Oil Pan Leaks - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

waynearny · 03-01-2009, 04:02 PM

I needed to remove and replace the oil pan to install a new timing belt. That all worked fine, but I have had a leak in the pan seal since. I finally removed it again, cleaned it all off, and reapplied the Toyota sealant and let it sit for over a day. Unfortunately, it is still leaking, but in a different place. What am I doing wrong? Do I need to get a new pan and try again? Could it be bent, etc.? Or do I need to take it to a garage?

The car is a 4cyl 2000 Camry with about 143K miles on it.

Thanks. Wayne Arny, Galesville, MD

***toyomoho*** · 03-01-2009, 04:19 PM

Next time the pan is off place it face down on a very flat surface to check for a bent flange. The flange going around the pan needs to be flat. If a problem you can use a hammer to straighten the flange out.

You should also be able to buy a gasket that will have better ability to seal any uneven surfaces on the pan.

Don't over torque the bolts.

Dave's · 03-01-2009, 06:48 PM

Over-torquing the bolts can bend the flange just around the bolt hole. In this case you need a flat surface to rest the hole upon and hammer the hole(s) back to flat.

CJCride · 03-01-2009, 07:07 PM

Got to torque those bolts in a criss cross fashion and evenly, gasket is more forgiving than liquid sealant which is very time sensitive.

Got me a 1/4" torque wrench specifically for pans.

Done probably 7 or 8 tranny and engine pans Toyota, Nissan & Pontiac w/No Leaks.