[TampaDoug]

Was driving to my bros house today, didn't have any problems with car at all - engine, temp, etc normal. Once I got there and parked, smoke comes pouring out from under my hood. I'm like "oh shit!"

Checking under hood, oil had sprayed all over the passenger side of the engine bay.. coated my alternater, belts, lower half of engine, chassis etc.

I can't seem to find where the oil came from.. it seemed to be centered in the oil filter but the filter appears to be tight and I couldn't find any holes by feeling around by hand.

Let it sit for awhile, put some more oil in it and drove it around my brother's yard.. it seemed to run OK. But played it safe and had my brother drive me home. Guess I am having a shop look at my Supra in the a.m.

Any advice, ideas?

thnx

 

[zank]

you could have poped a seal or broken a seal somewhere. I have had some pop out on me, it caused most of my oil to leak out. Try checking behind the timming belt cover, around the camshaft housing, Valve Covers, and it might also be middle plate behind the timming belt.

Hope you get that fixed

 

[TampaDoug]

you could have poped a seal or broken a seal somewhere. I have had some pop out on me, it caused most of my oil to leak out. Try checking behind the timming belt cover, around the camshaft housing, Valve Covers, and it might also be middle plate behind the timming belt.

Hope you get that fixed

Shop says it is a seal (forget which one it is), but they say they have to remove the top of the engine...

They want $780 to fix it..

Am I getting ripped?

 

[Guest]

Price seems a little high to me. To spray that much oil all on the one side, sounds like the seal on the oil filter more than cam or crank seal.I'd remove the oil filter just to check. I replaced my crank,oil, and cam seals and it was'nt that big of a deal, nor did it take that long.
Dick B.

 

[Thermactor]

you could have poped a seal or broken a seal somewhere. I have had some pop out on me, it caused most of my oil to leak out. Try checking behind the timming belt cover, around the camshaft housing, Valve Covers, and it might also be middle plate behind the timming belt.

Hope you get that fixed

Shop says it is a seal (forget which one it is), but they say they have to remove the top of the engine...

They want $780 to fix it..

Am I getting ripped?

You can purchase a 6M-GE for that price. Tell the shop to go fornicate itself, they think you're easy money.

 

[SilverMk2]

Am I getting ripped?

Yeah. Heck, what is that like 10-15 hours of labor? I think the Mitchell guide listed like 8 hrs to R&I the entire engine. The only gasket I could see that you would need that kind of cost would be the head gasket.

 

[trdmkii]

find out what seal it is. i would have checked the oil filter gasket first, i've had one just rip and blow up then oil leaked out...or it could be a bad cam tower gasket, who konws.......

 

[pdupler]

There are no seals on the 5m that would fail like you described in any place that would cost $780 US to get to them. Yes, you are getting ripped, and not only that, I'd say that estimate borders on unethical. Where'd you take it? Goodyear? A Toyota dealer can do ALL front engine seals and timing belt while they're at it for under $400. I'll bet your local Better Business Bureau has a whole file cabinet on this place.

From the sound of it, the leak is in the pressurized portion of the system and could very well be the oil filter. Soak with Simple Green and hose off all the oil as best you can. For a couple of bucks, go ahead and change the oil filter. With everything clean, start it up and run the rpms up to like 3000 to raise the oil pressure and watch to see if you see any more oil leaking. If it was the oil filter gasket or any of the front engine seals or front upper timing cover/oil gallery gasket or oil sending unit (which are the most likely realm of possibilities), then the BBB just got another complaint for their file. As someone said, it could be the head gasket, but I've never seen nor heard of one failing like that without losing all compression in at least a couple of cylinders in which case your car would have run like crap and you'd know it. Unless there's something you forgot to tell us, then I'm sure its nothing major.

Phil D.

 

[TampaDoug]

Well, I took my car to a different shop just to get a second opinion and see if the first shop was telling the truth...

The second shop confirms that the problem is my passemger side cam housing seal. They are only asking $659 and that includes replacing both seals, the timing belt, the crankshaft seal and whatever else you replace when you have the front engine area taken apart.. That sounds like a better deal so I told them to start on it. Should be finished tomorrow.

I am probably still getting ripped a little by what you guys have told me, but I don't have time to take it to a Toyota dealership, or check out every shop in town and get more estimates.

Thanks for your input!

 

[Jay]

wow, sorry you are so rushed - that sounds like a ton of money to replace a seal that is relatively easy to fix. Is it the front cam seal, or the cam housing seal? Either way, if it's on the exhaust side (passenger side) there is no need to pull the front off the motor, or even completely remove the timing belt from the car. You definitely dont need to touch the crankshaft seal unless it's also leaking. You are definitely getting ripped off.

 

[Thermactor]

Well, I took my car to a different shop just to get a second opinion and see if the first shop was telling the truth...

The second shop confirms that the problem is my passemger side cam housing seal. They are only asking $659 and that includes replacing both seals, the timing belt, the crankshaft seal and whatever else you replace when you have the front engine area taken apart.. That sounds like a better deal so I told them to start on it. Should be finished tomorrow.

I am probably still getting ripped a little by what you guys have told me, but I don't have time to take it to a Toyota dealership, or check out every shop in town and get more estimates.

Thanks for your input!

I would have done the exact same jobs for you for $300 if you were in NJ...

 

[Junkie]

Thermactor is right.Parts w/markup is less than $100.This would be 2 cam seals,1 crank seal,t-belt,alt,ps,ac belts,oil and filter.
Labor is about 4 hours,drinking beer,and moving slow. :wink:

 

[zank]

You can purchase a 6M-GE for that price. Tell the shop to go fornicate itself, they think you're easy money.

:werd: :rotfl:



TampaDoug - I think you should try and find a place that wont rip you off if you dont want to spend the money for it.

 

[suprathepeg]

Man those are almost the easiest seals to replace yourself. You could have done it in less then 3hours with minimal mechanical experiance. Just in case you haven't figured it out but you got raped.