i have a 90 v6 3.0 4x4 4runner. I have a severe oil leak and need help hah. I made a mistake..when changing my timing belt 2 weeks ago after putting most of it together besides the radiator I decided to start my truck to make sure that it would start. I did that and had it running for maybe 5 minutes. after putting the radiator back in and everyone on it seems to be okay until the next day when i came out and I saw a huge puddle of oil under my truck. probably a 20x20 pile. I know one seal that i didnt change and that was the #1 timing belt cover(the one at the very bottom) seal that goes to the oil pan? I thought maybe that was where the oil is coming from but after looking around it looks to be coming from the valve covers i think. when looking from the passenger or drivers side wheels i can see oil all over the transmission. after driving for about 5-10 minutes its a pretty bad drip. I just keep putting more oil in it but I was thinking about changing the valve cover gaskets hopefully that would fix it. anyone know how hard this would be and what other seal/gaskets i could check to see if its coming from them? I know I would have to take the intake off and probably replace the intake plenum gaskets correct? any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance
bad oil leak help please
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Moustache
New member
If your 90 V6 is like mine, then your radiator also doubles as an oil cooler. There are 2 oil lines that run to the radiator. Runnign the truck without the radiator would cause the engine to pump oil onto the ground instead of into the radiator.
If it were leaking that bad from the valve covers you would have quite a bit of smoke from oil dripping onto the exhaust manifolds. Any smoke?
My valve covers leak some and it drips right onto the drivers side manifold and it smoke quite a bit for what little oil leaks out.
If it were leaking that bad from the valve covers you would have quite a bit of smoke from oil dripping onto the exhaust manifolds. Any smoke?
My valve covers leak some and it drips right onto the drivers side manifold and it smoke quite a bit for what little oil leaks out.
okay it didn't leak oil until after i put the radiator on, and yeah lots of smoke. when i stop at red lights/stop signs people think my truck is on fire. I can look and see a lot of oil leaking from both sides which i think are the valve covers. one i can clearly see with the oil cap and the other i think is under the intake correct? and when looking around the bolts on the drivers side valve cover i can see what looks like its been leaking pretty bad. I'm just curious if starting my truck without the radiator on would have caused it to burn up my valve cover gaskets or anything else. It never leaked a drop of oil until this. and it has about 225k miles on it
sugarshack
New member
valve cover gaskets or cam seals. you can remove the timing cover and watch the cam seals blow oil if they are leaking. one of mine was so dried out that it was spinning with the shaft! just take the radiator hose loose, sepatate the inlet on the bearing with the coolant going through it(whyever they did that?) pull off the timing cover and then re-attach the cooling and fire it up. if the cam seals are leaking you should see a steady drip if oil from behind the timing gears. also, my valve covers themselves were kind of warped and distorted, so i had to build up some rtv between the cover and the gasket to make it seal properly. and by 4runner standards, properly means that they still leak a little...
so i could put rtv all around the valve covers to keep them sealed? or should i go ahead and replace the gaskets as well then put some rtv? and i did change the timing belt and i didnt replace that seal so that could be one of the leaks. i just didnt think that was it because i can see it leaking all around my spark plugs which looks like its coming from my valve covers but im not positive. its also all over my transmission. oil that is
Bad_Vision
Moderator
you always want to replace gaskets they are cheap and typically wasy to replace, RTV is only used to seal something so the guy who buys the vehicle wont noticed you left him with a bad oil leak.
ive looked all over on this site i cant find a good detailed how to on changing the valve seal covers. if i were to change them what all seals would i need to replace? i was looking and think i found something that said the intake plenum gasket?
Bad_Vision
Moderator
yup basicly get all the gaskets from above the valve covers. look at the engine find the valve covers and buy every gasket on the way to the hood.
shouldnt be much cost just a few hours if you reall clean your parts good as you take them off. could be done in a hour but you want to clean the surface so your gasket will seal correctly!
shouldnt be much cost just a few hours if you reall clean your parts good as you take them off. could be done in a hour but you want to clean the surface so your gasket will seal correctly!
sugarshack
New member
i used rtv with the new gaskets. if the plastic valve covers are mis-shaped, you might need to add some to your valve covers(before the new gasket is in place) to make the gasket seal properly. or just buy new ones. i think the other gasket you are talking about, is the timing cover seals. they do nothing but keep dirt away from the timing belt. wouldnt cause an oil leak if you didnt replace them. just for the record, the valve cover gaskets on the 3.0 are the leakiest thing ever built. start there. however, the oil in that part of an engine, isnt really under any kind of pressure. so it will spot up your driveway, stink and smoke, but not leave a puddle the size of which you described.
okay now i think i have a serious problem. earlier today it leaked bad where i ran out of oil i think and it started knocking. i quickly got it oil but then after that it still clicked. then later tonight i started driving and i heard a loud pop and know its like knocking so loud its ridiculous. i didnt see much smoke tho. what could i have done?
sugarshack
New member
no offense, but i think youre screwed.
haha i hope not. well i put oil in it and it stopped knocking. later that night i was driving maybe 300ft from my driveway and there was a loud pop and it started making this sound like there was a hole in my intake or something. when i start my truck and look around the engine there is a intense air blowing coming from the drivers side near the spark plugs. do you think maybe where the oil was leaking on the exhaust manifold it melted a seal that could cause that? i didnt think there were seals around the exhaust because of how hot it got but im not sure. on top of that someone stole it that same night and it was recovered yesterday but now its knocking very loud with that same sound. ill see what the mechanics say tomorrow when my insurance has it towed and fixes everything thats wrong with it. or do you think its possible where oil was leaking on the exhaust maniford that it caused it to pop a hole in the exhaust headers? or right before the exhaust manifold?
