Assistance needed for my truck

Hello, all! May your Tacoma live forever.

When I got home, I noticed that some smoke came from the engine. It has a burnt smell (most likely oil leaking from the old valve cover gasket which is long overdue for a new one). No coolant leaking. To be honest, I don’t really have the time and am mostly procrastinating. But I am looking to find a genuine valve cover gasket for my automatic 99 Tacoma 2.4l 2WD . Where can I physically buy one?

I drive on the highway every weekday to work, so I do need to do an oil change, replace spark plugs and air filter more often.

Also, I do feel like this truck struggles uphill, which is probably expected, so my first guess is to replace the fuel filter (if I can find it). Second guess are either replacing transmission fluid and filter, and/or changing differential fluid. Transmission and differential fluids are original. Currently have 282k miles.

 

Your fate is probably already sealed

Old contaminated fluids act as a cutting fluid......especially at temp

you're eating all your seals in the tranny and rear wheel seals...

however if you fresh fluids now either may start leaking

precarious position........no good choices

 

Fuel filter is under the intake manifold and can be difficult. While you might be able to get away with using 2 open end wrenchs tubing wrenches is preferred. If you round out the corners of the hardline you are in a world of hurt.

A 2.4 and an automatic is not the fastest thing out there.

 

Would not be a bad idea to check compression numbers