1989 Camry. oil leak around timing belt cover.

JOET/CAMRY · 07-05-2009, 01:28 PM

Hi Everyone,

I have a 1989 Camry 4 cylinder (3sfe) with 247,000 miles on the odometer. It is leaking a lot of oil from the bottom of the timing belt cover. I believe the oil pump gasket has sprung a leak.

I suppose it could also be the crankshaft and/or camshaft seals that are leaking also.

The timing belt has 171,000 miles on it

and the water pump has 161,000 miles on it

so I am going to replace the water pump, timing belt, camshaft and crankshaft seals and the oil pump gasket while I am working in the area.

I never attempted to replace a timing belt before but I know I can get the job done if I follow the directions in my Chilton's and Haynes repair manuals.

Anyhow I have some questions.

1) should I bother replacing that tiny oil pump seal? Does it tend to leak?

2) Can I support the engine from underneath with the oil pan off? Is their a way to do this. I don't own a engine hoist to support it from the top.

3) Does the oil pan need to be removed to replace the oil pump gasket?

4) In my Chilton's repair manual it says I need a spanner wrench to remove the camshaft timing pulley. Is there another method of removing the pulley without this wrench that works just as good?

5) What type of puller is needed to remove the crankshaft pulley? In the manual it says something about using a puller that applies force to the "hub only". It said not to use a gear puller.

I don't own any pullers so I am not too familiar with the different types available.

Any help/advice on getting this work done is appreciated.

JOET/CAMRY

jdmccright · 07-07-2009, 12:06 PM

I'll try to get all the answers for you:

1) should I bother replacing that tiny oil pump seal? Does it tend to leak?

The oil shaft seal has a higher tendency to leak than the pump gasket. By now, I'm sure those seals are good and petrified. No sense in changing 2 of 3 and leaving a old, hard seal in there that can give out 100 miles after you get it all back together and running. Besides, with the front of the engine removed, it is an easy-to-add item for peace of mind.

2) Can I support the engine from underneath with the oil pan off? Is their a way to do this. I don't own a engine hoist to support it from the top.

I may be wrong on this, but I don't think you need engine support to remove the pan or any of the timing belt items you plan on replacing. There is one "dog-bone" mount that is removed at the top, but the other engine mounts are left alone. If I am wrong, then you'd need to make a special bracket to support on either side of the crankshaft while keeping the front of the engine clear to remove the oil pump body.

3) Does the oil pan need to be removed to replace the oil pump gasket?

First, let's clarify that you want to replace the oil pump to block gasket, not the oil pump shaft seal. Yes, the pan must be dropped to remove it as the body actually forms part of the pan sealing surface.

4) In my Chilton's repair manual it says I need a spanner wrench to remove the camshaft timing pulley. Is there another method of removing the pulley without this wrench that works just as good?

Not sure of your actual engine, but the camshafts on the 5S-FE are made to accept a large wrench which could be used to hold the camshaft while removing the pulley bolt, though not really recommended. I had a hard enough time finding a spanner wrench (Pep Boys), but it did work. Cartainly better than trying to jam the camshaft gears, too.

5) What type of puller is needed to remove the crankshaft pulley? In the manual it says something about using a puller that applies force to the "hub only". It said not to use a gear puller.

The crankshaft pulley has threaded holes to which you screw in long bolts. Then the puller will apply force to the center to pull the pulley off the crankshaft end. I will note that most hub-type puller sets don't include the thread type you need...I'll guess M8x1.25 and about 3" long (can anybody confirm this?)...find the right thread, then make a trip to Lowe's or Home Depot for the right bolts.

Hope I could help and good luck!

javatrooper · 07-09-2009, 03:39 PM

I'm not familiar with your engine, but it seems to me that if you pull the oil pan to replace the oil pump gasket on an engine with 249,000 miles, your better off just replacing the pump. They do wear out. You may be able to measure the clearances with the pump out and see if it is within specs.

As for engine support, I just stacked some wood on each fender and ran a steel beam across the top. Jack up the engine, hook on chain, lower jack. Not sure you need to on this car though.

JOET/CAMRY · 07-09-2009, 05:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JOET/CAMRY

Hi Everyone,

I have a 1989 Camry 4 cylinder (3sfe) with 247,000 miles on the odometer. It is leaking a lot of oil from the bottom of the timing belt cover. I believe the oil pump gasket has sprung a leak.

I suppose it could also be the crankshaft and/or camshaft seals that are leaking also.

The timing belt has 171,000 miles on it

and the water pump has 161,000 miles on it

so I am going to replace the water pump, timing belt, camshaft and crankshaft seals and the oil pump gasket while I am working in the area.

I never attempted to replace a timing belt before but I know I can get the job done if I follow the directions in my Chilton's and Haynes repair manuals.

Anyhow I have some questions.

1) should I bother replacing that tiny oil pump seal? Does it tend to leak?

2) Can I support the engine from underneath with the oil pan off? Is their a way to do this. I don't own a engine hoist to support it from the top.

3) Does the oil pan need to be removed to replace the oil pump gasket?

4) In my Chilton's repair manual it says I need a spanner wrench to remove the camshaft timing pulley. Is there another method of removing the pulley without this wrench that works just as good?

5) What type of puller is needed to remove the crankshaft pulley? In the manual it says something about using a puller that applies force to the "hub only". It said not to use a gear puller.

I don't own any pullers so I am not too familiar with the different types available.

Any help/advice on getting this work done is appreciated.

JOET/CAMRY

Thank You Jdmccright and Javatrooper for the info.

I just looked in my Haynes 1983 - 1991 Camry repair manual and on page 2A-19 illustration 15.5b it had this picture of the oil pump components- exploded veiw.

I was getting the oil pump case gasket confused with the oil pump body (spaghetti seal) o-ring .

I read on this forum that the oil pump body o-ring tends to leak on many older model camrys. If it needs to be replaced I guess I won't need to remove the oil pan.

That would be great as the oil pan gasket is not leaking. I am not sure how likely the oil pump case gasket is to leak in the future. Don't know if I should replace it or not.

Regards,
JOET/CAMRY

jdmccright · 07-10-2009, 12:13 PM

Great pic. Autozone has changed their site completely and now has none of those nice Haynes-imported figures...

Ayup, if that is true then no need to remove the pan to replace the oil pump o-ring. But as suggested, since you'll have it out anyways, check the clearance between the drive & driven rotors for wear. You might even just buy a new one just in case it is out of spec...return it if not needed. But looking at AZ's site, the pic they use for it includes the whole pump case...not cheap either @ $122. Maybe other sites just sell the pump body and rotors, but I don't know offhand.

You really won't know where the leak is from until you get the timing belt covers off. You'll be able to see the trail it leaves if it's coming from one of the shaft seals. What I did was buy a timing belt kit from eBay that included new belt, seals, water pump, tensioner, and idler pulleys. I'm sure you can find one that also includes an oil pump that is a reasonable price. Again, at that age/mileage, it would be prudent to replace it all since you have it apart, but everyone has their limit.

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