So i just had my valves adjusted, and a few days after i see oil leaking at the back of the engine. My first suspicion was the vc gasket wasn't installed correctly. But after looking more closely, it appears it's leaking from a plate at the back of the head. The official name for the gasket is rear head gasket and it was only $14 at Toyota and they had it on the shelf.

is this a common fail point? They quoted $480 to replace it so I'm going back to the shop that did my valve adj hoping they'll cut me a break on labor.

I was going to wait until the next oil change service, but i don't like leak drips on my driveway, plus it seems like i hear the valves sounding louder on startup and I'm becoming paranoid it's not oiling up the head well because of this leak.

Anyone familiar with this repair have any input? I appreciate any insight offered.

Truck has been purring. Has been a while since it was nice to drive it.

In this image it's part 11182. The part # is 11182-35050.

 

11182 does not seal against oil, because there isn't any oil behind it, unless there is a serious crack in the head or something.

you are probably leaking along the top line of gasket 11183, which is the half-moon... that should have been replaced with the valve cover gasket, when the valves were adjusted.

take it down to the car wash and blow off that entire back area, including spraying upwards at the back of the head from the fender well... then start it up and feel for oil leakage around the half-moon area, you may have to drive it a short distance.

i remember going thru the same hassle of trying to figure out that same leak area, it sucks.

 

Thanks for this info man.

This area is one that I'm really screwed by. I can't get up on top of the engine and i can't lay under it and reach up to it either. Those particular reaching motions are both practically impossible thanks to my cycle accident(s) history. It's why i go to service shops at all, hoping to find someone to do the work correctly for me.

And it rarely happens. This shop was tasked with redoing the valve adj and gasket, because it was leaking here after the first shop did it. This guy looked at it quickly when i brought it back to show them, and rather than admit it could have been his vc gasket leaking also, he just said it was this gasket and to go be it from Toyota.

But could be there is more to it. I hope not. It's ~35k on this new engine. It's finally idling nicely.

Today i used a can of brake cleaner and a rag to try to clean all around there. Tomorrow I'll drive it and try to produce some fresh leakage. Then I'll light it like a movie set, and try to get a small mirror up against the firewall and view the back of the head.

There's like an inch of clearance. Idk how I'm going to work this out. Drop the engine? Wtf. I need one of them colonoscopy cameras. Don't think I'm going to get one of those though, it's not something I'll buy pre-owned. (Ha!)

 

lol at the camera! that would problematic... harbor freight sells an inspection camera, but it'll probably be marginal.

the car wash sprayers usually have long nozzles, you won't have to reach far clean it, but fixing it sounds like it'll be a problem... i had to put big pieces of cardboard over the engine bay, as a cushion, then lay on top of it.

worst case, if you can get the back seam of the valve cover joint sopping wet with cleaner, and completely degrease the area, you might try wadding a big hunk of rtv all over the area... i've had that work with leaky rear main seals on engines.

replacing the seal and half-moons every time that the valve cover comes off is the way to go.