I had a new clutch put in last week. Went for a drive on the freeway and heard what I thought was maybe a loose mudflap flapping against the body, or maybe a suspension component coming loose somewhere in the right front.

The next day I drive, get home, and oil is practically pouring from under the engine. I haven't been able to see where it's coming from yet, but it's all down the right exhaust and looks to be all over the bottom front of the engine.

Anyone have any ideas? I'm hoping that I'll be able to clean off all the oil, run it, and see where it's coming from.

Anyone think it may be related. The engine doesn't even get touched during a clutch job does it? Just the starter?

 

The rear main seal should always be replaced when doing a clutch. Sounds to me like an improperly installed rear main seal.

 

The clutch disc will be covered with oil if that's it right? I'll look behind the inspection plate and take a look.

 

do you have an aftermarket oil pressure gauge? Check the hole on the passenger side motor mount.

Make sure your motor is fully lubed everytime you start it. This may be expensive to diagnose because oil isn't cheap.

Fill it up and check 3 places. Your oil filter, there are some holes on the passenger side front of the block you can installed oil pressure gauge senders, then check the front of your oil pan area where front seal is.

Before you do the tests, spray it down with hose and carb cleaner so you can see in the area.

 

yah if your clutch disc soaked up ANY OIL it's toast.

If it's coming from the front side of the engine your clutch didn't get wet.

 

What the hell did they do at the shop go like: "Hey man before i throw in this clutch, imma loosen some of these here rear main bolts. Haha this will be funny when that guy sees oil up to his knees." I would have taken it right back to the shop and said hey. I didn't have not dam oi leak before i can in here what the F*%# did you do. FIX IT!

 

it doesn't look related, just bad timing. The leak is coming from somewhere around the crankshaft pulley. I can't see exactly, but oil is coming fast from the bottom side of where the pulley is bolted to the engine.

Anyone know what would go bad right there?

I've never pulled a crank pulley off before. Are seals in that area a tough job, as in, would this be to tough to do in the driveway with some basic hand tools?

 

Oh so its from the crank pulley? Then its a front main seal. They call it a front oil pump seal too. But its a front main. Its prolly throwing it all over the pulleys and valve cover and the bottom of the hood. Front main. Just take the crank pulley off and the oil pump out and tap in a new seal. Its a round seal that rides around on the crank. Make sure before you put the new seal on there to put a lil oil or grease around the lip.

 

Yeah, its a easy afternoon fix.

 

if it's a 3.0, you need to pull the timing belt

 

Yea i just realized it was a 3.0.... alil more work required... If you do the belt you might as well do everything while your in there.......... oil pump, water pump, tesioner, seals, gaskets, timing belt..... but its your choice......(Me getting way over myself) you can pull the old one off just to change the front main and put it back on but thats your call.

 

Cool, thanks for the info guys. I'll have to decide how much money I want to put into it. The timing belt only has 60k on it, but I guess it would be kind of silly to take it off and not put a new one on.

 

Pretty sure 60k is getting close to recommended change, anyway. But, if you're like some of us and going the minimalist route, atleast inspect all your parts.....water pump, oil pump, tensioner, etc.....to see if they even need replacing right now. Oil pumps, for example, actually go for a very long time. They almost never go bad. Unless, of course, you don't change the oil or air filter like you should.

 

I'm going to pull this apart this weekend. I've heard that it's likely that my harmonic balancer or crank is going to be grooved. I've heard about a Speedy Sleeve. Anyone ever fixed it another way?

As for getting the seal out, I checked out a bunch of threads changing the timing belt, but I couldn't find any photos or anything telling what else needs to be done to get to the seal. Anyone know or have a picture or link?

Do any of you guys have favorite sites for ordering tools and parts? I know I'll have to pick up a 200ft/lb torque wrench, a 19mm impact socket, and a breaker bar. Plus all the parts needed.

 

My crank was not grooved when I did my seal at 215K miles.

To get to the seal you remove the timing belt drive gear after removing the balancer. My balancer comes off using a steering wheel puller and the correct metric bolts. It is a very light press fit, almost not needing the puller once it starts moving. The time belt gear comes off by hand, but rust can tend to bind it. Remember the orientation of the washer, it is slightly belled.
The FSM says to lever the seal out with a screw driver, trying not to scratch the crank. I center punch the seal, start a #6 sheet metal screw into it by 1/2 to one turn, and then pull on the screw to get the seal out without risking scratching the crank.
The new seal goes in using a suitably sized piece of PVC to drive it in. It seats just a little below the edge of the aluminum hole it goes in.

Have fun.

Eugene

 

Thanks for the help Eugene. As bad as mine is leaking, I bet my seal is already half way out.

 

Cranks on toyotas rarely get grooved..... so yea...

 

Got this done over the weekend, and yeah, the crank was smooth. Only difficulty I had was the new timing belt I bought didn't have timing marks. Took two tries to get the cam timing marks to line up.

Thanks to everyone who offered advice.