Smelliottkuhn

So my 1990 4Runner 5speed 4x4 with the 22RE engine just got the full tune up: new belts, fluids, CV joints, valve adjustment, plugs, radiator flush, filters, etc. I feel good about the work done, except for the nagging little leak that remains from my oil drain plug. It is not a serious amount of oil, but none the less, I am about to go on a long 3000+mi road trip, and I would prefer to have all things running and sealed.

The PO for some unknown reason (perhaps a stripped drain plug) installed the following (http://shop.oreillyauto.com/ProductD...egoryCode=3126) I believe these are designed for transmissions.

You can see in the picture how the unit works. Basically this piggyback plug clamps onto the oil pan, and then has a smaller drain plug in the center that acts as the drain. The oil is leaking at the base of the outer plastic gasket and the oil pan. I don't know why, if the PO had to remove the pan to put this on, he would install this part instead of just replacing the pan or just tapping a larger drain plug.

My questions (Which I have many), are this:

Removal Questions:
1. In order to install this type of plug, am I correct in assuming that the PO had to remove the oil pan to do so? If so, does this mean there is no way of tightening this plug down without pulling the pan?
2. What is the process of removing the oil pan? I have looked and can't find a real clear explanation of this process. I know it is a part of some folks' process of replacing the timing chain, but I still can't get a clear picture on what it takes. The dealership (the shop I go to is closed for a week for the holidays, and I am leaving in the interim) gave me an estimate of about $500; with the 4x4, they said it was a fairly involved job.)

Quick fix idea/questions:
So my thought for a quick fix goes like this:

Idea:
Drain the oil (it's brand new, and I have a clean catcher, so I am going to reuse it). I am going to clean the area where the oil is seeping out with some sort of solvent (brake cleaner perhaps...I had read that in another thread). Then I was going to either use JB Weld or red RTV high heat silicone gasket and fill in the base of the area where the oil has been leaking out.

Questions:
1. Do you think this will work?
2. Any tips or ideas?

Thanks for any and all feedback.

jackwolf

Buenos Tardes Amigo

That plug is double trouble.

If you can put the factory plug back in, use a fresh plastic washer and crush it snug. Do not reuse these plastic washers or they will leak on you. Every time you loosen the oil plug bolt, you need to replace the crushed hard plastic washer with a new one. You can also play around with fabric, leather, copper, rubber washers but hard plastic should do it. The oil plug bolts were made to crush down not clamp shut.

There is no need to remove the oil pan for this unless you have had a couple of margaritas and are just curious about what it looks like in there.

It's dark and oily.

Also, have you ever been to BIKO? Is it any good?

biko.com.mx

Pujol?
La Taberna del Leon?
MP Cafe + Bistro?
Naos?
Azul y Oro?
Paxia San Angel?
Paxia Santa Fe?

jackwolf

Aqui esta la cosa.

Si el hombre nomas puso el tornillo, ese muy facil. Pero si el hombre puso el tornillo Y la tuerca, entonces la tuerca se encuentra por el otro lado de la OIL PAN.

Preguntale al hombre si el puso la tuerca por el otro lado. A la mejor el nomas puso el tornillo. Entonces nomas has cambio de tornillo DOUBLE TROUBLE al tornillo FACTORY. Despues toma unas Margaritas.

Si usted qita el OIL PAN y el hombre no puso la tuerca por el otro lado, usted va a tenir que tomar 3-4 tiros de teqiula fuerte.

Asi es.

jackwolf

Also,

If you are taking your runner down to Mexico, replace the catalytic converter with a section of straight pipe. Pemex gasoline will make your converter not want to pass smog, especially California smog and 50 state converters are not cheap and never really go on sale.

You might be able to get away with it a few times, its not as bad as it used to be. But why risk it? Kids like to steal them from 4runners because they are easy to get to and bolt right off. They have precious metals inside that they can horse trade for some centavos to take the senoritas to the Korova milk bar.

Just something to think about.

Smelliottkuhn

Well the aftermarket piece that is used, if I remove it, is going to leave a bolt inside the pan unless I pull the whole thing off, right? I am not sure if you looked at the link. I would love to remove this piece and put in a factory plug, but it seems taking the pan out, is the only way to get this thing off.

TOYOTA 1

link is to just the part store home page.

wolf, i dont know your experiences with those plastic washers. but Ive been using the same one for like 75,000 (or around 25 oil changes) with no problems at all. maybe I'm just lucky

Smelliottkuhn

CRAP! Well the piece is called, Dorman Oil Drain Plug: OIL-TITE!(R); Transmission Piggyback; Single Oversize; 5/8"-18

Possibly you can type it into the parts page and see the image. I checked the link on my end and it went through. Hopefully this copy of the image goes through:



So if you can see this, you see my conundrum. It looks like the PO took the oil pan out to install this piece. It is currently leaking from where the outer plastic gasket meets the oil pan. Hopefully this clarifies my questions above.

TOYOTA 1

yea thats what i was picturing.

it looks like it might thread into the pan also. hmmm, or maybe the factory one got stripped so they drilled the pan and installed that thing? or maybe it requires the hole to be drilled out before it could be installed in the first place?

anyway yea the pan would have to come off to get that nut out off there.

you could try and tighten it and hope that the nut on the inside doesn't spin. i would also hope that the leak doesn't get any worse either.

you could glob some sealant on there like you were saying and hope for the best, but it would be only temporary I'm sure.

jackwolf

I was just trying to make six years of Spanish Class pay off:


Aqui esta la cosa.

Si el hombre nomas puso el tornillo, ese muy facil. Pero si el hombre puso el tornillo Y la tuerca, entonces la tuerca se encuentra por el otro lado de la OIL PAN.

Preguntale al hombre si el puso la tuerca por el otro lado. A la mejor el nomas puso el tornillo. Entonces nomas has cambio de tornillo DOUBLE TROUBLE al tornillo FACTORY. Despues toma unas Margaritas.

Si usted qita el OIL PAN y el hombre no puso la tuerca por el otro lado, usted va a tenir que tomar 3-4 tiros de teqiula fuerte.

Asi es.

TRANSLATION:
Ask the person who installed it if he even used the nut before you go ahead and remove the pan AND then find out that he did not. Perhaps he just ordered the bolt and got the kit but only installed the bolt.

Also, now that I think about it, if properly installed, you will not be able to even remove the bolt. So if you can remove the bolt then there is a good chance that there is also no nut in the oil pan. If, you can remove the bolt and there is a nut in the oil pan, I would question the quality of the other repairs as well.

David Lee Roth - Red MM's clause.

jackwolf

I am just gun shy.

I used to reuse them all the time and never had a problem either. Then one day a kid I know changed his oil, reused the plastic washer and torqued the oil plug bolt down to spec with a snap on torque wrench. The kid is methodical and precise, I am methodical and precise. Later that morning he had his oil plug bolt skipping down the highway near Pasadena at 80 miles per hour.

So even though I have never had a problem with it after +260K , for about $0.59 each I can have no problem with it...



... even more better.

Jay351

I usually reuse my oil plug gaskets, one had one drip on me and that was because I didnt tighten it down enough..

p.s who torques an oil plug? Just needs to be snug, it doenst hold the truck together

I suggest you find a used oil pan + factory plug and swap it all. Get rid of that aftermarket crap.

TOYOTA 1

@ jwolf ,sounds like he has bad luck with them lol.

scuba

if you can pull the plug without tacking the oil pan off, maybe a stock toyota drain plug bolt will work, If not id find a different bolt that would work and stock up on oil plug gaskets.
Personally I would do whatever I could to avoid the mess of pulling the oil pan. :2cents:

Since I use toyota oil filters and only toyota oil filters, I just pick up a gasket when i buy the filter and change it every time.
Call me paranoid if you please.

jackwolf

I guess it's time for me to stick a fork in this thread until the FBI dragnet catches the recently banned HOSTILE/criminal element/or just plain gremlins at large.

Jay351

Its because you fail at quoting

You need to remove your text from the quote of my msg, ( don't put anything between the tags).

jackwolf

Well, maybe just a demerit. I have tons of those. Fail is not so bad but that was before I visited the 22re--oil cap removed, runs wierd thread.


I figured that out once I tapped 12345 outside the quote. It previewed. But I still wanted to run the screen shot, upload, link, post drill because I needed that qual checked off, even though it cost me a demerit. I also wanted to throw in a call back to the drama on the HOSTILE thread. But thanks for the tip. Now if I could only figure out why I get the no data screen occasionally. I think its either the ad server or that I have finally been five minute banned for mentioning the J word.



Jeep.JEEP.

10 minute time out?