New Oil leaking after repair

Maintenance/Repairs
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1

2002 Toyota 4Runner 3.4 SR5 2WD with 203800K First Timing belt at 92K Well taken care of with dealer servicing.

Had private mechanic do Timing Belt (Gates), water pump (import direct), (Fel-Pro) valve cover gaskets, upper intake gaskets, new (Gates) serpentine belts, plugs n wires (NGK Iridium) etc. ALL O’Reilly store bought. Work done a couple of weeks ago.

Now every time I exit the vehicle I smell oil burning.

Told the mechanic about it and he said the old leak left oil all around the engine area and it is still dripping down onto the exhaust and that is why I am smelling oil burning. He said to keep an eye on the oil level to see if it drops low. I keep checking it but it looks like it is at or near the full line (during a Hot oil check). Should I check it cold in the morning?

Problem is that the oil smell is getting worse and I think in time the dip stick is going to show a serious loss. Then the other day I happen to lay under and have a look see and saw clean oil on the tranny bell housing.

Oil is leaking from somewhere and it’s not the old stuff. The color is light and clean like the new oil on the dip stick.

Now I am wondering - do the gaskets need to be re-torqued after so many miles?
 or could one of the bolts be loose or what?

What do you think? I hate a vehicle that leaks oil.

Now I trust the mechanic because he’s done a lot of other jobs on it and there has never been a problem. Ball joints, shocks, bushings, rotors etc. So I don’t want to insult him by second guessing his work. That is why I’m asking you first.

Thanks for all responses.

2

While he worked on your car, some oil could have spilled onto the exhaust manifold or something else equally hot. Can you feel under your car when the engine is cold and see where it is coming from?
Check your oil when the car is hot and see if it drops. It shouldn’t drop much at all, especially over a short time. If some oil spilled, it will eventually burn off.
If you’re losing oil, go back. Since he’s been good to you in the past, no doubt he’ll hook you up and fix it.

3

Right, but it’s been a couple of weeks already. Shouldn’t that oil have burned off by now? Are the valve covers “torqued” or just “tightened by hand”?

4

Usually torqued to spec. I don’t think they walk loose.
If it hasn’t lost any oil and yet it is still dripping, are you sure it is indeed oil? What color is it?

5

Well I wasn’t suspect at first but then I noticed it was the same color as the oil on the dip stick. Plus I might add that he wanted to use Slick 50 with the oil change. I only know the Mechanic for about 4 months so even though I trust him at this point I want to make sure he’s not leading me into some BS repair work. So far so good but one never knows does one?

If I have to do it myself I will but I’m just getting too old and too tired to mess around with this crap. So now I pay for it you know?

I’m old school - points and plugs, carburetors, cam shaft fuel pumps LOL, remember?

6

@Personage It should be fairly easy to determine if the valve covers are the source of the leak.

Another possibility is a leaking rear main seal. In which case your mechanic is off the hook.

But I’d say there’s a good chance your mechanic buggered something up.

Valve cover gaskets, as far as I know, do not need to be “re-torqued after so many miles”

7

Right on DB. Fact is that I was initially leaking water and I called him and he was Johnny on the Spot and noticed he left off a hose clamp. It was still on the hose but not at the end where it belongs. Well it is just human nature to screw up I guess but I’m just starting to figure that out after 40 years of marriage, you know?