2.7l 3rz oil pump leak

So I’ve noticed a leak coming from my oil pump the gasket isn’t doing shit but as anyone else look at the gasket for the pump I mean the oem one is really thin and sits on the track inside the pump very flimsy

 

Is the leak coming off the shaft....that is the pump seal..

or is it the oil pump cover gasket....which is pretty much destined to fail at some point....

Sometimes its hard to tell....the harmonic balance pully will sling that oil everywhere...making hard to tell...

 

And it really doesnt matter which one - if you go in there.....replace em both....
get the hex screws from LC engineering when you put the cover back on....
matter of fact LCE has the whole seal kit for 2rz/3rz oil pumps....

Oil Pump O-Ring 2RZ/3RZ OEM Toyota P/N: 15188-75021 (lceperformance.com)

Oil Pump Cover Allen Head Hardware Kit - 2RZ/3RZ (lceperformance.com)

worst part of the whole job is getting those Philips screws out of the cover....the ac coil is in the way - no way to get an impact in there......even with radiator out..
Ultimately I could not get the last one out.....so had to take whole time cover off and use old fashion hand impact driver left over from my motorcycle days...and alot of torch....

mine was leaking because sometime in past an old harmonic balance had wobbled so bad when it was going out - because that's what they do....it had cracked the inside of timing cover right where the oil pump seats/spins against it......could not tell it was cracked until I remove time cover and inspected just before reassembly... and it was not easy to spot..tiny crack, maybe 1/3 inch long..then had quick ship another before putting humpty back together...

it was leaking there....falling on HB .... and then get slinged in a plane cross whole front of engine bay....put off fixing for a while....and shouldnt of done that...
it may of ruin my new alternator....it got coated...

 

It’s not the front seal it’s the oil pump gasket

 

I literally just went through the oil pump gasket replacement this week. It was definitely a lot more work than expected.

I highly recommend draining the coolant & taking the radiator and fan off. It's super quick and saves so much time and hassle during the process. Also gotta remove all the belts because that crank shaft pulley is coming out.

The first hurdle to overcome was the freaking Crank Shaft Bolt. This thing was on bonkers tight. Many people claim it can't be taken off with an impact, but after a decent soak of PB Blaster and full reverse torque on my impact wrench it finally broke loose and came out.

Second hurdle is now pulling the Crank Shaft Pulley off the shaft. I used this

$20 OEMTOOLS 25200 Steering Wheel Puller, Puller Tools, Pulley Remover, Steering Puller

puller kit.

Finally you're now at the oil pump cover. And since you've removed the radiator you have plenty of room for an Impact driver. Use an impact-rated Phillips Head #3 (PH3) and go SLOW. Don't full press on the trigger or you'll cam out and wreck that bolt easily. I successfully pulled out 7 of the 9. The last two I got hasty and stripped. I had to drill them out with a pilot which was terrifying. If I had been slower and more careful I definitely could have gotten all nine.

But wait - there's more. If you're oil pump cover is anything like mine it was glued on and took a lot of prying to finally knock loose. It may be best to just get a whole new front cover, I damaged mine easily prying it out. A good alternative which probably could have saved my original cover is to use a seal puller of some sort, like the Harbor Freight one, and pull on the front seal with it as leverage to get the cover off. Since it'd be a good idea to replace it anyways it won't matter if it's damaged and it's a lot cheaper than a new oil pump cover.

Also putting in the new gasket sucked. Like you said the gasket is small and flimsy and does not want to stay in place. I eventually used some 77 spray to glue it in place and it was a sticky mess, but finally stayed. I also put FIPG around the edges for good measure.

As others have stated definitely purchase the LC Engineering replacement bolts with Allen heads, they are much easier to put back in and will be a lot easier to take out should you ever have to repeat the process again.

I'm actually still currently in the rebuild phase. Putting the crank shaft pulley bolt back on is a nightmare and a half, but working on it following this video as a guide to get it torqued correctly: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pnh0JBq-g3s

Good luck!

 

Front seal usally refers to the main engine seal....

The time cover gasket....then theres a thin gasket on the outer pump gear against time cover...
and then there's engine front seal....which I think you can get out with a pic without taking pump cover off..
just need identify for sure where its coming....I've given you 3 possibilities ....
but its that cover gasket 90% of time...

 

Getting off the HB you can use loan a tool puller from autozone - $65 deposit..HB remover kit...

Breaking that pulley bolt can be done without impact by wedging brake bar against something solid and then gently cranking the starter.....there's utube vids of how to do it...

And get this tool to put HB back on and get torqued correctly ..

For Lexus Toyota Harmonic Damper Pulley Holding Tool Set Crankshaft Crank Holder | eBay

And be ubber careful when you reseat the HB .... if damage your crank key..and operate engine like that....you may destroy the crank......like somebody did on mine....if my old engine could talk....it could tell you horror stories....

Hence my 3rz to 2rz rebuild caption


Yeah ....unfortunately I have some experience here.....sucks........
and here I am $4000 later.....
but now I have a '98 with only 4k on it.....

 

Btw I’ve swapped a engine already so I know the whole process it was easy for me I was just asking if their is a thicker seal for the oil pump gasket and I’m not sure why people seem confused I’m talking about the gasket that goes around the pump behind the oil pump cover

 

Yes THATS THE ONE THAT GOES OUT 90% OF TIME...
just make sure while your in there....it would be a bi-o-tch to have to go back....

The heat of the engine cooks these and then they fail....
if they made them out silicone or an ester they'd last million miles....
instead of the cheap ass weak butyl stuff they use...
And yes .... that's the only one I know of....even the LCE one is the same.....

While you're in there, I'd replace the engine front seal, since its right there, think they're like $10 and all the auto stores have em....take you less than a minute..

 

It’s so thin like what the fuck

 

Yeah pain in the ass to do .... takes better part of a day to do....
and that's if you have all the tools.....and there was no way for impact gun for me, even with rhe stubby sockets - the ac coils said 'no way buddy, not so quick'....

And its almost a guarantee if you keep the truck long enough...you'll get to it again...
I figure life of two of these seals will last one fuel pump.....


And I did mine with cover laying on table....cant imagine going vertical..
kudos to Snips5...he's better man than me......damn

wonder if Phil's 'tenacious oil' we use on bike racing freewheels....its super sticky like honey...would work??

 

I have enough practice now on changing out the oil pump housing. I forgot to "prime" the oil pump.

 

Prime it with the I forgot what it’s called but that soft gel

 

Forums said LCE says to pack gear full of Vaseline.....

3rz oil pump - Bing

2/3RZ Oil System Photo Reference | Tacoma World

 

I used the (red) wheel bearing grease and it worked like a charm. I am always having to learn the hard way, I should of read the assembly manual.

 

So, I've been lurking this site for a while, and not sure I've posted before. Usually I find the info I need and go on my way. However, my front main seal and / or pump cover seal have been dripping for a long time. The drip turned into a drip drip, and is not drippity drip drip... I promised myself I wouldn't dig into this truck when it decided to fail me, but I may have lied to myself. I bought this truck (96, 2.7L, 3rz, 4x4) used when it was 5 years old (2001). It was my wife's daily driver, and commuted long distance twice a week back in the day. It has spent the past 10 years as my hunting rig, and though I \'ve maintained it, it hasn't seen the love of my 2001, 3.4L, V6. Anyway, I am now contemplating doing the seals, but was wondering what else I "should" do while in there. Replacement includes for sure the oil pump & seal, front main seal, but should I do the water pump and related seals, oil pan gasket?, timing chain? Anything else? I know the truck hasn't had any major work before or during my ownership. The oil pump and water pump are original. The truck has 292k miles, so though I want to keep it running, I don't want to sink a ton of money into it. But it is better than a quad while hunting, and my son will need to learn to drive in 2 more years. It's my understanding that the timing chain(s) are zero interference (though I'm now reading that might be false) and I've never heard it make any noise, so I'm not sure if I need to do it, or if I'm a fool not to while I'm opening things up. Thanks for an advice.

 

Bump

 

I would replace oil pump seals, oil pan seal, I would leave the timing chain cover seal if it’s not leaking, I just put a new motor in my truck and noticed putting the timing chain cover on that it was trying to eat into the head gasket. You might think about doing a valve adjustment. The water pump seals are actually pretty good so I’d leave them too. When they go bad there is a peep hole coolant will leak from so you should be good. The oil pump O-ring is trash. Mine is leaking with 40miles on the engine. I think I might pull it off and put a layer of Toyota Black gasket maker around the out side. I’m not sure if anyone knows where to get a real O-ring? It’s so small you can almost put 2 in the slot it goes it pretty much worthless a horrible design.

 

Bump for later

 

CDC
I got a 96 2.4L recently
Leaking oil(not bad) but 3-5mm of crusted oil everywhere….more of a seepage leak(s)
Start at top and go down
Valve cvr/half moons
Mine had distributor Oring(leaking)
Timing cover gasket
H20 pump
Oil pump
Oil pan gasket (oil pan needs to come off to remove the T cover)
Thermostat/gasket
Pretty big job
Give or take $150 in parts plus coolant plus oil/filter
Book pays 12hrs -/+….took me 4 days of work
2weeks of research/looking at threads here/asking questions b4 work

glad I did the job
Zero leaks now