Oil Leak Back of Engine 5SFE Camry 1994 Australian Model

[Al96]

Hi All,

I posted on this forum (with pictures) rear brake/drum adjustment that I did on my Camry 1994 5sfe. Here is the link: Rear Drum Brake Adjustment Guide/Pictures - 5sfe 1994 Camry Australian Model

Moving on to my oil leak I need your advise. There is an oil leak on backside of my engine that drips down on everything. I came to know through burning smell under the car. oil goes on the muffler as well.

The leak extent on top is upto the valve cover and everything below valve cover is oily at the back. Oil drips below on the floor from suspension about 6-10 drops per 24 hours so its not leaking heavily but everything(engine) is wet.

The pictures are from me under the car looking up into the engine. At first I thought it was down near pan or block/tranny but on looking upwards/above it appears that oil comes behind/below the valve cover.

The only thing that its oily above the valvae cover gasket (not shown) is on the left end/back side of the valve cover where small black pipes (2cm diameter) go into some device (from my position lying under the car; head going towards the back end, legs under the front end of car). What do you reckon is the cause?

I can only afford doing valve cover gasket. If its other big stuff, Is there any way I can avoid oil dripping on the muffler so that smoky smell goes away.

Thanks for your help
Al

Pictures are from below looking upwards into the engine back side.

[Stillrunning]

Also change distributor shaft o-ring - couple of bucks, or whatever they use in AU. Make sure you mark the distributor timing location for same position on re-assembly.

[Al96]

Thanks for your tip. Actually, this evening I was looking into the back of engine with a torch (standing in front with hood open) and found that there is clear fresh oil leaking under the distributor while the oil behind/below the valve cover gasket is like old thick mud (not wet/fresh).

I cannot make sense though how this left side distributor leak can make its way to the whole back of engine and right side near timing belt.

I might try changing Distributer O-ring first the moment i get free. Whats the best method: I mark it, open the bolts and pull the whole thing off? should i take the valve cover off first?

[new echo owner]

What is the odometer reading? Do you see oil drops on the ground? Where do you see the drops in relation to the engine? Did you look underneath the engine the first time? (not a trick question, on some of the earlier vehicle produced in Japan, Toyota spray the drivetrain with coating before putting them on the boat to prevent corrosion from sea. It is a thick yellowish coating that looks like old oil leak.) You can always use oil dye to determine if there is any other source of oil leak.

N.E.O.

[Al96]

Odometer reading is 170K. Its a December 1994 4 cylinder camry. I bought this car few months ago with really old oil at low level (probably thats y it was not leaking at that time). Did oil flush and fill oil to max and now since couple of days (after couple of weeks of oil change) its dripping oil on floor.

Fresh oil drops are under distributer (centre/ top engine) but ill double check tomorrow. the back of engine has older engine oil look and drops on floor drip from right side chassis near right axle (its a right hand car). Muffler in center is not dripping but has oil wet look.

In my opinion its def not that corrosion prevention stuff, its engine oil for sure. dye is probably out of my budget right now assuming it needs UV camera and goggles.

if I remove the distributor and replace O-ring will it ruin my timing?? I mean I will mark the position and everything but will it start after just removing distributer, replacing ring and putting it back.

Thanks

[1996camry]

here are three places that oil can pro to oil leaks.

1) distrutor O-ring
2) cover gasket (where the spark plugs tube)
3) head gasket

I pretty sure your distrutor O-ring leaks... my 96 camry 5sfe had replaced O-ring because leak.

before you take out the distrutor, get the pencil mark the two nuts.when you installed, you put back the same position mark two nuts then tight back..

if you put back the same position, the timing will not be off. i did the same way on my 96 camry 5sfe, the car is running good.

get O-ring from dealer... when you put the O-ring back, lubricate a little oil on the new O-ring to easy get in.

[new echo owner]

Originally Posted by Al96

Odometer reading is 170K. Its 1994 4 cylinder camry. I bought this car few months ago with really old oil at low level (probably thats y it was not leaking at that time). Did oil flush and fill oil to max and now since couple of days (after couple of weeks of oil change) its dripping oil on floor.

Fresh oil drops are under distributer (centre/ top engine) but ill double check tomorrow. the back of engine has older engine oil look and drops on floor drip from right side chassis near right axle (its a right hand car). Muffler in center is not dripping but has oil wet look.

In my opinion its def not that corrosion prevention stuff, its engine oil for sure. dye is probably out of my budget right now assuming it needs UV camera and goggles.

if I remove the distributor and replace O-ring will it ruin my timing?? I mean I will mark the position and everything but will it start after just removing distributer, replacing ring and putting it back.

Thanks

Ok, just checking on the corrosion stuff. Anyway, the oil dye can be check with a black light, some of them are not very expensive.

With 170k, the oil from the front of the engine is probably from the front cam seal, and possible from the crank seal and oil pump o-ring and seal, which are located at the lower postion of the engine. All of them can be replaced at the same time with a timing belt replacement.

The distributor o-ring can be replaced with out complication as long as you mark the location of the rotor and housing and re-install in the same position. With so many miles on the vehicle, I would also inspect for dist shaft leak, which would be evident by oil drops a little bit away from the engine side of the dist towards the cap, or in between the cap and the housing.

N.E.O.

[eyecon7]

I have a similar Issue i have a 1993 with 191,000 and you can smell the burnt oil and it smokes from the right side near the Dist Cap there is oil on the back of the engine.. what can it be...

[new echo owner]

Right side as in when you are facing the engine compartment from the front of the car?

Dist o-ring, dist shaft seal, valve cover gasket, head gasket, oil pressure switch, rear main seal, oil pan gasket, trans pan gasket, trans front seal, right axle seal, all of the above can leak oil around that area. Either clean of the oil and check for leak or use dye to trace where the worst one is and work until you don't see any more.

Oil dye is the best bet, eliminate guess work.

N.E.O.

[Al96]

Thank you all for your advices. I have much more info now. NEO regarding the "right and left side" engine I am using view points same as pictures. So I am looking the engine from behind under the car (right hand car).

So right side of engine in all my post is from right side driver seat (right hand drive) and left side is in front of the passenger seat. Sorry for confusion

[new echo owner]

Originally Posted by Al96

Thank you all for your advices. I have much more info now. NEO regarding the "right and left side" engine I am using view points same as pictures. So I am looking the engine from behind under the car (right hand car).

So right side of engine in all my post is from right side driver seat (right hand drive) and left side is in front of the passenger seat. Sorry for confusion

I understand where the location of your oil leaks are, my last post was for eyecon7 about his oil leaks; I guess I should have quote his post before responding.

Its my turn to apologize for the confusion.

N.E.O.

[Stillrunning]

I question the use of dye in tracing oil leaks. It may show the source if you catch it soon enough but once it runs with the oil it will indicate multilple areas with leaks that are not leaks just running oil. I always start with the highest point where a leak is present after cleaning the engine. I repair that point, clean the engine again then watch for the next highest point. Oil spreads so far and easily that taking a shotgun approach will make extra work and expense. Start with the valve cover gasket and distribitor o-ring and work from there. Don't forget to use RTV on the sharp corners of the valve cover gasket.

[new echo owner]

Unless oil is pouring out, there is no reason that it would cover every portion of the engine in a short time. The purpsoe of the oil dye is to isolate the source to the most serve oil leak over the other possible ones.

I agree with you about working from the top down; however, we do have to consider the servity of the leak to determine what is the best aproach.

N.E.O.

[Al96]

Hey all,

More pictures! I bought a Dist O-ring Toyota genuine for AU$ 8.00 (Austr Dollar). Found an obvious leak from the distributor once it was off. The pictures are attached. Ill drive the car for a couple of weeks and let see how it goes.

I marked everything like advised before taking the distributor out and once everything was done the car started in first go. No problems at all with that. Atleast I have cured one leak.

Thanks.

PS- I havent changed the 'shaft' O ring yet. Dunno where that is.

[Stillrunning]

Originally Posted by Al96

PS- I havent changed the 'shaft' O ring yet. Dunno where that is.

I don't think the inner shaft seal is servicable without replacing the dist. You will have oil inside the dist housing if that is leaking.