2006 Tacoma V6 signifiacant front oil leak

Okay, so on to the next repair. I have 385,000 on this. I did the head gaskets and cat's etc last summer. Alternator last week. And now, I sprung a pretty significant oil leak yesterday.

I was driving around and my a/c light started flashing. Wasn't sure what that was. When I stopped, I noticed major oil spots dripping on the ground. Multiple spots across form left to right. Everything from alternator to p/s pump was covered in oil. The belt was flinging it everywhere, even the bottom side of the hood. I attached photos of the ground after maybe 10 minuets, and the pan.

So, when I got home, I pressure washed everything, added a quart of oil, probably about a half quart over right now, and let it sit over night. No drips from sitting, and my driveway has a slight slope, parked it pointing down hill. I'm about to go out and start it up to see if I can find the source.

I changed the PCV valve and hoses last summer when I did the head gaskets. Stupidly did not change the front seal while I was in there. I'm guessing it could be the front seal, or the PCV valve, maybe it just went bad. The questionable part is. I haven't had any drips prior, no warning. And the amount of oil that got flung around seems like a lot. Maybe it just got in the grooves of the belt and carried around, or, maybe the PCV got stuck and squirted it out?

Any input is appreciated.

Thanks.

 

Sounds like the front crank seal from your description but ultimately you need to determine the source of the leak.

 

This would also be my best guess from what the OP posted and where the oil is on his pan.

Check the serpentine drive belt and see if any of it has shredded off and become wrapped around the crankshaft and seal.

 

Ha! Was just typing this up when your post came through.

looks like I might have found the issue. As mentioned, I replaced the alternator last week. Looks like the belt is off center one groove. A groove width has been cut off the edge of the belt. I can see a piece of it sticking through from the back side of balancer. Maybe it wrapped around and damaged the seal. Chicken or the egg, not sure if one has to do with the other. Could be secondary. I see a little oil dripping from the end of the water pump bolts next to the P/S pump puley, but that may be cast off? P/S runs off the trans fluid, Correct? it would be red, not brown like engine oil I'm assuming. I just cleaned everything off again, and will drive it to pick up a new belt and seal and just keep moving forward.

 

Check the balancer (crank pulley) and make sure the two halves aren't separating. It's rare but it does happen, and it will drag the belt out of alignment and make it shred

 

It was a strip of belt that wrapped around behind the balancer. I’ve never had a belt do this, and this belt is only a year old. I wonder if it was off on one of the pulleys when I changed the alternator last week, and didn’t notice. What threw me off was, there was so much oil all over, and very little dripping from under the balancer. Even after I cleaned it and watched it. It was just flinging everywhere. Oh well, live and learn. At least it was relatively simple and inexpensive, for once, and I had all the tools.

Thanks everyone for the input.