Pensioner2

My 98 LS 400 with 310K miles on it has developed a leak which appears to be from the rear crankshaft oil seal. If I park the car there are 4 or 5 drips of engine oil on the ground. Inspecting the car on a lift confirms the oil is coming from between the motor and the transmission. The vehicle has no other problems.

1. Has anyone removed the engine and transmission from this model? If so, any do's or dont's? The manual suggests removal from the top with the hood removed.
2. With the unit out I will replace the timing belt, water pump, crankshaft seals etc. Are there any other thinks you suggest I do?

billydpowe

iTrader: (1)

MY thoughts, I would not do this at this time with only 4 or 5 drips appearing when parked.
BUT if you are going to do this, replace the motor mounts and tranny mount also, and inspect (with 310k ) all hoses for cracks and hardness. and check your VC gaskets. then you should be good for a long time.

tenchu

Yeah, I wouldn't do it yet IMO.

tenchu

PS- What part of WI?

Pensioner2

I am in Brown Deer (North Milwaukee)
Do you know a shop you could recommend?

The leak is worse that I explained. There are three or four drips on the driveway every time I stop. I inspected the car on my ramps at home and then drove the car cold to a local mechanic one mile without the top and bottom engine plastic covers installed. The bottom cover had a thick oil/dust sludge on it. On the lift the exhaust pipe was wet with oil to past the rear O2 sensor. There was no smoke because the pipe was not hot enough.

I believe the engine is in good condition. The plugs read normal. I use Amsoil 0W 30 and change at 35K intervals. The motor uses one quart of oil in the 35K miles.

The shop who have not done this job on an LS 400 before commented that "The seals get rock hard with age and then finally a piece of the seal lip breaks off."

Pensioner2

Hi Bill,

What is the "VC" gasket you referred to?

python

iTrader: (4)

35k in between oil changes? you use the same filter for that same mileage?..waiting to hear this answer
0w30 with 310k on it? wow! how about using a thicker oil like 10-40 and ill bet that will either stop the leak or at least slow it down...btw 35k in between oil changes is not good. ill bet u meant 3500 miles

PureDrifter

iTrader: (10)

valvecover.

billydpowe

iTrader: (1)

thanks PD, been out of pocket for a while.

Pensioner2

Amsoil is a fully synthetic based lubricant, their premium 0W30. I use Amsoil filters too. The filter is changed every 17,000 miles, the oil every 35,000 miles. I bought the car with 116,000 miles.

python

iTrader: (4)

well with that i cant argue..if u have put that many miles on the car with that maintanence schedule...it must be working.i would still bump up to a lil thicker oil

PureDrifter

iTrader: (10)

have you been doing UOA to make sure the oil isn't contaminated to hell? usually with the higher end synthetics this becomes a major issue as time goes on. the only reason truckers/long haul drivers can get away with running oil at such intervals is because they run crazy double bypass filter setups...

Pensioner2

I talked to my local Amsoil Rep about oil analysis. He had it done a few times on his high mileage Ford Expedition. It tells you about problems within the engine by determining what metals, grit, fuel or other wear contaminants might be present. Normal oil analysis does not estimate the lubricity or the detergent properties which keep the contaminants in suspension until the filter media can trap them. Amsoil's lab recommends their Signature oil and filter combinations to be good for 35,000 miles under normal driving conditions in a gasoline engine in good condition.

I considered various bypass filter arrangements when I bought the car at 116,000 miles. My Amsoil Rep told be that they were really designed for the very dirty conditions found only in diesel engined and in their opinion, although they sold them they were not needed for gasoline engined under normal driving.

That is good enough for me.

He told me I did not need to change the filter at 17,500 miles because an engine using Amsoil would have so little wear the filter had plenty of capacity to store the contaminants and metal particles over its 35,000 mile life. I am somewhat cautious, that is why I change the filter more frequently. Here in Wisconsin my motor gets its fair share of cold starts and I don't want the filter bypass valve opening for longer than absolutely necessary

There is a very powerful magnet on the oil drain plug. Powerful enough to make it impossible for me to reinsert the plug into the sump threads without using both hands together braced against the sump as I guide the plug with the magnet at it's nose into the hole. Last week when I dropped the oil the magnet had the slightest trace of tiny metal powder particles on it when I wiped it with a white issue. It was only a trace.
FYI, I leave the car to drain with the motor fully hot (at least 30 miles of driving) over night so that the maximum amount of old oil is drained. Each oil change I also remove the transmission pan plug and drop it's contents, 3 quarts. I refresh with Toyota 4 fluid.

After 35K miles before I dropped the oil I inspected the dip stick oil. It was not black like mineral based oils, it was a dark honey color and transparent. I will send off oil samples at 10K, 20K and 30K on this oil fill and if the analysis indicated I can continue to 35K miles then I will. I shall post the results here.

I installed the WIX magnetic cartridge oil filters when I bought the car in the cold side return of the ATF and the power steering pump return. $10 each, cheap insurance. I read somewhere that my generation of LS 400 has power steering issues. I have changed the PS fluid twice. The 12mm bore rubber tube between the PS resevoir to the pump inlet became brittle and broke a year ago. I flushed the PS fluid again and replaced the hose with a silicon tube. That will never crack, I hope.

Final thought on oil sampling.
When an LS motor is worn out I do not think it would be economically viable to repair it properly. Engine rebuild shops give a 15 or 20K warranty for a reason. I would not expect a rebuilt engine to have nearly the longevity of a factory built new unit. If the oil analysis suggested problems what am I going to do? Rebuild, no.

Does anyone know of any shop in the US with experience of rebulding LS motors? It is a very complex little beast and a very small market too.

Clue. I do have a spare motor and transmission with 175K on it in my garage. One ounce of oil down each plug hole and then I spin it on the starter for 60 seconds while spraying fogging oil into the open throttle every year, then I replace the plugs. There are freezer bags cable tied tight over every orifice and chopped off tube.

My girl friend thinks I am mad!

tenchu

Call Tim Unique Auto, tell him Josh sent you, he does real good work at decent prices.

(414) 988-5220

python

iTrader: (4)

its not the breakdown of the oil or dirt in the oil..its the fuel that gets in the oil that is a concern. btw..none of the filters for amsoil is recommended for 35,000 miles. they have a 15 and 25 k filter