Tigawoods

#1

well to outline this problem, i have been having an oil leak that has just gotten worse in recent weeks. it is coming from the backside of the engine and drips on the the plastics and the flexpipe.
i am going to be doing an oil dye test tommorow to get more info.

here is where the problem comes
the engine is under warranty at a shop in philadelphia. the last time i had a problem, i had blown a head gasket and they said it was dude to my headers having gasket leak, which i later found out could not happen. it cost me $500 to fix.
this oil problem from what i have been told, could most likely be the rear main seal, which is part of the rebuilt engine as i have assumed. there arent any items that i have added to the car that could effect this. i dont want to get screwed over and told that it was something that i put on to cause this. i just want to take it there and have them fix it (if it is the rear main seal or another engine component)

this needs to be dealt with now so i really need your guys opinions asap
thanks

This post has been edited by Tigawoods: Jan 2, 2009 - 7:50 PM

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1995 GT::::Diffusing the Situationエキサイティングカーレーシングチーム!march2010 COTM:6GCfeature2014:january2015-2016-2018 COTM

6GenCelicaST

#2

Just from reading the first line my immediate thought would be RMS. The only thing that would cause it to leak would be a mechanic error. Either useing a pick or screwdriver to get the seal out thus causing a scratch or gouge on the cap or block, the seal wasn't put in properly or just old age. But from reading you said the block was rebuilt old age is out of the question (unless the never changed it.).

Off the top of my head there is absolutely nothing you could have done to cause this to leak. It has to be one of the options above.

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QUOTESurprise buttsecks always works fine for me.1994 Toyota Celica ST1977 Harley Sportser XLH1992 Ford F-350 (plow truck)Facebook

Tigawoods

#3

thanks that relieves a little of the stress. how long would it take (on avg.) to replace it? i know u have to drop the trans. etc. im just not sure how much of a task it would be for them.

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1995 GT::::Diffusing the Situationエキサイティングカーレーシングチーム!march2010 COTM:6GCfeature2014:january2015-2016-2018 COTM

lagos

#4

Mike, you really should have talked to that shop when you first noticed the leak over the summer.
From what I could guess without getting under the car, it seemed like your rear main.

After seeing your head gasket, I can tell you that they used the cheapest rebuild gasket set in the world on your car. I would call them up and get them to warranty this. If they try to charge you anything, at least you'll have their diagnosis and can do the work on your own.

You're not alone though... I currently have a pretty bad leak from my cam seals and possibly the front main. Cant do anything about it till it starts getting warmer out though.

This post has been edited by lagos: Dec 22, 2008 - 11:24 PM

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15PSI - 30MPG - Megasquirt Tuned

Tigawoods

#5

i know i should of done it before and i am paying alot for it now. i am going to oil dye it tommorow. and talk to the shop. if they do diagnose it and say that it isnt under warranty i will have to pay for them dropping the trans and etc.
if it is then i will be very shocked. i can tell them to put a higher quality seal in there but its in their hands.
how long of a process would this take for them to replace it?

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1995 GT::::Diffusing the Situationエキサイティングカーレーシングチーム!march2010 COTM:6GCfeature2014:january2015-2016-2018 COTM

lagos

#6

They should be able to diagnose it without dropping the trans.
You can do it yourself if you get the dye kit. It should be very obvious where its coming from.

Don't tell them to use a "higher quality seal". Tell them that you ONLY want an OEM rear main, directly from the toyota dealer. Buy one yourself if you have to, they are cheap.

The whole thing could be done in a day, but dont count on it. They will probably keep the car 2-3 days.


...and take some pics if you jack the car up and decided to look around. That should help figure out where its coming from.

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15PSI - 30MPG - Megasquirt Tuned

Tigawoods

#7

i will do that. its just having the holidays coming up i hope their hours arent messed up. i just need this fixed before i go back to school on the 13th. i had planned on picking up the special parts i had been talking about 2moro but this has to come first. if all goes well and this only does take 2-3 days then i should have time to put on my parts before i go, it isnt too hard to do.

i am going to do the dye kit tomorrow, and see where its coming from. i will update as soon as i find out where its coming from


i just hope hope hope that they honor the warranty and they dont charge me.

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1995 GT::::Diffusing the Situationエキサイティングカーレーシングチーム!march2010 COTM:6GCfeature2014:january2015-2016-2018 COTM

lagos

#8

Its possible that it could just be your oil pan seal too. Sometimes they use cheap cork gaskets or regular rtv sealant (orange looking stuff), that starts to leak after a while. So again... put your camera to good use and post lots of pics up.

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15PSI - 30MPG - Megasquirt Tuned

Tigawoods

#9

will do sir

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1995 GT::::Diffusing the Situationエキサイティングカーレーシングチーム!march2010 COTM:6GCfeature2014:january2015-2016-2018 COTM

Tigawoods

#10

well it isnt. the valve cover gasket.


clean engine

so here are the areas where the oil is collecting




it isnt the valve cover gasket and it couldnt be the oil pan (both of which arent covered under the warranty)
so my final guess is the rear main seal which is covered under the warranty
what else could it be. it has to between the valve gasket and the oil pan

This post has been edited by Tigawoods: Dec 24, 2008 - 6:42 PM

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1995 GT::::Diffusing the Situationエキサイティングカーレーシングチーム!march2010 COTM:6GCfeature2014:january2015-2016-2018 COTM

presure2

#11

that last pic looks like the bottom of your intake manifold?
if thats the case, i wouldnt think rear main, i'd definetly thing VC gasket, or somthing else.

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Former Team 5SFTE pro member ;)13.6@108MPH, 5SFTE Powered

Tigawoods

#12

i just checked the valve cover and it was fine. is there anything in between the valve cover and the oil pan?

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1995 GT::::Diffusing the Situationエキサイティングカーレーシングチーム!march2010 COTM:6GCfeature2014:january2015-2016-2018 COTM

Galcobar

#13

Oil pump seal?

lagos

#14

Actually Mike.. that looks a lot like the oil leak I have in my own car.
I know for a fact that my cam seals are leaking, and possibly the front main. Those are on the side of the motor, yet I have oil all on the back of my motor too. Oh, and my power steering pump is leaking a bit, so that could spray oil all around the back of the motor as well.

Did you see any signs of oil on the side of your motor when you changed your timing belt?
Did the valve cover gasket look like it was in good shape when you took it off? Were any of the nuts that hold it on really loose? Looking at the pics it looks like your harness and injectors are wet, and the oil is going past the Valve cover gasket and past that flat edge on the head.

There is another rare possibility. Ive seen mr2 guys talk about having oil leak past the brass rings that are a part of the oil drain on your headgasket, but if that was the case with your car... I would think you would notice other headgasket related issue, because your leaks is quite big.

Did you end up taking it to that shop? What did they say?

This post has been edited by lagos: Dec 25, 2008 - 1:24 AM

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15PSI - 30MPG - Megasquirt Tuned

Tigawoods

#15

i talked to the guys at the shop today. they said that the valve cover and the oil pan are not under warranty. so i am assuming everything in between is under warranty. i will most likely take it there friday. hopefully by then i can figure out what it is, then they can fix it rather then they diagnose it, fix the leak and say it was something else that is not under warranty.

there was no oil when i did the timing belt. the valve cover gasket was in pristine condition. i thought the oil buildup on the flat part on the head was just left over oil from the edge of the gasket.

honestly i have no idea what to do but to take it to them, i really want to figure out what it is though before i take it

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1995 GT::::Diffusing the Situationエキサイティングカーレーシングチーム!march2010 COTM:6GCfeature2014:january2015-2016-2018 COTM

lagos

#16

I dont know what the deal is with that shop. First they dont cover the blown headgasket after just a few months after the rebuild, then they come up with new things that are not covered under warranty.

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15PSI - 30MPG - Megasquirt Tuned

Tigawoods

#17

honestly i dont trust this shop. they try to play their customers for fools. my assumption is that they fix things and say it was something else then charge them for it. thats why i wanted to figure out what it was so i could tell them and they could ONLY fix that and nothing else. then everyone would be pleased as punch

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1995 GT::::Diffusing the Situationエキサイティングカーレーシングチーム!march2010 COTM:6GCfeature2014:january2015-2016-2018 COTM

lagos

#18

Just bring it in.. have them them give you a diagnosis. If its covered under warranty, then great. If its not, then tell them you want the car back, and fix it yourself.

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15PSI - 30MPG - Megasquirt Tuned

Tigawoods

#19

yeah. im not fooling around with it anymore. i am taking it in first thing on friday. i just hope that they get it figured out and fixed before i go back to school. so they have till the 9th. this is cutting it waaaay to close.

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1995 GT::::Diffusing the Situationエキサイティングカーレーシングチーム!march2010 COTM:6GCfeature2014:january2015-2016-2018 COTM

808celica

#20

too much autoX????

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I don't normally drive fast, but when I do its on a curvy section of this island

Tigawoods

#21

not enough autox haha

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1995 GT::::Diffusing the Situationエキサイティングカーレーシングチーム!march2010 COTM:6GCfeature2014:january2015-2016-2018 COTM

silver6gc

#22

Im a Toyota Expert Certified tech, 5S-FE's are bad for distributor o-rings leaking. It doesnt look like they sealed the valve cover gasket right either, get a Toyota VC gasket, remove clean and reseal the half moon seals (at both ends of the exhaust cam) and put some sealant in the corners of the end caps on the intake cam also. looks like your power steering pump is a whole different leak. But yeah, 100% percent of the time if you have oil dripping off the intake manifold, the valve cover is leaking, trust me i do this every day.

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Trust me, I do this every day

Tigawoods

#23

thanks! i will have to check those out

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1995 GT::::Diffusing the Situationエキサイティングカーレーシングチーム!march2010 COTM:6GCfeature2014:january2015-2016-2018 COTM

Tigawoods

#24

well right now i am taking off the oil pan.
but i am stuck at the motor mount part. i needed to take a break before i start that. i need to be mentally prepared for it haha.

the shop that i took it to called on tuesday and said that it was the oil pan and that i have a steering fluid leak too.
they said it would be $250 to change. i was like screw that
so i took it from them and started to do it myself. i just need to take off the crossmember and the stiffener plate rear of the oil pan.

after that i will take a look at the pan seals

it is sealed with an actual rubber gasket and not FIPG or RTV sealant.

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1995 GT::::Diffusing the Situationエキサイティングカーレーシングチーム!march2010 COTM:6GCfeature2014:january2015-2016-2018 COTM

samir0189

#25

.

This post has been edited by samir0189: Jan 28, 2009 - 2:49 PM

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◊◊◊My F/S Thread!◊◊◊QUOTE(14:19:21) Daniel: That was a JDM hole in the side of the box too. There was so much JDM trapped inside that box that they couldn't contain it, so they had to put a JDM hole in the box to let the JDM out.QUOTEFerdi says (11:29)No, it looks like a hooker put her acid vag on your hood. Acid vag = bigger problem than a few dings.

lagos

#26

Thats probably why its leaking then, mike. They used junk aftermarket gaskets, and then try to blame it on you somehow.
First it was the headgasket, then the timing belt, and now this... all because they used cheap **** when rebuilding the motor. I honestly cant believe that a shop would be so dishonest as to try to bill you for a leaking gasket on a motor they just rebuild less then a year ago.

When you reseal it, make sure you use actual FIPG from the dealer. Its a lot thicker then normal rtv.

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15PSI - 30MPG - Megasquirt Tuned

Tigawoods

#27

kk will do. i will have to pick some up from toyota. im held up right now because my brain wont let me take out the rear motor mount so many bad memories with that

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1995 GT::::Diffusing the Situationエキサイティングカーレーシングチーム!march2010 COTM:6GCfeature2014:january2015-2016-2018 COTM

Tigawoods

#28

im going to get some now actually, parts dept. is open still

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1995 GT::::Diffusing the Situationエキサイティングカーレーシングチーム!march2010 COTM:6GCfeature2014:january2015-2016-2018 COTM

Tigawoods

#29

so it is off.

i took it off and the gasket fell apart, it came off into pieces. there where 2 area's where it seems that there could have been a leak.

i picked up some FIPG. i cleaned all the org. gasket residue offf

i am sanding the oil pan down and repainting it. then i will put everything back together to see if it is fixed

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1995 GT::::Diffusing the Situationエキサイティングカーレーシングチーム!march2010 COTM:6GCfeature2014:january2015-2016-2018 COTM

95st-celica

#30

hopefully thats the culprit...what a PITA...hope you get it all back together and it fixes it mike....f-in 5s...after all this you shoulda just droped a 3s in!! lol

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I"M NOT A TOYOTA FAN, IM A FANATIC1984 accord hatch 5 speed (T-Belt)-Junkyard1991 VDUB jetta wolfsburg Ed. 5 speed (clutch)-junkyard1988 Dodge Aries K (sold)1969 Chevy El camino - Traded for celica1991 Dodge Daytona-Traded for Celica1988 Chevy Camaro-Work in Progress1989 Ford Mustang LX 5.0 - For Sale1995 Toyota Celica-Work in Progress