I got a 94 model tyota camry n the rear main oil seal has gone....its a auto and i was wonderin how easy it will be to change it myself?and how much its estamated to cost\ any help will be greatly appricated thanks
The seal is probably around $20, but you have to remove the engine or transmission or both to get access to it. (If you remove engine and transmission as a unit, then you separate them out of the car.) What makes you think it is the rear main seal? I thought there might be a problem on my '94, but after changing the valve cover gasket, engine oil pan gasket, and transmission pan gasket I found the problems.
1) engine oil pan gasket uses Toyota FIPG form in place gasket material- around $12, but you have to remove the center exhaust pipe to remove the pan. Plan on replacing the bolts and gaskets, and soaking in Kroil first. My oil pan was seeping oil and snugging up the bolts didn't completely stop it.
2) transmission pan gasket - Toyota gasket is cork - but that wasn't the problem, some "helpful" prior mechanic had stripped two of the bolts. Torque for those bolts is measured in "inch" pounds, and as I very carefully tightened then back up, two just kept on turning. Thank God, I was able to get slightly longer bolts from the dealer and at those two locations, there was enough space behind them to thread them all the way through the case. When you have the transmission pan removed, clean it with solvent then air dry or blow dry with compressed air - don't use a rag because even a tiny bit of thread clinging to the rough casting can cause problems in the valve body once it floats away in the transmission fluid and blocks some tiny passageway or valve. If you've done that much, may as well change the distributor O-ring also. Not a bad idea to re-torque the valve cover periodically. After I changed the valve cover gasket, around 15,000 miles later noticed a tiny bit of seepage returning, and when re-torquing the hold down nuts, they were quite loose again. IIRC the correct factory spec is 17 ft. lbs., I imagine with the themal movement in the aluminum head and valve cover, coupled with compression in the gasket over time, loosening of the fasteners is to be expected. Now the area that looked like a rear main seal leak is completely dry. Tip: keeping the oil clean helps those seals last longer.The seal is probably around $20, but you have to remove the engine or transmission or both to get access to it. (If you remove engine and transmission as a unit, then you separate them out of the car.) What makes you think it is the rear main seal? I thought there might be a problem on my '94, but after changing the valve cover gasket, engine oil pan gasket, and transmission pan gasket I found the problems.
1) engine oil pan gasket uses Toyota FIPG form in place gasket material- around $12, but you have to remove the center exhaust pipe to remove the pan. Plan on replacing the bolts and gaskets, and soaking in Kroil first. My oil pan was seeping oil and snugging up the bolts didn't completely stop it.
2) transmission pan gasket - Toyota gasket is cork - but that wasn't the problem, some "helpful" prior mechanic had stripped two of the bolts. Torque for those bolts is measured in "inch" pounds, and as I very carefully tightened then back up, two just kept on turning. Thank God, I was able to get slightly longer bolts from the dealer and at those two locations, there was enough space behind them to thread them all the way through the case. When you have the transmission pan removed, clean it with solvent then air dry or blow dry with compressed air - don't use a rag because even a tiny bit of thread clinging to the rough casting can cause problems in the valve body once it floats away in the transmission fluid and blocks some tiny passageway or valve. If you've done that much, may as well change the distributor O-ring also. Not a bad idea to re-torque the valve cover periodically. After I changed the valve cover gasket, around 15,000 miles later noticed a tiny bit of seepage returning, and when re-torquing the hold down nuts, they were quite loose again. IIRC the correct factory spec is 17 ft. lbs., I imagine with the themal movement in the aluminum head and valve cover, coupled with compression in the gasket over time, loosening of the fasteners is to be expected. Now the area that looked like a rear main seal leak is completely dry. Tip: keeping the oil clean helps those seals last longer. You might also want to check auto-rx.comMotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.