan, is it possiblw cover causing leak? front oil seal and crankshaft seal are dry and clean.also wont leak sitting still after repair only after driving....help!

You need the oil pump rotor set. About 35$ dealer only part. Get that along with a new oil pump shaft seal and oil pump housing o ring.

If it leaks pretty steady when the cars on its the oil pump. The rotor shaft likes to get a groove worn into it. Its so fine that it almost looks factory and most people overlook it and it keeps on leaking oil past the groove.

It cant be the pan gasket if its not leaking during sitting. The pan is constantly holding oil.

You might wanna double check the valve cover gasket as itll drip down the side of the block in the same general area.

texomatom · 03-03-2011, 04:03 PM

Also be very careful not to over torque the bolts on the oil pump body cover. I did and wound up re-replacing the o-ring when it started leaking again almost immediately. They are torqued to in-lbs. I don't own an in-lb torque wrench and I thought "eh, surely a little tight won't hurt". BZZZ wrong. I pulled a flattened o-ring out. Even though I still didn't use a torque wrench, I did my best guestimation of what I thought would be way to loose to ever seal. But, it's still OK.