Oil Leak 96 Camry

I have a 96 Camry LE 4cyl with a nasty oil leak that appeared to be coming from the corner of the pan under the crank. Changed the pan gasket and dome gasket, still leaking. Took the timing cover apart last night and changed the cam gasket. Still leaking. I'm thinking crankshaft gasket or oil pump gasket? Oil is leaking about a quart + per day. Anything else I should be checking or tips on changing the crankshaft gasket? I have done the timing belt b4 so I'm aware how it all comes apart. Thanks

Reply to
cshort
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Best to change all the oil seals once the timing cover is removed. Sounds like an oil pump seal, since those are under pressure. Tips for the crankshaft oil seal replacement. These are my own ideas, not necessarily representing them as a professional approach, but they worked for me. The big caution when removing the crankshaft oil seal by prying with a screwdriver as usually recommended, is not to scratch the crankshaft. Since I didn't want to take a chance on ruining a crankshaft on my first attempt, and noticed the crankshaft oil seal has a steel backing, I center punched and drilled some small holes, using tape on the drill bit to limit depth and proceeding very carefully, then using a hook and pick set, hooked one of those holes, pulled hard, and the seal popped out. Turns out drilling one small hole would have been enough. For driving in the new crank seal, I took the new crank seal to Home Depot and matched it up with a "wye" ABS black plastic plumbing line. Turned out to be a standard size - don't remember anymore, 2 1/2" or something similar. Then held the angle part and tapped on the end with a small sledge hammer to drive the crank seal in flush. Had tried finding a socket, but none of the deep sockets, even up to 3/4" drive at Sears, had enough depth to reach over the crank snout. Good thing I had that little plumbing pipe because otherwise could not have gotten the crankshaft oil seal to seat fully - it did have to be driven into place. Oil seal replacement was fairly simple, Small seal could be pressed in by hand. Used a small amount of red grease to hold the little O ring in place, since it would otherwise fall out of the groove. Used the electric impact wrench to remove the oil pump pulley bolt, after removing the oil pump. I used one of those neoprene band clamps to hold the oil pump sprocket. Some had said it can be extremely difficult to remove, but mine spun right off.

Reply to
Daniel

"nospampls20021" wrote: > Best to change all the oil seals once the timing cover is > removed. > Sounds like an oil pump seal, since those are under pressure. > Tips for the crankshaft oil seal replacement. > These are my own ideas, not necessarily representing them as a > professional approach, but they worked for me. > The big caution when removing the crankshaft oil seal by > prying with a > screwdriver as usually recommended, is not to scratch the > crankshaft. > Since I didn't want to take a chance on ruining a crankshaft > on my > first attempt, and noticed the crankshaft oil seal has a steel > backing, > I center punched and drilled some small holes, using tape on > the drill > bit to limit depth and proceeding very carefully, then using a > hook and > pick set, hooked one of those holes, pulled hard, and the seal > popped > out. Turns out drilling one small hole would have been enough. > For driving in the new crank seal, I took the new crank seal > to Home > Depot and matched it up with a "wye" ABS black plastic > plumbing line. > Turned out to be a standard size - don't remember anymore, 2 > 1/2" or > something similar. Then held the angle part and tapped on the > end with > a small sledge hammer to drive the crank seal in flush. Had > tried > finding a socket, but none of the deep sockets, even up to > 3/4" drive > at Sears, had enough depth to reach over the crank snout. Good > thing I > had that little plumbing pipe because otherwise could not have > gotten > the crankshaft oil seal to seat fully - it did have to be > driven into > place. > Oil seal replacement was fairly simple, Small seal could be > pressed in > by hand. Used a small amount of red grease to hold the little > O ring in > place, since it would otherwise fall out of the groove. > Used the electric impact wrench to remove the oil pump pulley > bolt, > after removing the oil pump. I used one of those neoprene band > clamps > to hold the oil pump sprocket. Some had said it can be > extremely > difficult to remove, but mine spun right off.

Hi,

I have the same leak at about the same place -lower left corner of engine- in my 96 Camry DX (4 cyl. engine). I strongly suspect the leak comes from the oil pump seal (once the engine starts the leak starts, once it?s stopped, the leak stops)

However, I have been unable to remove the crankshaft pulley nut, so I cannot see exactly where the leak comes from. I wonder in what direction the nut loosens (looking at the pulley from its front , clockwise/counterclockwise)

I know it sounds stupid, but those are fastened quite hard sometimes and I have had not success so far... if anyone knows please help. Thanks

Reply to
ecogabriel

I found a $50 electric impact wrench (you might find one on sale for $39.95) worked great on mine. The nut is removed in the standard direction - CCW. A very nice bonus of using the impact wrench, is that the nut came off quickly enough that the crankshaft pulley position was not changed. Have heard the six cylinder crankshaft pulley nuts can be very, very, tight - sometimes needing industrial strength 450 lb.ft. air wrenches to remove. The alternate methods are holding the ring gear on the flywheel while using a long extension on a breaker bar, or propping the breaker bar against a frame member or the ground and _briefly_ cranking over the engine with the starter motor, but as I've said, I prefer the electric impact wrench with correct six point socket.

Reply to
Daniel

"nospampls20021" wrote: > I found a $50 electric impact wrench (you might find one on > sale for > $39.95) worked great on mine. > The nut is removed in the standard direction - CCW. > A very nice bonus of using the impact wrench, is that the nut > came off > quickly enough that the crankshaft pulley position was not > changed. > Have heard the six cylinder crankshaft pulley nuts can be > very, very, > tight - sometimes needing industrial strength 450 lb.ft. air > wrenches > to remove. > The alternate methods are holding the ring gear on the > flywheel while > using a long extension on a breaker bar, or propping the > breaker bar > against a frame member or the ground and _briefly_ cranking > over the > engine with the starter motor, but as I've said, I prefer the > electric > impact wrench with correct six point socket.

Hi, thanks for the info.

Unfortunately, I tried the electric impact wrench but to not success.

I tried counterclockwise because it was the thing that made the most sense. I broke a 6-point socket in another attempt with the breaker bar. Lastly, I thought that it might loose clockwise because of the way the engine rotates, but as you say it is counterclockwise, so I do not know what to do with that thing. I hate paying couple hundred bucks for something that takes 10-20 bucks in seals to fix... anyway

Thanks

Reply to
ecogabriel

ecogabriel wrote: I broke a 6-point socket in another attempt with the breaker

----------------------------------- Just take the car to a local independent mechanic. They have high powered compressed air impact wrenches. Tell him to remove the crankshaft bolt - break it loose, then just put it back on at the correct torque - 80 ft.lbs. Only costs a few dollars, takes a matter of seconds once the wheel is off, and then you'll have no problem removing it at home. A neighbor broke several sockets, wrenches and a breaker bar on the axle nut on his Honda - corner garage had it off in seconds.

Reply to
Daniel

"nospampls20021" wrote: > ecogabriel wrote: > I broke a 6-point socket in another attempt with the breaker > > bar. Lastly, I thought that it might loose clockwise > because of the > > way the engine rotates, but as you say it is > counterclockwise, so I > do > > not know what to do with that thing. I hate paying couple > hundred > > bucks > ----------------------------------- > Just take the car to a local independent mechanic. > They have high powered compressed air impact wrenches. > Tell him to remove the crankshaft bolt - break it loose, then > just put > it back on at the correct torque - 80 ft.lbs. > Only costs a few dollars, takes a matter of seconds once the > wheel is > off, and then you'll have no problem removing it at home. > A neighbor broke several sockets, wrenches and a breaker bar > on the > axle nut on his Honda - corner garage had it off in seconds.

I was just thinking on how to get a mechanic to loosen that damn bolt. Your advice comes just at the right time... Apparently, some "mechanics" do not know what "torque specifications" are for.

Thanks again; I?ll post the news

Reply to
ecogabriel

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