95 Camry 4 cylinder, Oil leak found, need help identifying. - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

Lawngnome909 · 07-20-2011, 02:15 AM

Hello everybody, great community you all have here. Thank you for helping.

I need some help identifying the parts where the oil leak is coming from. It's near the passenger side wheel well area just above the oil pan and near the bottom-most pulley.
I did try to tighten the bolts around the area, didn't help.

Here is a video of the leak and it is a major one.

Thank you again for your help.

Here is the youtube video, won't let me embed it.

http://youtu.be/gqTT_o_bGss

Yuko · 07-20-2011, 02:22 AM

After watching the video, my bet is that the oil pump gasket has fail and leaking. The oil pump on the 5S-FE is driven by the timing belt and is located in that area.

Lawngnome909 · 07-20-2011, 04:04 AM

To get to the oil pump gasket I should follow the steps from the post link below?

The car has 202,000 miles and who knows how many owners, no documentation kept with car so who knows if any maintenance was ever done. Oil pan had original RTV gasket, and valve cover gasket apeared to be original also with much wear.

Yuko · 07-20-2011, 01:08 PM

Are you planning to keep the car long? If so, you might want to do a complete timing belt job. At 202k miles, who knows when it was last change? Because the valve cover gasket is original, have you check to make sure it's not dripping from there? These engines are known to have valve gasket go bad quickly.

If you're up to the job, here's a diy link.
DIY: GEN3 Timing Belt + Waterpump + Oil Seal Change
Part 1: DIY: GEN3 Timing Belt + Waterpump + Oil Seal Change - Part 1
Part 2: DIY: GEN3 Timing Belt + Waterpump + Oil Seal Change - Part 2

I'm want to hear from other members about the leak because I'm still not 100% sure about it.

Lawngnome909 · 07-20-2011, 04:32 PM

Yeah, that was they DIY I was talking about. Just didn't show up on my comment.

I have already replaced the valve cover gasket and the oil pan gasket on this car this week, so I guess it's time to start heading toward the oil pump.

Whoever made that DIY is a god among men. Do I have to replace the water pump? I'm kinda on a budget right now.

LS1Fan · 07-20-2011, 05:22 PM

I just viewed your video and you're missing the source of the leak. There is a passage cast into the front of the engine that is not plugged by any gasket. I don't know if this passage is to let moisture out or what but oil is pouring out of my '94 Camry in that location.! You can see that passage in your video. It's showing up as a white spot at the corner of the plastic cover about an inch horizontally away from where you are wiping.

I have the same exact leak on a 94 2.2 Camry! I changed the front plastic timing cover as it was cracked and discovered that there is an actual passage cast into the front of the motor that allows oil in the timing belt area to leak out. If you take the plastic cover off you can see it.
I don't know if this passage is designed to let moisture out or what.
I'm guessing that either the crank or cam seal is leaking behind this cover although when I took the cover off I couldn't see anything but obviously the motor wasn't running.

I'm going to post a new thread asking what could be leaking behind the cover.

By the way, the people I bought it from just plugged that passage with epoxy and two weeks later it fell out, that's when we noticed it started to leak.

WaxonWaxStillOn · 07-20-2011, 05:41 PM

Being new to this engine, I'm discovering that's a very common leak on this engine, and I've got to redo this seal too. I called the dealer and the oil pump gasket is $10 and camshaft seal is $20 (another potential leak source in there?)

If you are on a tight budget, no exceptions, you can stick to the oil pump and/or camshaft seal, but you have to remove the timing belt to do it and you will see it's current condition. If it's toast, a new belt is $25-$35 (a full kit with tensioners/water pump is $200-$250?).

It would be foolish to put it back in if it's really cracked or near obvious breakage. And if that's the case, I imagine putting a new belt with worn tensionser pulleys could reduce the life of a new belt too, so a complete kit would be something to think harder about.

LS1Fan · 07-20-2011, 07:16 PM

Here is a photo of the "passage" I was talking about. It is circled in Green.

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

***fenixus*** · 07-20-2011, 07:42 PM

looks like the oil pump spaghetti o-ring failed and leaks at bottom part? that passage should be sealed by part of or-ing behind the pump body If I am seeing it right...

WaxonWaxStillOn · 07-20-2011, 07:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LS1Fan

I just viewed your video and you're missing the source of the leak. There is a passage cast into the front of the engine that is not plugged by any gasket. I don't know if this passage is to let moisture out or what but oil is pouring out of my '94 Camry in that location.! You can see that passage in your video. It's showing up as a white spot at the corner of the plastic cover about an inch horizontally away from where you are wiping.

I have the same exact leak on a 94 2.2 Camry! I changed the front plastic timing cover as it was cracked and discovered that there is an actual passage cast into the front of the motor that allows oil in the timing belt area to leak out. If you take the plastic cover off you can see it.
I don't know if this passage is designed to let moisture out or what.
I'm guessing that either the crank or cam seal is leaking behind this cover although when I took the cover off I couldn't see anything but obviously the motor wasn't running.

I'm going to post a new thread asking what could be leaking behind the cover.

By the way, the people I bought it from just plugged that passage with epoxy and two weeks later it fell out, that's when we noticed it started to leak.

Brutal.

The good news is you are right there in fixing it. I'd guess that open channel is to direct and let oil out of the timing belt chamber in case of leaks from either camshaft, crankshaft, or oil pump seal, to help keep the timing belt dry. How much is coming out of each seal?...who knows...so why not just keep going, take the oil pump out, and replace all seals.

Lawngnome909 · 07-21-2011, 03:29 AM

Got the crankshaft seal, oil pump shaft seal and O ring, camshaft seal, water pump gasket, timing belt, and water pump ordered today from local parts dealers, also rented a harmonic balance puller.

Tonight I got to step #20 on the DIY where I need the "Club". Going to have my neighbor who has a machine shop fabricate me one hopefully. Smooth sailing so far on all the steps. I will keep you guys informed.

Thank you all for suggestions and help.

WaxonWaxStillOn · 07-21-2011, 03:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lawngnome909

Got the crankshaft seal, oil pump shaft seal and O ring, camshaft seal, water pump gasket, timing belt, and water pump ordered today from local parts dealers, also rented a harmonic balance puller.

Tonight I got to step #20 on the DIY where I need the "Club". Going to have my neighbor who has a machine shop fabricate me one hopefully. Smooth sailing so far on all the steps. I will keep you guys informed.

Thank you all for suggestions and help.

"Need" is a strong word. That's certainly the 'suburban' way to go, kudos if your neighbor won't be too troubled creating a 'Club' for you, but I plan to be a bit more ghetto and use the 'starter blip' method, as this guy shows:

You Tube

Lawngnome909 · 07-21-2011, 04:29 AM

But then how do you use the same method to re-tighten the parts on assembly?

carsrus · 07-21-2011, 08:19 AM

The crank pulley is "self tightening". The engine spins the the same way as the bolt aka if you get enough torque on it the bolts not going anywhere.

Just borrow an impact gun. It'll buzz the bolt on and off easily. No harmonic puller needed. The pulley slips right off.

hill8570 · 07-21-2011, 10:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lawngnome909

But then how do you use the same method to re-tighten the parts on assembly?

You can pull the starter and wedge something into the flywheel gear. Torque's only 80 ft-lbs.

OTOH, I built a semi-club out of a piece of 1/4" aluminum stock. Not as pretty as the one in the DIY, but I could do the whole fab with nothing but a drill. Just used it for tightening, 'tho -- starter bump is way easier for the loosey part, and you don't have the chance of snapping off those bitty little bolts that are fastening your "club" to the crank pully.