Wants to change engine main seal & bushings for transfer case
 

:)my 2000 rx 300 awd over 100k last week. Yesterday i checked the bottom of the car. There is small leaks oils between transmisson and the engine. I had also little leaks on transfer case before.

I am thinking to change all the bushings for tranfer case, engine main seal and timing belt & water pump. I know that i have to drop down the engine & transmisson to do all this thing. Does anyone did this job before ?

Any ideas. Any suggestions ? Should i change any other bushings or seals with this like front differential, rear main seal or transmisson converter or any other parts ?
I am looking for your inputs.
Thanks all

Your leak between the engine and trans. is almost certainly your rear main seal. The early RX's were notorious for that. I would also change the torque convertor seal while you're in there. It's cheap and you don't have to go to all that work again. I would use only original eq. parts. You can buy them online and save some money but I don't think the aftermarket parts equal the high quality of original Toyota parts. (yep, that's what Lexus uses) I dropped the complete drive unit out when I did this work on my DIL's RX. Or rather I loosened everything and lifted the car up away from the drive unit, it was a lot easier for me to work on it all that way. If you're interested in doing it that way I did a writeup here or on the other Lexus forum or you can PM me.

It would help me a bunch to help you if possible to see some photos of the affected areas. My uncle has changed out the transfer case seals and his buddy changed out the seals on the front differential on my transmission. There is a special service tool that can help with this, SST 09325-00010. The front differential seals we did because we had the transmission open and the seals from my recollection weren't that expensive at all, something like $6 USD by my recollection, but the transfer case was a definite leaker.

Thanks code58 and lexmex. Here is the pic. Where i could buy the special service tool SST 09325-00010 ?

I'd try a Lexus dealer, either your local dealer or one of the discount mailorder ones (e.g., the ones that help sponsor this forum or irontoad.com).

It appears that the transfer case might be just an issue related to the passenger side and that would only require removing the axle to get at that seal. See picture below.

And closer.

With that oil leak further to the right between the junction of the engine and transmission, if it were me, I'd be inclined to change out the oil and switch to a heavier one, at least a W40, say like a Castrol Syntec 5W40 or even a Pennzoil Platinum 5W40. If it were summer time in NY, I might say try a W50.

The other thing I'd STRONGLY consider adding to the heavier oil is something I've talked about before and used, Lubro Moly Engine Oil Saver. I know in NY they have have Napa Auto Parts stores. I walked into a Napa down here and they had the stuff. This stuff literally works like rubber cement (but much stronger) on bad piston rings but has the side effect of also being able to help other seals it comes across. http://www.liqui-moly.de/liquimoly/p.../usa_2020.html

There is also Auto-RX, http://www.auto-rx.com/ but again if it were me what I suggested above is what I'd do first.

This photo below shows the side facing the engine by this seal. My uncle and I examined it when we did the transmission work last year but found no issue at that time.

Thanks Lexmex. I will try to change the oil grades to castrol synthetic 5w40 and put lubro moly motor oil saver. Currently i used mobil synthetic 5w30. Is it ok to change the synthetic mobil oil to castrol oil ?

How much oil do you loose in 3,000 miles with that leak? or even 1,000 miles?
RM

Lexus- i don't think it's the amount of oil lost as it was in my DIL's case, the trail of oil drips that eventually build up on the garage floor

Lexmex- as much work as it is to get to that rear main seal and as cheap as it is (relative to the work to get to it), I don't think i would ever pull the trans. without changing that rear main seal unless I had done it in the last year.

That's a good point. My uncle and I had looked at it but didn't see any issue. Another thing that might have helped me for a while was that when I moved down to Mexico back in 2002, I was using a Mobil 15W50 for a while (later to a M1 5W50 that they sold down there) and never had a leak of engine oil.

I think main point should always be to examine it.

Below is another shot.

Perfectly fine.

My reason for not recommending Mobil 1 is that I had consumption issues the 30 and even 40 weight after a while. I fondly remember having to use additives with them. With their W50 oils, those worked fine, but gas mileage was a PITA.

Hey Lexmex,

Sorry if I'm hijacking (still newbie)...Any particular reason for the Syntec 5W 40 recommendation? I noticed you like and others really like the 0W-30 Euro formula. Other than weight are there any other differences? I've been using the 0W my '01 (104K) and like it a lot.