Buck87

Help please! My timing cover is leaking from the bolts, and I am in denial. I installed a new timing cover and oil pan onto this engine that I purchased as a long block about 10,000 mi back. I tried not to cut any corners and followed the instructions on 4 Crawlers site and the FSM. I sealed the one bolt on the oil pump per the FSM and that one does not seem to be leaking.
I was going to go ahead and redo the front main seal because I did not sleeve it when I did the long block, but the thing is the harmonic balancer did not have a groove worn into it when I installed it and there does not seem to be any oil coming from the seal area and the balancer is not oily. There is some oil on the oil pump and all over the bottom front of the truck.The problem is getting progressively worse. She is only going through about ¼ quart of oil per week, but the street is a filthy mess.
I am going on a road trip tomorrow to Vegas to visit with in-laws for the week and plan on addressing this issue when I get home next week.
My questions are:
· Could a pcv valve be causing too much crank case pressure and causing these leaks? The one on there now has about 230K miles
· Should I just go ahead and do the front seal and oil pump gasket even though it looks like the leak is coming from the bolt on the AC bracket?
· Should I bite the bullet and redo the timing cover?
· If I redo the timing cover should I get a new factory cover? The one on there now came with the long block and is not original equipment but is new.
· If I redo the timing cover what should I do this time so that I don’t have these issues again?

alltracman78

You need to see where the oil is coming from.
Clean it up good and let it run, see where it starts from.
Or you can get some dye, put it in the oil and look for the trail.
It may be the cover, but it sounds more like the oil pan.
If you don't clean the surfaces right it will leak.
Also, you didn't use a gasket, did you?
IMO you should stick with Toyota FIPG, works much better than other sealants.

Buck87

The leak is not coming from the oil pan or the cover. I wish it were but I cleaned it a few weeks ago and it looks like the oil is coming from the bolt that goes through the cover and holds the AC bracket.

alltracman78

Then it sounds like the gasket got damaged during installation or the cover is warped.
So your probably doing the cover again.

When you reinstall you could put a THIN coating of FIPG on the 2 gaskets between the cover and block. Also take a very good look at the cover, make sure it's not cracked anywhere or isn't a bad casting.

If your sure the leak is coming from there IMO no need to redo the other gaskets again.
Just be careful when you remove/install so you don't damage them and get a different leak.

Buck87

Thanks. Which "other gaskets" are you referring to? Head? Oil pan? Valve cover? Oil pump? Front main seal?

cman1

iTrader: (1)

hes referring to the head and oil pan gasket,if you pull the timing cover without pulling either the oil pan or head,its a real pain to get the cover back in between the two.i would clean it real good and start looking real close.

alltracman78

Those are easily damaged if you try to squeeze the cover back in, though you shouldn't have a gasket on the oil pan, just sealant.

Buck87

OK it sounds like I'm not gonna get away with not pulling the cover, (kinda figured that to begin with LOL) but I don't know why the darn thing is leaking in the first place. I may see something when I get into it. I'll keep you posted.

ChefYota4x4

iTrader: (5)

Hey Bud, .... Sorry man, just totally overwhelmed with LIFE, lately! lol.

Anyway, I'll come back here asap and give you the link to my build thread where I kept at this........ It ended up being the AC bracket bolts area that was leaking, by the oil galley area of the cover(left-middle/lower).

BE BACK ASAP, promise!

ChefYota4x4

iTrader: (5)

OK, not sure exactly what portion this is.... but I was pulling the pan and cover due to leaking....... Then I think I transferred to a new thread that you posted on... then back to here. Here's a permalink for now.... Before this post, and after, there's some stuff... I'll look more later. I think my troubleshooting thread has some stuff, too..........

https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f199...l#post51649952

Buck87

Awesome, thanks a bunch. Gonna be heading home to San Jose, North through Nevada from Vegas this week. Any recommendations on places to go off road? Hot springs?

ChefYota4x4

iTrader: (5)

I'm not sure how far out of the way it is... but I LOVE KEOUGH HOT SPRINGS and Mammoth Hot Creek as well. Probably a bit north of ya.... but if you cut through Bishop after Keough, maybe that'd get you close enough on an eastern path?

Drive safe, man!

ChefYota4x4

iTrader: (5)

http://keoughshotsprings.com/ ........ That picture of my rig in the Calendar this year, that 'Pond' as Paul put it? It's actually moving water, Keough Hot Spring-POND and there's almost NO algae. The resort is up the road from the pond I'm in... but the owners of the property allow people all day long until 10pm to use that. Just south of it is Baker Creek Road off the 395-HWY, which heads into the hills and is a BEAUTIFUL campground at the base of the Mt. Whitney Range. It's really the mountains just behind Big Pine, CA. They have plenty of Motels around there, too, most likely pretty reasonable, depending on if you go around a holiday, ya know?

The ponds are in stages, going up the hill toward the resort, and they get hotter as you go up the hill, wheeling up to them as you head toward the resort/up hill. STRONGLY recommend that place to anyone going anywhere near the High Sierras/Bishop, Via Death Valley or otherwise coming over from the eastern sierras(just off Death Valley, etc.).

Best wishes, and hope you had a great Christmas.... Hope you have a great New Year!

Buck87

Perfect Mark,
Thanks! Looks like I'll be heading up through Death Valley and then repair my leak after i get home. I started a new thread in the Trail Reports Forum. I copied your responses and included them into that thread. Here is a link if you would like to follow along.

https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f100.../#post51841945

Buck87

So, I put the timing cover back on today with a paper gasket and FIPG without removing the oil pan or the head. I trashed the front of the head gasket so I took everything back off and cleaned it back up.
Do I need to do a new head gasket now?

ChefYota4x4

iTrader: (5)

I've heard of guys 'rig'ing it after jacking up the HG portion(They cut it out or something, then .... I'm not sure. I would NOT do so, not unless I was just TRYING to get home out of the mines near Death Valley or something, ya know? BUT, that's not to say it can't be done.... you'll have to wait for others if you're looking for "go for it, just use plenty of 'right stuff' and you'll be fine", ya know? lol. But, again, I'M SURE it can be done.... Maybe there's a thread or two on that, right? I contemplated doing that, last time, if something were to have gone wrong... But I ended up doing a full rebuild on a new block, so not sure.

I'm guessing what some do is grab a spare bit of "cut out yourself" 3M gasket material or maybe even a Felpro-20$ special, then cut out the latter to replace what you cut out, by tracing of course, ya know? Just guessing...... Not sure.

Buck87

Hmm,
tempting

thanks
Chef

Has anyone out there done this?

Buck87

If I remove the end of the head gasket where it seals the timing cover and seal it with Toyota fipg and it leaks oil then I have to do a head gasket replacement, but the timing cover will still be ok.
right?
so why not try it at this point?

cman1

iTrader: (1)

ive been through this as have many others here...you can cut the head gasket,clean the hell out of both the cut out area and the oil pan section and fipg really well ,and cross your fingers. or just pull the head,surface it,all new gaskets from engnbldr,and be done for another 100k.ive learned a valuable lesson...a couple of times with my yotas, do it right the first time,and it pays you back tenfold.good luck!

ChefYota4x4

iTrader: (5)

But, did you pull the timing cover and then re-install it, having cleaned both surfaces really well? Or did you clean the HG surfaces of each item with the timing cover still on??????

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Buck;

You asked, "why not?" ....... And I can't just up and endorse it, Buddy..... Only because, well, by the time you do this, get it on the road, etc., ...you could have pulled the HG and been done with it(2 days spare time, max). Plus, if it doesn't work, then your a bit of time down for nothing, ya know? BTW, I'm not sure, but if I were doing this, I might pull the hidden bolt, first, before slathering the Toyota FIPK in there, let it set a little bit, then pop that bolt back in there. IF you're going to pull the cover again, rather than the head, I'd probably cut out one of my old OEM HG's and slap that in there with some FIPK/dab in the corners/clean up the pan and goop that/goop the pan bolts, then torque it down and pray. lol.

Again, I would not do it, personally, unless it was an emergency(on the road, etc.), because I would want it done ONE TIME, for good, ya know? it's an awkward repair, especially considering you're connecting 3 items that are all bolted in at different angles from one another...... Hmmm.

Keep us up to date.