1991 Toyota Pickup Oil change problem

RBURK33025

MEMBER
1991 TOYOTA PICKUP

Engine Mechanical problem
1991 Toyota Pickup 4 cyl Four Wheel Drive Manual

Wow. I can't believe what just happened, and I can't figure out why.

I owned the same 1991 Toyota 4x4 pickup for 18 years (I bought it new). Just a few weeks ago, I had the engine replaced (22R-E), along with the water pump, speedometer cable, starter and clutch.

The guy who did the job for me -- a good friend who has worked on my car many times -- told me to change the oil after about 500 miles. Which I just did today. (It's probably about the 50th time I've changed the oil on this truck myself.)

And I started the engine to make sure there were no leaks. And all the oil came pouring out the bottom. As best I can tell, it did NOT come out of the oil pan plug (it's on there tight, and that just doesn't look like the spot where it came out, because there's lots of oil above it). Yes, I also changed the filter, and hand-tightened it as usual, and (from what I can see), it doesn't look like it's coming out of the filter area either.

Yes, the oil cap is on tight and the dipstick is in place (and it's quite clean in those places, so I know it's not coming out there).

I have a call into my friend who changed the engine, but he might be out for the weekend. Can anyone help me? Besides the oil pan plug, the oil filter, the oil cap and the dipstick, are there any other places where the oil I just changed could all come pouring out at once?

Thanks in advance for your help!

2 Replies

RASMATAZ

MECHANIC
75,992 POSTS

Sir you should be able to see where the oil leak is coming from. And just double check your oilfilter seal. And just get back to me.

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Saturday, November 21st, 2009 AT 9:34 PM

RBURK33025

MEMBER
2 POSTS

Okay. Problem solved. I tell this as a cautionary tale for others.

I checked the oil filter, which was tight, and then took it off to compare it to the other (old) oil filter. And when I took it off, it came off almost immediately. So although it was tight, it was NOT all the way on. I put the old one on, and it went on fine. Repeated attempts to get the new one all the way seated were unsuccessful (and it IS the right model). So either I stripped the threads when I first put it on, or they were stripped to begin with.

Either way. Now then engine has new oil in and is running fine (thankfully I stopped it before major damage was done).

I remember when I was first learning to change my own oil (as I said, I've done it on this truck probably 50 times). The directions said, "Start the car, run it for a few minutes while checking for leaks."

I've always wondered why I wasted the time checking for leaks.

Now I know.