Shop Discount Valve Cover Gaskets

they go on the bolts that hold the vave cover down. be sure to remove all traces of the old ones.

Holy crap sport
those pics gotta go
too big to know what
we are looking at.
________
Best I could figure is I saw what looked like a
oil drain plug. Check engine oil
bet it's low.
If so or not see if that wet hex bolt with gasket (looks like it)
is loose first carefully tighten, wipe dry and see if anything
comes right back there.
If you just had oil service done and this just happened,
call the place and mention this. If low oil especially
tow it and quit running it. Fix may be easy or very
involved if that's what happened?
T

Thanks for the feedback! Sorry about the oversized images, they were taken off of my phone and I have no idea when or how they managed to get so enlarged. Would it maybe help you diagnose is I gave simply links to them?

That's better. I'm no good with pics at this site and can't mess with yours. So - that works - 1st and last pic show well now and NOT the drain plug but rather now think it's between transmission bell housing and engine which is engine oil in appearance.
#1`Make sure engine oil is properly filled + don't rely on a low oil warning rather check it manually as it may not work or be the leak!
It's more likely the leak is from the rear main seal which isn't good news in my book. Hard to be sure. You could waste a roll of paper towels and brake cleaner would/should remove existing oil. I can't suggest pressure washing for anything for cleaning around an engine.
See if you can then target where it comes back before it makes a real mess again.
That or let a tech check it.
OK - Problem with me if a rear main is declared at fault is most do put a drop out now and then normally which also lubes them. Not always enough to put one on a garage floor but truck is 13+ years old and could leak more but not a problem to a point. My take is the bearings of the crankshaft allow shaft too much motion and has beat back the seal so just a seal may not work and is really a patch IMO at best.
Again IMO crankshaft has DNA with the engine. If its bearings are in fact worn it's wildly difficult to machine it so precisely with proper new bearings to be a lasting fix or instant disaster. Lots of work just to get one out to send out as that's machine shop work.
There may be (I hear this now and then) a seal if this is that seal that can be installed more easily and by design make up for some slop in crank bearings and buy some decent time?
Another clue that such important engine bearings are in trouble is oil pressure from a cold start doesn't instantly spike way up or vehicles with just low pressure lights stay on too long after engine starts and should be out right away.
What do you want to do? Have another look at it or do the first step is clean and locate it? It's always possible that the oil is coming down from something else altogether but any which way running too low on oil or out is fatal to engine right away if not seriously harmful.
So far the guess is rear main is the likely source but can't know that quite yet pics or not,


T

Thanks Dan,

This is the story.... Last week I took it in because the oil light was yellow.... (an indication of low oil). I also had a few other things done, headlight, tail light, replaced window motor on front driver side window. They said the car was fine and just needed to be topped off with oil. Ok, fine. one week later, the light is on again. hmmmm. I take it back and now there is a mysterious leak and the valve cover gasket needs replacing. in addition the guy calls me today and says now he wants to check to see if the sensor is faulty... wouldn't that be the first step? Now, there is NO oil on the ground where I park everyday.... so - 1. Why did they not see this last week while topping off oil?2. why would they release the car as fine. 3. if the gaskets are so destroyed as they say... how could this happen in a week? and 4. why haven't I smelled oil or seen any traces anywhere? Thanks again for your help

Kene

I’m not sure what to say about any of this; I do feel you are having doubts with the reliability of the repair center you are using. Whether caused by lack of communications between parties involved or a misunderstanding of repairs supplied and received; again I’m not sure of.
I suggest thanking the shop you’re dealing with, paying them for their services and then getting a second opinion.
That way if or when you find that they where doing their best; there are no hard feelings and you can continue to do business with them.
If by chance they are trying to do you; you’ve left there before any confrontations and you can chalk it up to experience.
Always keep the lines of communication open with whomever you’re dealing with and things most times work out.
I’ve been the trade of repairing vehicles for a lot of years now and the worst confrontations I’ve had was from people (including myself) not willing to listen to the other side.
I know there isn’t a lot of automotive repair advice in this post but I’m not sure what else to say; without of a lot more first hand info.
Dan.

Year, make, model, and engine size. An oil leak into a spark plug well could cause a misfire, but won't cause a no start.

You won't be able to tell if the plug is missing unless you remove the valve cover. I don't think that you shouldn't drive it until you know that plug has been installed. If it hasn't and you got oil all over the timing belt, your mechanic owes you a timing belt. You really need to call your mechanic in the morning and explain to him/her what is going on.

Thank you all for your responses! I really appreciate your help. I think this problem is resolved---let me know if you see it differently (like if oil could leak over timing belt later on rather than immediately if semi-circular plug was not put back in the engine just under the valve cover gasket):

Manager looked at the semi-circular plug mechanic left on the battery, & told me it was the old plug & the mechanic installed a new plug . I asked the shop manager how they knew if a semi-circular plug was put back in the engine without opening up the valve cover or without asking the mechanic if he put the plug back in? Manager told me there would be oil spewing all over if the plug had not been put back in.

A bit lost but all is credible that it is the OLD plug and that you would know something is wrong quickly if it was missing. Keep that plug and your paperwork anyway. Watch for any oil lights or drips - anything not right.


What you don't want and DS mentioned this would/could put oil over timing belt (rubber) and that would be a real problem even if somehow oil could leak back into engine without obvious evidence it would fail and that would be trouble.


You've done your part asking and checking. Does the one you have seem used at all by your call? Might be hard to know for sure.


Stuff happens and this probably is harmless but keep an eye out for anything out of the ordinary,
Couldn't find a picture of the parts included by the # you listed as to what it contained. If you do find it didn't come with a new one then I'd really pursue finding out more,


T

Tom Greenleaf & Discretesignals: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR RESPONSES. I really appreciate it!

I called Worldpac & asked what was in their valve cover gasket set (part #JVS-10344) cause I can't view the parts online at worldpac.com since they are a wholesaler. The Worldpac rep pulled out Ishino Stone valve cover set JVS-10344 & told me it contained the valve cover gasket, 4 grommets, spark plug tube seals & a half moon shaped metal piece with an appendage in the middle.----what he described sounded similar to the part the mechanic left on top of my battery (plug on battery was oily with older engine oil on it---it could have been like that because the mechanic handled it with oily hands while he was working on vehicle or because he removed it from the vehicle).----I thought those plugs were usually in solid & tight when installed by factory & hard to remove---is that not the case? In any case, according to Worldpac rep the valve cover set comes with a plug.

When I showed the plug to the shop manager yesterday he told me it was the older plug that was removed from the vehicle. He said it was the older plug based on the way the coating looked on the round side of plug .-----does that sound about right to you?

If the plug was not put back in the vehicle, could it have a delayed response in spewing oil on the timing belt or leaking oil back into the engine & fail the engine?

The OEM Toyota part number for the semicircular plug or "half moon" plug is: #11183-15020.

THANKS!

96 Corolla DX, 1.8 L, approx. 161,000 miles

Let DS say his thing as he knew this exact set up better than I did. I'd say that since the manager looked at the plug you found and declared it a used one you are covered and it was just set where you found it and missed when cleaning up/ finishing up the job. Hey done with this stuff long time now but used to scan where I put anything so can relate to it - a part like that and all tools used accounted for.


IDK how to be any surer than you are now and manager would have freaked if he really thought it was likely missing would have it done all over or I would if that manager and there was doubt.


Cross fingers and call it all done but still keep an eye out for anything as you should anyway. Sorry it was this much of a hassle for you,


Tom

Excellent as usual DS. If one found as mentioned I guess this has to come apart to verify it is all proper. Eeek, if oil already in all the wrong places add that to this fix too. This is a gotta know for sure thing IMO,


T

Where else could that oil go if the semi-circular plug is not installed? just want to find out what else could be messed up. i dont see oil on the timing belt (yet).

how can i paste the image here of the plug that was sitting on top of the battery?