Front differential / oil pan

[tyr0981]

Well my intuitional feeling when i hit the 250k mile mark was correct.... I've developed a slow oil leak from what looks like the back of the oil pan, all the bolts (that i can get a socket / wrench on) feel tight, no oils from near the filter observed, i backed some of the pan bolts off and back on, and still have the slow leak, appearing heaviest at the back top of the pan where it bolts onto the block.

My chilton's book says too pull the pan off i need to remove the front differential, and "press out the steering knuckle". if i have to use a press to R&R things i may just 'pay out the anus!' to have it done by Toyota.....

so does anyone have experience doing this job? do i need to take it to a shop with a press? i'm fairly mechanically inclined, I do just about all my own work. Pointers, hell no's, or stories are all appreciated here..... thanks guys!

:doh:

 

[tyr0981]

Anybody??

:bump2:

 

[shadow247]

Do you have access to a lift?

Otherwise you are going to need a couple of floor jacks to pull this off.
Start by removing the skidplates.
Jack up the truck and place jackstands in front and behind the front wheels.
This will give you plenty of stability to rock and roll the differential out of the way.
Toyota Maintenance: CV Axle Replacement on 3rd Generation 4Runners and Tacomas - Use this guide to remove the CV Axle.
After you do that, there are only 3 bolts actually holding the diff on. You may also have to drop the steering rack as well.
It is quite labor intensive, but doable on your own with the right jack.
You can use ratchet straps around the diff to assist in lowering.
You really only need to lower the front diff enough to clear the oil pan for removal, so it is not necessary to do anything more than drop it down using a jack.

 

[tyr0981]

sounds not too terrible.... i have 2, 2 1/4 ton hydraulic jacks one being ~2ft tall floor jack and the other a 14" incher, and 2 sets of stands. so i can lift her pretty well, but i was stumped when it said to undo the steering knuckle...? The joint doesn't appear to be in the way....? i just replaced the power steering rack so that procedure is still fresh.

 

[chadsy]

Before you tear into it make sure the leaks not coming from the valve cover.

 

[tyr0981]

Before you tear into it make sure the leaks not coming from the valve cover.

Left side was leaking ~2 years ago, i tightened up the valve cover bolts and wallah problem solved! it's not running down the side of the block either, just along the top of the pan, down the back along the skid plates and transmission.

 

[tyr0981]

and another problem reared its head this week also, a P0300 (multiple cylinder misfire) sometimes i hate my intuition about stuff.....

:frusty:

so in the past i've seen the 'left bank running lean' code, and the P171 code, because the MAF sensor keeps getting dirty from my K&N filter oil. I clean the MAF sensor with brake cleaner, and all is well for awhile again until I clean the filter. This "multiple cylinder misfire" is different, i can feel / hear it misfiring, it's only at initial startup, then i give it some gas (revving it out of gear) and it goes away.

So i ordered a Denso 02 sensor for the left side along with the oil pan gasket, hopefully that'll be it!

has anyone else been through the P0300 code before? where it'll misfire only for a bit at startup?

 

[tyr0981]

i was guessing reply's to this last issue would be light... so nobody has had a misfire code from an 02 sensor?

 

[seanshreds]

I think this kind of thing happened to my buddy's 4runner recently, the misfires that is. It just kept missing and my autoshop teacher said it could be the timing belt. Don't quote me on this but definitely something to look into.

 

[tyr0981]

Mystery Solved! it was an easy one (pretty sure wire inside the plug wire isn't supposed to come out like this):

so i have a spare fuel injector now..... :ranger: so this hopefully the end of the valve cover gasket leak too, so i hope that'll solve the small but steady oil leak i've been experiencing....

 

[Doc2012]

and another problem reared its head this week also, a P0300 (multiple cylinder misfire) sometimes i hate my intuition about stuff.....

:frusty:

so in the past i've seen the 'left bank running lean' code, and the P171 code, because the MAF sensor keeps getting dirty from my K&N filter oil. I clean the MAF sensor with brake cleaner, and all is well for awhile again until I clean the filter. This "multiple cylinder misfire" is different, i can feel / hear it misfiring, it's only at initial startup, then i give it some gas (revving it out of gear) and it goes away.

So i ordered a Denso 02 sensor for the left side along with the oil pan gasket, hopefully that'll be it!

has anyone else been through the P0300 code before? where it'll misfire only for a bit at startup?

Ummmmmm. Never clean the MAF with brake cleaner. One sure way to destroy your MAF.

Use MAF cleaner to clean it.

And get rid of that POS K&N. Lol.

 

[tyr0981]

Ummmmmm. Never clean the MAF with brake cleaner. One sure way to destroy your MAF.

Use MAF cleaner to clean it.

And get rid of that POS K&N. Lol.

The Filter thing was a bad idea... it was before i knew better, now i'm too cheap to toss it. Why would non-Cl be bad for the MAF? Provided your not stupid enough to spray it when it's warm?