1995 Oil Pan Re-seal

Just did this a couple of months ago. First tip: be sure to apply the sealant very close to the rear seal at the back of the oil pan to avoid leakage there. I used Kroil aerosol on the exhaust bolts and let it soak for some time.

You definitely have to remove the exhaust pipe (assuming four cylinder since not otherwise specified, although the six must be similar). Lift the car as high as possible if you're using floor jack and jack stands. You'll need a fairly long extension to reach the nuts at the exhaust manifold. I had previously removed the exhaust pipe on my 1977 Toyota truck to replace a cracked exhaust manifold, so I knew it could be done. Be sure to purchase new nuts and gaskets from the dealer before you begin. I used a 1/2" breaker bar but that wasn't enough, so I attached a "cheater pipe" and carefully pushed more. All of a sudden, the nuts broke loose. Even though I've learned long ago to position my hands properly, my finger nails still got scuffed, but no bleeding. It was the same story for each of the three - considerable force required and then breaking loose all at once. At the back end of the center exhaust pipe, just use two wrenches, one for the head of the bolts and one for the nuts. I regularly "daisy chain" two combination wrenches together to apply extra pressure. Do replace those bolts and nuts with new dealer parts. Then be careful when lifting the oil pan with new sealant into place under the block. First time I tried, I touched something first, and smeared the new sealant so had to clean it all off (needs to be applied within a time limit) and try again. Second time, no problem. Do clean the gasket surface on the underside of the block with solvent first to remove all traces of oil. You also need to remove all traces of the old sealant. For this, I found a wood handled wire brush worked well.

Hmmmm...thanks for the reply. call me an amateur, but sounds like a bit too much for me. Perhaps I'll tolerate one drop of oil per day on the cardboard on my garage floor. I don't even know that's where the leak is, so I think I'll try the VC gasket first. The whole rear of the engine is wet with oil and it looks like 2 injectors are wet, but doesn't seem like gas. Of course I'm hoping it's not the head gasket. No other bad symptoms, just oil leaking. 4cyl.

Definitely do the valve cover gasket first. There was only seepage at the oil pan, in my case. Valve cover leakage is common. If the fuel injectors have oil on them, it is almost certainly from the valve cover gasket, because the engine is tilted to the rear and oil settles there. For the Valve cover gasket, check the Haynes manual. There are four places (one on each side of two camshafts) that need extra sealant. Toyota FIPG (form in place gasket material)is recommended. A standard silicone sealant releases acetic acid during cure which can damage the oxygen sensor (picked up through the port that vents to atmosphere). By the way, if you want to justify the purchase of additional tools, the Gearwrench ratcheting combination wrenches (esp. the 10mm) are really handy for removing the two bolts holding the wiring harness at the front of the valve cover. First time I removed the valve cover, didn't have them, and it takes a long time to loosen those bolts with the limited clearance there.

Thanks for the tips...I just found this forum and since I just made the 'keep', rather than 'sell' decision @140k, I need all the help I can get. I guess FIPG is only available at the toyota dealer. It looks like Advance Auto Parts on the web has some of the basic replacement parts. I'm sure I'll be asking more questions, like what's that groaning/creaking sound in the front end when I go over bumps when turning right? Wheel bearing? I like working on cars, just don't have enough time.

I always use Toyota replacement parts, in many cases they are significantly better, and you know they'll fit correctly without modification. They generally last a lot longer, too.