All you car guys out there... tell me why my cars leaking oil!

[glockguy]

yea oil filter is dry..

 

[Rix]

take it somewhere reputable and have it looked at.

 

[glockguy]

ok well the oil level in my car still hasnt seemed to be affected... so I dunno...

 

[Swedish K]

OK if I'm not mistaken an 89 camry is a side winder - transverse motor/transmission. Not sure if a manual trans in 89 is ATF or some sort of gear oil as I've seen manual trans of both types. Either way you need to find out what is leaking before you have more expensive things to repair. check your brake fluid and your power steering fluid as well as keeping an eye on the other fluid levels until you have the answer.
My first thought is that the source of the leak is related to the clutch job and at least one of the seals or bolts that you removed or replaced is leaking. Then again - how long did the car sit from the time the clutch went out until you bought the car and replaced the clutch? sometimes the seals will go bad if they sit too long without the engine being run. Usually they dry out from lack of oil circulation and seem fine for a short time then fail. I bought a car that had a rebuilt motor in it - it was driven for about 2 months and then it sat for 3 years before I bought it. After I put it back on the road it was great for about a week - then it started leaking like a sieve - I was loosing about 1.5 quarts a week mostly from the main seals. it ended up being easier to pull the entire motor and replace the oil pan and main seals than attempting to replace them in the car. I wish you luck - it could be something as simple as a bolt that was supposed to have sealant on the threads because it ended in an oil galley and the oil is leaking around the threads.

You said that the oil is coming off of a frame support cross bar - If I were you I would clean that cross bar up so that there is no oil left on it and take the car for a short drive. After getting back I would wrap the cross bar with a layer of paper towels and wait a bit - check back and see where the oil is dripping down on the bar it should be easy to identify now that there is an absorbent paper towel to soak up the oil where it hits and keep it from flowing along the bar. The source of the oil should be directly above where it is hitting the paper towels on the cross bar - or its following something else down to where it drips from to the cross bar - if so follow up and clean as necessary until you find the source.

 

[orygun]

Quite possibly when the transaxle was reinstalled during the clutch job an axle seal was boogered up when the axle was being reinstalled. Also, it's common for someone to not disassemble the engine side axle when pulling the trans and could easily have screwed up the axle seal on that side when jockeying the trans and axle when reinstalling it. No matter what you believe that trans should have for oil, the car is old and many shops believe that manual transmissions take gear oil or engine oil. (by the way, I don't believe that vintage Camry uses ATF in a manual trans, that would come later) If the trans is leaking, your engine dipstick would obviously not show any loss. Look at the axle seals on the trans.
The valve cover possibility sound logical, too.

 

[glockguy]

Well the Tranny has Red ATF fluid in it... maybe its not the right stuff but thats whats in it lol... so its 100% not leaking tranny fluid.. as for the oil... the oil on the dipstick looks new... but the stuff coming out looks quite dirty... guess that could be from it dripping off the dirty frame hu? when I noticed the leak I turned on the car for at least 20 mins and let it run... and it didnt leak at all, nothing dripped off the car.. but then i drive it and then park, it does leak.... maybe I'll go turn it on today and see what it does...

The Break, power steering and clutch fluid are all full... is there another fluid im not thinking of?

 

[deadeye]

The oil is under higher pressure when going down the road due to load and RPM's. The oil also gets hot after running at operating temps which thins it out and causes easier bypass by gaskets/seals, kinda like hot and cold pancake syrup. The best way to tell is going to be jacking it up and looking over the underside with a bright light for signs of fresh leak trails around all seals and gaskets. The next best would be to use the dye in the oil as stated earlier in the thread and use a black light. Without seeing the car and seeing the oil on the ground it is hard to say exactly what it could be.

 

[buick455]

Ok first I'll say that toyota used ATF in their Manual trans cars starting in like '87 in the 4 cyl cars.

In the auto cars, they had seperate fluid for the trans axle than for the transmission because the auto fluid needs to be very clean. So with the manual trans it may have been the same and that may be where the mystery oil came from. I'd check to see if the car has a plug low on the trans axle for draining AND one about half way up for filling seperate from the manual trans. it may also take ATF but may be burnt from years of not being changed. The trans axle would most likley be leaking from a axle seal.

It is also common for rear main seals to leak after a clutch job either from getting too hot while burning up a clutch or after being disturbed during the re assembly process (they will harden over time and don't like being disturbed at all).

My suggestion to you is change your engine oil to a high milage kind because they have solvents in them to soften rubber seals and also change your PCV valve, they are used to vent crankcase pressure and when they get clogged they force oil past the seals and cause leaks.

If the clutch was done by a shop ask them to check the axle seals (they should do this for free) and the trans axle fluid level.

 

[glockguy]

the clutch was done by my bro inlaw, but hes been busy lately.. so ya,

 

[netsecsys]

You could try a dye check to locate the leak.

 

[Wallygator]

Maybe you had an accidental discharge with your firearm and shot a hole through it Or maybe someone else shot a hole through it.

wg

 

[glockguy]

Well my glock did fall out of the glove box..

 

[MA Duce]

Ummmm..because it's a Toyota????

 

[mjbskwim]

Power steering fluid? That's the only other thing to watch.

 

[glockguy]

Well I bought a valve cover gasket and im gonna replace that and see if that helps at all

 

[MarkAd]

Glockguy on Saturday KVI in Seattle has a show from Gregs Japenese Auto.Give them a call and they can help you. The hosts are very knowsledgeable and great guys. The even answer questions abbout my minivan.

 

[SDR]

You could try a dye check to locate the leak.

This is the best idea for mystery leaks... Most part stores carry leak trace dye... Dye is made for Oil and Coolant, Poor it in drive for a day or so and then use a ultraviolet/ Black Light to find the dye, Takes all the guess work out...It works great on older dirty engines that have oil on them...
This model Toyota I believe has the oil filter in the front just under the manifold, The engine block has a ledge around the base that can and will hold oil after replacing the filter, Driving around corners and up and down hills and then parking at angles can move the spilled oil around until it is gone, Mystery leak fixed...
I use the same type of dye for A/C systems, In fact every time I open a system up and repair I charge the system with dye for future leaks, Quick scan with the light and leaks and any seeps are easily found by the neon yellow or green dye...
When replacing the clutch in a full circle one piece rear main vehicle, I always include a rear main seal in the quote, Twenty bucks while trans is out, Hundreds later...