3SFE Oil Leak

[wiccanferret]

'89 Celica GT with the 3SFE 2.0.
130k miles.

From the top of the engine you can't see any loose oil. The first time I noticed was when I changed the fuel filter...it was fairly coated. I got under the car and there's oil all over the place, enough to collecting for a drip at the bottom of the drain plug and on the back of the pan. With a flashlight I looked up into the engine from underneath and it's just coated in oil.

With that much oil, it's pretty much impossible to tell where it's coming from without having a lift. Add to that the fact that I'm an engine noob... Is there any common point/part that I should check/replace before taking it to a mechanic?

[Pineapple]

Remove disturbutor cap and see if you got oil inside.

[canadiancelica]

head gasket on the back side of the engine. My 5sfe leaked oil there for years. It doesn't leak inside the engine, just out the back onto the block, which then runs down.

Yours sound worse then mine, but then again it's 2 years older.

[Doctor J]

The 3Sfe engine leaks oil in several locations:

1. Distributor housing o-ring
2. Distributor shaft bearing seal
3. Rear side of valve cover gasket
4. Head gasket, oil feed channel-below the sending unit
5. Oil pump o-ring

[ztech]

Get some degreaser to start with. Then check often to trace leak.