1990 Is On Life Support

[IS400]

Noticed drops of oil on driveway. Looked under car. Huge puddle of liquid under the engine. Started the car and left it running. Looked under car and oil was streaming from the area of the oil pan.

After cleaning up the area and watching with a flashlight while running, confirmed it is originating not from the area of the oil pan gasket, but from under a small plastic cover with 1/4 inch square cut out of it, just behind the harmoninc balancer and in front of the oil pan.

Has anyone had this happen before? My guess is the seal for the harmonic balancer.

Picture is with engine off. Auto focus does not work properly because it keeps trying to get the sway arm or balancer instead of the leak area. Out of two dozen tries this is the best one I could get

Thanks for any advice that might apply to this before I tear down more than I might have to. BTW engine still runs smooth and there is no overheating or anything else that is abnormal.

[blake918]

Looks like your crank seal to me. The crank seal on my '95 used to leak and make a huge mess on the driveway until I fixed it. It's not time to change the timing belt by any chance (kill two birds with one stone)?

[IS400]

I just changed the timing belt a year and a half ago. At least I know how to get to it. Time to take some vacation time again for the car. At least it did not happen on a long trip.

You are right that must be where the quart of oil every six months was going. Drip, drip... ...I won't ignore them again!

[don corleone]

yeah that is the area of the crank seal. you will need a harmonic puller with very small screws to get the crank sprocket(not pulley) off the oil pump. i haven't changed is yet since i have no access to it but if that one is leaking then the rear one might be also. look for oil around your trans. and make sure to use the oil fipg GENEROUSLY. when i replaced the rear seal i had to do it twice because of this.

[IS400]

Oil fipg? Is that a typo?

[don corleone]

FIPG= Form In Place Gasket. BUY FROM TOYOTA!!!!! it will save u sum money. Fipg is this stuff in the pic but the red is the Trans/Diff (ok for coolant) fipg you need the black stuff which is made for oil apps. this red stuff will leak if oil contacts it. if u dont use fipg your gasket will leak again. trust me i had to change my cam seals and valve seals because i used red fipg. live and learn

[lenore]

Also check the surface of the Crankshaft to see if it is scored. The seal can cut a groove if it has become hard, and has contaminants on it. If it is lightly scored just take some very fine emery paper to it to remove any burrs. If it is deep, there is a device called a crankshaft saver that slips over the end (very thin stainless steel insert) that provides a new serface for the seal to ride on. They work great.....

[IS400]

Thanks guys!

I agree on the black sealant. I have used permatex before and have half a tube left, is that FIPG sealant?

Also all the DIY sites show other cars having a one piece seal you hammer in with a socket, with no mention of a gasket. What parts should I be ordering if it is just a simple swap out of the bad seal? Is it simple to remove the old one or do I need to rent a tool. I have the hand held seal puller, kind of looks like a small misshapen tomahawk.

BTW, just got the car in the garage and the radiator is out. It would be nice if I could just get to the seal without taking everything apart, but it seems there just is no other way.

[IS400]

Here is what you are up against doing a front crank seal. The seal itself turned in the race and the rubber was so hard it broke when I used the drill and screw method to get it out.

The hardest part is keeping the cams in the proper position while you put the timing belt back in place.

I used FIPG sealant on the outside and synthetic axle grease on the inside and along the sprocket when I replaced it.

No scoring on the crank, though I did clean it up a bit with some 1000 grit paper.

My puller did not have long enough metric bolts to do the sprocket and had to make a puller plate with hardware store bolts to get it far enough along on the snout to use the store bought puller.

I'll add more commentary later. BTW my shirt says, "I got out of bed for this?" I think it is funny for such a pain in the butt repair...

[IS400]

Here are the rest of the pictures

[IS400]

You do not have to take off the distributors to do this repair, just what you see on my garage floor.

You just take off the timing belt tensioner cylinder to get the access you need. Not the pulley that touches the belt, just the cylinder below it that keeps it against the belt. Take a soft mallet and tap the pulley toward the passengers side of the car to give you enough slack to get the belt off of the crank sprocket.

When you re-install make sure to have all your slack in the belt on the same side as the tensioner or else when you tighten things up the cams will move and give you some serious stress! I scored a mark on the distributor with the edge of a screwdriver that matched the cam mark so that if things jumped I knew where to put the cam to get it back to top dead center.

All in all I'd rather be back on the cruise ship again. I swear the car is punishing me for taking a vacation and bringing the Miata out of storage for the spring!

[Bali26]

Awesome! Thanks for the photos :D

[amcdonal86]

You have a Miata? At least I know one other person is sane on this forum!

(I used to have one. Wish I had kept it--would've made a great team with the LS.)

[IS400]

It is an STO edition in dark metallic blue with ferrari style tan leather. I had a red 99 vert corvette for a while but the tickets were getting crazy! With the LS400 I never get pulled over even though I drive pretty fast. The miata gets a lot of attention because there are not many foreign sports cars here in the motor city.

The only thing that can turn faster than my little miata is a porsche 911 or lotus IMO. I take 90 degree turns in third gear! Set up for the corner with late braking while keeping the car in gear and hammer the throttle to set the suspension as I enter the corner and feather it to control the four wheel drift from apex to exit.

I'm a bit addicted to the british show 'Top Gear', it is the best, most honest, car show out there. They do not play up advertisers products like american shows and tend to be more fun about motoring rather than ultra serious gear heads like NASCAR or NHRA programs.

Here is a pic of my the miata with the LS in the background. The Isuzu has a V-6, 4WD and 220 hp. Love winter storms with that truck!

[tackered]

I just replaced the cracnkshaft oil seal on my 91... I tried to buy the FIPG material from Lexus... At $140 a tube, I said no thank you.

[IS400]

I used black permatex.

Lexus tech said they just press them in place. Nearly all the permatex squirted out since it is such a tight fit. I'd say only a skim layer is in there if anything.

No leaks and the car is running fine BTW.

[vinovelo]

It is an STO edition in dark metallic blue with ferrari style tan leather. I had a red 99 vert corvette for a while but the tickets were getting crazy! With the LS400 I never get pulled over even though I drive pretty fast. The miata gets a lot of attention because there are not many foreign sports cars here in the motor city.

The only thing that can turn faster than my little miata is a porsche 911 or lotus IMO. I take 90 degree turns in third gear! Set up for the corner with late braking while keeping the car in gear and hammer the throttle to set the suspension as I enter the corner and feather it to control the four wheel drift from apex to exit.

I'm a bit addicted to the british show 'Top Gear', it is the best, most honest, car show out there. They do not play up advertisers products like american shows and tend to be more fun about motoring rather than ultra serious gear heads like NASCAR or NHRA programs.

Here is a pic of my the miata with the LS in the background. The Isuzu has a V-6, 4WD and 220 hp. Love winter storms with that truck!

I also have a Miata as a fun car. I once drove a Boxter-S that I thought would give it a run for it's money as well. Mine is a 94-b Laguna blue, HIGHLY modified:

- Jackson racing supercharger

- Toyo (wider profile) performance tires.

- Jackson sway bars

- Custom shock towers

- Brainstorm low profile headlights

- and...tons of small mods.

The nice thing about the Miata is you can easily modify the hell out of it and have fun.

It's noisy and you feel every bump in the road but, you just cannot drive it without a smile on your face (or you don't have a pulse...)

My other ride is an 2008 RX400h. I love it but am afraid to tough the thing.

(actually it's amazing how well the RX handles for it's size, height and weight).

/Steve

Newark, CA

[jeffls400]

It is an STO edition in dark metallic blue with ferrari style tan leather. I had a red 99 vert corvette for a while but the tickets were getting crazy! With the LS400 I never get pulled over even though I drive pretty fast. The miata gets a lot of attention because there are not many foreign sports cars here in the motor city.

The only thing that can turn faster than my little miata is a porsche 911 or lotus IMO. I take 90 degree turns in third gear! Set up for the corner with late braking while keeping the car in gear and hammer the throttle to set the suspension as I enter the corner and feather it to control the four wheel drift from apex to exit.

I'm a bit addicted to the british show 'Top Gear', it is the best, most honest, car show out there. They do not play up advertisers products like american shows and tend to be more fun about motoring rather than ultra serious gear heads like NASCAR or NHRA programs.

Here is a pic of my the miata with the LS in the background. The Isuzu has a V-6, 4WD and 220 hp. Love winter storms with that truck!

:D Of all the cars I've owned (new and used), my favorites are my current 1991 LS400 and my 1992 Miata (sold-stupid!). A pair of the best engineered cars ever for their intended markets and customers.

Great tutorial on the crank seal and LOVE the IS wheels on the LS. Very cool.

Jeff

[IS400]

Thanks Jeff! I probably already posted it on here, but the motor city is full of muscle cars and they always try to race me because I'm a woman and driving a Miata. The road better not have fast curves, because I will embarrass them!

I agree about the Boxter. It has that Porsche passion for handling.

As far as SUV's go and handling, I saw a Porsche Cayenne in a parking lot that had been ROLLED about a dozen time it seemed. Body trim panels missing, exhaust all bent up and they were driving it like normal. The airbags had to have been deployed all around and here they are at the market like nothing happened.

I bet your Lexus SUV would be just as tough if it ever rolled on you.

The scariest part of doing the seal was turning the key to start the car after it was done! Talk about pressure that the timing was set back exactly right... whew! Runs perfect with no hesitation or weirdness at all.

Take care guys!

[nc211]

It's official, IS400 is the hotest member of LOC, period! ;)

[IS400]

Awwwwe... Thanks nc21!