1GR FE Oil gallery leak. Initial findings

EDIT: Bulleted version
- Did first oil change at 3000-ish miles; bell housing wet
- checked, not coming from oil pan
- bring it to dealer, dealer says is not oil plate or rear main, but oil gallery plug of some sort
- toyota still researching, but last time seen, only repair was replace engine


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SO, I have this 1gr-fe in my tacoma. I noticed at about 3000 miles that I had a tiny bit of wetness (oil) on the bottom of the bell housing.

I wiped it off to see how fast it was accumulating, as I couldn't get into the dealer, and it wasn't obvious where it was coming from.

After I watched it for a while more (and the wife returned with the second car) I brought it into the shop, pretty sure, almost positive that I had a leaky rear main or oil plate.

The service writer looked at it and agreed, probably what it is.

Well, they put dye in it and confirmed the leak was from the bell housing and proceed to pull the transmission/transfer case. Once they pulled it, they found it wasn't the rear main.

He described it as a "rear oil gallery plug thing". Apparently left over from machining the block or some over pressure blow out hole. It was seeping, probably doing it from day it was built.

Apparently its not replaceable. Or at least in a way that makes toyota happy. He says he's seen one before, but on the front. On the front it's behind the timing cover.

The way to resolve the problem (and he's still validating this with toyota in case they've come up with a tsb or unpublished fix) is replacing the engine. Says he's already done it on one, and that's what it looks like.

Gave me a loaner and said he'd call when Toyota got back to him.

Great service over at the Servco stores though. I bet if I walked into the GMC dealer down the road with the same problem, they'd spray it with brake cleaner and tell me it was fixed. Maybe put some silicone on it.

Kind of sucks. If I had known what it was, I would have waited 30000 miles to replace it. Assuming new engine that is. But who knew. I haven't seen it in any threads here...

Will update when he calls me back. Like I said, he's only seen one and tacoma is the most popular truck in the state by far and toyota sells most of the cars on island. Or at least is the biggest seller.
Not a running rampant issue. Then again. Its a small seep that probably wouldn't get worse, so there may be people living with it.

 

Warranteeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeetc.

 

I"m pretty sure they will do it right. The dealership is like doing business at a ritzy country club where you're the richest member. So, even if they screw it up, its just a matter of taking off work (i'm salaried) and getting the loaner till it's right.

THey're all smiles and handshakes there. Pressed uniforms. Knowledgable staff that was "home grown", not transplants from ford to dodge to toyota type stuff.

I still haven't heard officially that they're replacing it. But the guy said, that's what they've done recently. but maybe I get to be a guinea pig.

 

FTW

 

Dang i've never heard of a 4.0 being replaced, or at 3000 miles for that matter!

 

yea. He said he (that particular service writer) had done one other for a front leak of the same bore. Comes out the front timing cover in that case. That truck was at 15000 miles, but how long do you run with such a small leak before noticing it? He says it was there at the factory. THere are a few that have been replaced for other reasons though. Look it up.. there's a couple guys on here that had a blocked oil port or something ended up eating up the passenger? side cylinder bay. Burned up bad.

 

Wow, that's a bummer. Good thing you caught it this early with the 3k change.

Good thing you're being treated well, too. That's one of the reasons you bought a Taco!

 

Yea.. If servco was a nissan dealer, I'd be driving a frontier. Can't beat em, well in this state.

I don't know as it mattered to catch it early. Tiny leak. Shouldn't get worse.

 

I think i had the same leak. The dealership told me they found leak in the timing chain cover and said if not taken care of soon i will be in the market for a new 4.0, they covered it under warranty to replace the leaking cover

 

well the timing covers are prone to leaking on these. But this was a hole in the block. Well a poorly plugged machining bit. I'm thinking its perfectly reparable for someone that wants to do it. But that toyota doesn't have an official fix for it. I mean. Bore out the plug and fill it with a tig welder or whatever.. I don't know I'm not a machinist.
I tried to find a picture of the back of the 1gr to try to see what he was talking about. Can't find it.

 

Just got off the phone with toyota. They're ordering a shortblock for it.
Not super enthusiastic about them unbolting everything, but hopefully they get it right. Still have 55000 to "break it in"

 

wow! A replaced engine is going to show up in a carfax when you go to sell it. If you bought it from them then it sounds like it may be a good time to make a deal for a new truck. Where was it built?

 

If they are replacing the engine I would drop a 4.7 or 4.6 V8 in that bitch

That's what I would do if my engine died...

 

I don't even know what that word means

I know theyre paying for it which is good, but it still is a perfect opportunity to put in a V8
Cause IMO it would be wrong to take out a working 4.0, only way I'd do a v8 swap is if my engine blew...and if I had the money and time to do it

 

I asked.. So is that a complete engine long block?... He said, no the leak is in the block your heads and stuff are fine, it'll just be the short block.

These guys arent joes garage. So far they always impress.

 

Yea with the 1gr.. You dont lose anthing going to a v8.. But thats when the engine craps out off warranty.

 

Wow, never seen a 4.0 leak like that. I have seen a few camrys with 2AZ 4 cyl leak from a oil plug that looks like a small freeze plug just above the rear main seal.

 

Yup sounds like the same