New to me (95) Celica has oil leak.

[wolfman]

Just bought the car yesterday, it has a 1.8 L, has been rebuilt around 7000 miles ago. Have all the paper work from the rebuild but guy may have duped me by not being honest or up front about an oil leak issue. Engine was clean with no clues it was leaking b4 purchase. Now 2 days later I have found a leak that seems to be from the front of the engine, just toward the passenger side of the oil filter. At 1st I thought it was from the oil filter but seems to be coming from somewhere just above and toward the passenger side from the oil filter. Anyway the oil is blowing back toward the passenger side of the engine and covering the belts, ect and making a mess. I was hopping that someone on here who knows these engines might be able to give me a clue where this oil might be coming from and if this might be a common thing on these motors. Thanks so much for any replies!

[garrisonboobs]

kind of hard to determine without looking at it or having pictures but possible cam seal. just clean it out and look for where the leak is. if you need to put some uv light dye in the oil and it will show the leak under a black light.

[mrlieu]

Main seal?

[kdog525]

sounds like it may be the valve cover seal but if it was that itd be coming for more then one place unless they put the seal on wrong.

[wolfman]

Thanks for the posts guys. I should know for sure sometime tomorrow, gonna let a local garage take a look at it and see how much they will charge me to fix it. If it's not an outrageous price I will let them do it. Are any of these possible seals (main, cam) an engine out job? I spoke with the PO and he thinks it may be the oil pan gasket but I don't think so b/c it is wet clear up to the bottom of the oil filter area. Thanks again fellas!

[garrisonboobs]

yea those seal jobs would probably cost a lot. If the leak is not bad you can just keep adding oil for now. thats what i do lol. not the best idea but if you are tight for money right now its better than spending all that money.

[wolfman]

Originally Posted by garrisonboobs

yea those seal jobs would probably cost a lot. If the leak is not bad you can just keep adding oil for now. thats what i do lol. not the best idea but if you are tight for money right now its better than spending all that money.

Turns out that I wish it had been only a seal. My garage said it was the head gasket. Estimate was around $1000! I imediately contacted the PO and told him flat out that he had better make it right with me or would be seeing me very soon. He agreed to give me back $500 and is throwing in the brand new shocks, struts and springs that he tried to sell me when I bought the car for $300 more (said all this cost him $360). I thought that was fair enough. Since then I have gotten a few more estimates, some less some more. One was for $720 and I may go with that one if after meeting the guy I feel I can trust him to do it right.

Thing is, I have never owned a car that has had a head gasket go bad and I always thought if it did you would get oil in the block (coolant). I don't have that, the oil is clean. It's just leaking oil out side the engine which is probably a better thing I'm sure. It's making a mess down the engine but isn't leaking it so bad it can't be driven (I have only had to add a small amount twice since last friday and will keep a close check on it until it gets fixed.

[wolfman]

Well, hears an update on the celica... Local shop did the head gasket job and it stopped the oil leak, total price was $738. I pick the car up excited to fineally be able to drive it! Returning home all of a sudden it's running like ****. Missing terrible, so as the guy at the shop told me to return it if I had any issues I did. He calls me later to tell me that I now have a burned valve! Sure enough when I returned to the garage he hands me the #4 valve and it's melted. Top of the #4 piston is covered with carbon. The good part is the guy is as honest as it gets and I'm one lucky guy to have found him because he is charging me NOTHING to fix this. He blamed himself for not finding the burned valve when he had the head off the 1st time so he is doing me right by his own words. It should be done on monday, then I will be crossing my fingers.