Toyota Tercel Advice (Cam and Crank Seal Replacement)

Jen,

Is your "mechanic" a Toyota dealer or an independent shop?

It is highly unlikely that an oil change will cause a cam or crank seal to blow or break. So unlikely that I have never heard of any instance of that happening.

It is possible that your cam and crank shaft seals are leaking although "leak" is a relative term. If oil is dripping out from the seal, then it definitely needs changing. If oil is slowly weeping out so that you see dampness around the seal, then I would just keep an eye on it.

If the timing belt on the car is original, then you should get that changed. Toyota dealers often have timing belt specials that are priced competitively with independent shops so they are worth investigating.

$150 sounds too low to change cam and crank seals - I doubt if anyone could do both for that job, although they could definitely spray some cleaner around the seals, wipe away the dampness, and make it look new for that price. Of course, if you're willing to get some grease on your hands, you could wipe off the area around the seals with a paper towel in about 2 or 3 minutes yourself.

I would get a second opinion on your cam and crank seals.

I don't know which seal you're talking about, but it's definitely time for a belt. This is a Non-interference engine, but you don't want to be 15 miles from nowhere when it goes (unless you're lucky enough to have a State Cop stop and call a tow for you...speaking from experience... ;)

I paid $150 for a T-Belt, independant mechanic. It is a single gear running the dual cams internally, so it's pretty easy. Buy the belt yourself at CarQuest (They have Gates timing belts...the one we pulled off had 80,000 and looked new!) They also recommend replacing the water pump at the same time, but it is an easy replacement and is not encumbered by the timing belt, so if your cooling system is running fine, save it for a rainy day.

then

Ray,

My mechanic is from an independent auto shop where I was supposed to get an oil change. Anyways, when they perform maintenence on cars, they usually provide a write up on what else needs to be done on the car.

I can see that the oil is really slowly coming out of it and it is sorta damp. He said that the oil change will cause more pressure if he changes the oil. Maybe I heard wrong. Is the cam and crank seal a rubber part? That?s what he said it was...and that what causes it to wear down is just ?normal wear and tear?. Oh, recently when I sorta gun the engine, I can feel my car kinda sputter. The tires kinda move differently when I gun the engine...I don?t really know how to explain it. The car doesn?t smoothly accelerate when I push on the gas pedal harder than usual. Does this have to do with the cam and crank seal, or the timing belt?

Is the Cam Seal the same thing as a Crankshaft seal? Are there two Crankshaft Seals? I believe the one I need to be changed is in the front just b/c it?s fairly close to where the oil is changed. It?s only $4.59..is that around the right price for the crankshaft seal? I found it on this site:

Either your mechanic is trying to take advantage of your lack of automotive knowledge or you heard wrong. An oil change will not cause any appeciable difference in oil pressure unless the car is waaay past due for an oil change and has been neglected on an ongoing basis. If that is the case, leaking cranks and cam seals are only one of many possible things that could go wrong.

Is the cam and crank seal a

The cam and crank seals are made of rubber-like material and steel, and they will wear down eventually, although they commonly go well over 150,000 miles without any problems. How many miles are on the car? I seem to recall

Oh, recently when I sorta

The engine sputter is not caused by the seals and it is unlikely to be caused by the timing belt unless it is ready to break. More likely, if the car has 100,000 miles on the original spark plugs, they need to be changed. I recommend that you take a look at the owner's manual and have a 60,000 mile service performed, which should include spark plugs, air filter, transmission and differential fluid changed, coolant changed, and accessory drive belts ("fan belts") changed.

No, the cam shaft seal is for cam shafts and the crank shaft seal is for the crank shaft. Depending on what year your Tercel is, it may have 2 camshafts, with a seal at each end, for a total of 4 cam shaft seals. The cam shafts are on the top end of the engine, under the valve cover, which has the oil filler cap in it.

Are there two