Common 1st gen oil leaks

my 2000 Tacoma has an oil leak/s. I just bought it a few weeks ago. If you’re under the truck it looks like you can see a small drip from the back of the valve cover dripping on the exhaust but you can’t get a good look from the engine bay. There’s also some oil that will drip off of the bell housing and transmission fluid dipstick. Probably would be better off just taking it to my Toyota mechanic but wanted to see if you guys had anyway suggestions.
Thanks,
Eli

 

I've seen a fair number of people with leaking valve cover gaskets. There are several write-ups I've seen here of people replacing them. It's not that complicated, but for a shop to do it likely won't be cheap.

 

Valve cover gaskets sound like something I could probably handle at home (if everything goes smoothly) just hoping it’s not the RMS or something. Thanks for your response. Maybe I can take some pics of it tomorrow.

 

4cy or 6 cyl? For 5VZ the intake manifold needs to come off to do the valve cover gaskets so might as well replace the intake manifold gaskets while you are at it if that's what you have. Not a hard job but time consuming.

 

I have a 6 cyl.

 

Do it. I had the same oil leak in the location you described. It's a fairly easy process that can be done with minimal tools. Watch the @Timmah! video here...

 

Check the torque on the valve cover bolts, they could possibly be loose, mine were when I bought my truck a couple of years back. I could smell that burning oil smell every time I got close to the truck, I found the loose bolts when i was changing spark plugs and wires, I tightened the bolts down and the smell went away, I just keep a check on them from time to time. I'm not saying its a permanent fix but it could buy you some time, I know at some point I will need to do the valve cover gaskets.

 

Ok thanks

 

Tightening the bolts is only a temporary fix. You can't reach all of them and tightening some will only put uneven pressure on the gasket (causing the leak to get worse). Buckle down and do the whole job. We were just talking about it in another thread here...

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/cam-seals-or-half-moons-leaking.461489/

 

The valve cover bolts over time will need to be tighten down.

The correct way is really to tighten ALL of them and replace the rubber spacers that get hard from heat
over time if you don’t do the complete valve job.
Think of a transmission or oil pan gasket. You have to tighten every one to the correct torque or it will leak. No different with valve covers