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Over the last year or so ive noticed oil on the front of my motor. Only recently has it started to drip onto the driveway. Maybe a quarter size drop if left parked for a few days. Im just having difficulty pinpointing exactly what is causing the leak. Attached are a few photos. Initially i thought it might be my valve cover gasket on drivers side. But i dont see any visible leaks. Albeit i cant see the back side of the valve cover to well.
Timing belt and waterpump were done at 155k about 3 years ago. Valve cover on passside was done about 2 years ago. Drivers side valve cover gasket has never been replaced. I cant recall if the cam seals were replaced at last timing belt replacement. Will have to check receipts. Really hoping its not the cam seal. My leak seems to be starting high up on the motor. Everytime i degrease that area the leak seems to be starting high up on the motor.
Timing belt and waterpump were done at 155k about 3 years ago. Valve cover on passside was done about 2 years ago. Drivers side valve cover gasket has never been replaced. I cant recall if the cam seals were replaced at last timing belt replacement. Will have to check receipts. Really hoping its not the cam seal. My leak seems to be starting high up on the motor. Everytime i degrease that area the leak seems to be starting high up on the motor.
I checked my receipts from the last timing belt service and no mention of cam seal being replaced...however the crank seal was replaced.
i only have 3 years and about 35k miles on my current timing belt and WP. Looks like i may need to try a stop leak additive and hope it helps to either stop or reduce the amount of leaking. Anyone have any luck using the stop leak products? the at-205 seems to have pretty good reviews
I do not like cars leaking on my black top driveway. Our 98 RAV4 started leaking a few years ago when it was first started in the morning. I placed a nice black pan under it and nursed it along for a year. It got worse over time and eventually I spoke to Toyota about it. The service tech knew exactly what was causing it and I made an appointment and let them fix it. I have developed a great relationship with that dealership (Madison, IN) and have used them many times since then for bigger repairs. If it is not that bad, I would just monitor it while you figure out where it is coming from. You can use dye to find leaks also. I don't know that I would use stop leak in this engine. Maybe high mileage oil would help.
[QUOTE=Fit1too;10469664. I don't know that I would use stop leak in this engine. Maybe high mileage oil would help.[/QUOTE]
In my mind, I would not make that statement.... I know I would NOT use a stop leak UNLESS, IF it didnt stop it I knew I would replace the LS....
Understand me, a car is something I use... period.
I bought one 94 LS, loved it, so I bought 2 95LS's (me & wife), then 2 96 :LS's, then 2 97 LS's AND then 5 99 LS's, until I had 2 GREAT ones..
then we went to only one, her white one.. now with 228k and runs perfect, has all new tie rod ends, lower ball joints, lower control arms,
new strut rod bushings, new rotors and ceramic pads... and a lot of little things...
Have you removed the engine cover? Oil leaks really aren't hard to track down once all the plastic is out of the way. Worse case you might have to remove the metal cover over the cam pulley.
The valve cover bolts have a very low torque spec, 53 INCH-lbf so it's fairly common for them to come loose. Sometime they just need tightened a little...
Have you removed the engine cover? Oil leaks really aren't hard to track down once all the plastic is out of the way. Worse case you might have to remove the metal cover over the cam pulley.
The valve cover bolts have a very low torque spec, 53 INCH-lbf so it's fairly common for them to come loose. Sometime they just need tightened a little...
Now that i think about it. About 6 months or so ago i did tighten down my valve cover bolts on drivers side because i suspected a leak and 2 of the bolts seemed loose. Its possible i may have over tightened the top bolts of the valve cover. none of the lower bolts show any signs of leaking. I have removed the engine cover, but its still hard to see that top left bolt
03-15-19, 04:07 PM
Oil leak from front of engine 1998 LS400
