Help major oil lost!!!

[07runner629]

Started seeing a little smoke coming from under the hood. Pulled over immediately. Truck was still running fine, not knocking or anything. No dash lights or oil lights and it wasn't running hot. Popped the hood and oil is everywhere. Pretty sure oil sprayed from somewhere and hit the header that's where I saw the little smoke from. I've lost well over 2+ quart maybe more because it's sprayed over everything. From what I'm thinking it sprayed out the front and hit the fan and that caused it to go everywhere. Wasn't doing any crazy driving just regular start stop city driving around 40mph. Are there any major seals on the front of this motor or anything that could have popped? Are the oil pumps on the front of these motors? Pretty sure it's not a small slow leak because it has to be under pressure to loose this much oil that fast. Wish I could tell where it was coming from but everything is wet. Any ideas from anyone? Very mechanical inclined but just new to the whole 4runner engine. Thanks....

 

[Atlanta_man]

I'd check the oil filter carefully - the seal as well as the metal can itself.

 

[Billynath1988]

Check oil filter first, I've seen people double gasket the filter with the old one more then once.. sometimes that seal actually holds for a short time before the old gasket bursts under then new one..

 

[07runner629]

I'd check the oil filter carefully - the seal as well as the metal can itself.

Check oil filter first, I've seen people double gasket the filter with the old one more then once.. sometimes that seal actually holds for a short time before the old gasket bursts under then new one..

Thanks guys, I checked the oil filter first cause I've seen that happen to a friend. Oil filter looked straight but there could have been a tiny hole in the side somewhere. Only reason I posted cause the oil filter catch thing that catches the oil when you change the filter didn't have oil at the bottom. So I didn't think the bottom seal was bad because there would have been oil down at the bottom of the catch because the drain is closed. Imma wipe everything down and see what I find.

 

[swampdodo]

Sure it is motor oil and not some other fluid...like PS fluid?

 

[keakar]

Check oil filter first, I've seen people double gasket the filter with the old one more then once.. sometimes that seal actually holds for a short time before the old gasket bursts under then new one..

this ^^^^^^

 

[Burt]

In addition to PS leak, maybe TX leak. 4Runners circulate TX fluid thru lower part of radiator (separate core). Hoses enter on drivers side of radiator.

 

[07runner629]

Okay I was correct.... Not the oil filter but deff is oil, added some oil to it and cranked it.... A ton of oil shot out around the main front pulley at the bottom.

 

[Morphyne]

That sounds expensive.

 

[djkurious]

Okay I was correct.... Not the oil filter but deff is oil, added some oil to it and cranked it.... A ton of oil shot out around the main front pulley at the bottom.

Maybe crank seal?

 

[keakar]

if its not the oil filter then all I can think off is the front seal or head gasket, front seal I wouldn't think of as much of an oil "sprayer" unless its a bad enough leak to soak the harmonic balancer and thats slinging oil. another thought is I "suppose" a bad head gasket could be blowing pressurized oil out, but im sure if that's possible but im just throwing my thoughts out there on this

 

[AuSeeker]

Okay I was correct.... Not the oil filter but deff is oil, added some oil to it and cranked it.... A ton of oil shot out around the main front pulley at the bottom.

While the front crankshaft seal behind that pulley if bad will leak a good bit of oil it should never be spraying or shooting out, the crankcase shouldn't have a lot of pressure building up to cause it to happen, I'm guessing that you have a bad PCV (Postive Crankcase Ventilation) valve that letting the piston blow by pressure built up tremendously in the crankcase to have that much oil blowing out, the front seal could or could not be bad, but my guess is it been compromised by whatever is causing the pressure to build up in the crankcase, with enough pressure even a good crankshaft seal will leak!!!

 

[BlackWorksInc]

Yeah, you'll lose fluid from a bad crankshaft seal; but it shouldn't be pressurized to the point of shooting past the seal. Something is causing positive pressure to build up there...

 

[07runner629]

Yea its deff coming from behind the pulley for sure. I dropped the skid plate and that's how I saw it coming out out. Ill just pull the radiator and pulley to see whats going on behind it. Worst case its the seal or maybe ill just replace the whole front timing cover and the seal for piece of mind. Only thing is though to pull that front timing cover I think I have to pull the intake manifold and valve covers to get the front plate off. Thanks for you guys help so far!!

 

[AuSeeker]

Either check and or replace your PCV valve first or you may end up with the same problem!!

Something is causing the pressure to build up in the crankcase, it either the PCV valve or you have compression rings on the piston/s going bad!!

You may want to do a cylinder compression leak down test to see if any of the compression rings are shot.

 

[07runner629]

Either check and or replace your PCV valve first or you may end up with the same problem!!

Something is causing the pressure to build up in the crankcase, it either the PCV valve or you have compression rings on the piston/s going bad!!

You may want to do a cylinder compression leak down test to see if any of the compression rings are shot.

Yea ill check that PCV valve, that could be causing pressure build up. I've never heard of rings going on bad in a toyota in my life, this isn't a ford here lol. Cant hurt to check compression though, I have the kit in the garage.

 

[07runner629]

Okay so pulled off the fan and even pulled the radiator to free up some space to get the impact gun on the crank pulley bolt (that shit was on there tight as hell smh). But managed to get if off with one of my powerful guns. Yup like I thought there was finger sized hole in the front timing cover behind the crank pulley maybe at like 2 oclock. The main seal was in perfect condition. Looks like a bolt got lodged between the spokes of the crank pulley and the cover and it just punched a hole in it. So I was gonna just attempt to weld up the hole but I figured screw it ill just order another front timing cover. Its in the mail now on the way here.

Now the real question is can I just pull the accessories and get the front timing cover off? Or do I need to pull the tb, intake manifold, valve covers, etc? I think imma try and just pull the front timing cover by itself because it looks like it can slide out.

 

[Atlanta_man]

Where did the bolt come from ? An extra from the factory ?

 

[Phils4th]

FOD probably just came from the road. I don't recall what the timing cover is made from but welding cast aluminum back together is difficult (preheating, right filler rod for the base metal, gtaw style) and will likely crack and leak if not done properly. Also, the heat affected zone can warp the part and it'll never seal again. If you weld it you must do it either bolted onto the engine to keep the seal surface true, or bolt it down to a bench. I would try to ream the hole to a true circle and put a bolt in it with an o ring on both sides of the cover. Although it could be too close tolerance to internals.

 

[07runner629]

Where did the bolt come from ? An extra from the factory ?

No idea, looked like a small 10mm bolt. Searched the whole engine bay. I'm not missing any bolts so idk where it came from.

FOD probably just came from the road. I don't recall what the timing cover is made from but welding cast aluminum back together is difficult (preheating, right filler rod for the base metal, gtaw style) and will likely crack and leak if not done properly. Also, the heat affected zone can warp the part and it'll never seal again. If you weld it you must do it either bolted onto the engine to keep the seal surface true, or bolt it down to a bench. I would try to ream the hole to a true circle and put a bolt in it with an o ring on both sides of the cover. Although it could be too close tolerance to internals.

Idk for me I've welded aluminum a couple times and I feel the biggest problem is that its' going to be hard getting a good weld since the backside still probably has oil residue on it. Probably wont hold all that well. Now if I gotta take the trouble to remove the whole thing why not just get a new cover instead of trying to save a $$ and have this happen again lol.