RX350 Oil Pan
02-12-17, 02:10 PM
#1
Driver School Candidate
Thread Starter
RX350 Oil Pan
Hello,
My newly acquired RX350 has 113K miles and I am going through the entire vehicle and addressing various concerns. One particular issue is a dented oil pan. Even though the previous owner says it has been like that for about 6 months (he though it would be good spot to put a jack underneath it), I would rather replace it since it looks to be pretty easy to get to and a new after market pan is ~ $60.00. The RX runs great, there is no oil light, and the pan is not leaking. I am hoping that there is not any damage to the oil pick up tube. Does anyone have a similar experience or thoughts as to the proximity of the oil pick up tube to the dent?
My newly acquired RX350 has 113K miles and I am going through the entire vehicle and addressing various concerns. One particular issue is a dented oil pan. Even though the previous owner says it has been like that for about 6 months (he though it would be good spot to put a jack underneath it), I would rather replace it since it looks to be pretty easy to get to and a new after market pan is ~ $60.00. The RX runs great, there is no oil light, and the pan is not leaking. I am hoping that there is not any damage to the oil pick up tube. Does anyone have a similar experience or thoughts as to the proximity of the oil pick up tube to the dent?
02-15-17, 05:48 PM
#3
Driver School Candidate
Thread Starter
Thanks, I decided to take your suggestion and ordered the pickup tube as well. I should have the pan, pu tube and FIPG gasket maker by early next week. With buying the RX used, it will be interesting to see whether the inside of the pan has any sludge buildup.
06-15-17, 07:11 PM
#6
Driver School Candidate
Thread Starter
Hello,
As mentioned, I wanted to replace the pan because I was worried about the impact of the dented oil pan on the oil pick up. Thankfully the oil pick up was not damaged and the engine was also free of any sludge.Replacing the pan was not bad at all once you remove the plastic underbelly cover. I had the day to myself, so I just took my time. I started by removing the oil filter and letting the oil drain from the pan overnight. While it is not necessary, I think allowing this extra time minimized the amount of oil dripping from the inside of the engine once the pan was removed. Mostly all bolts / nuts were easily accessible using a ratchet , extension, universal, and socket. There was one nut that I had to use a box end wrench to get to since it is right above the frame. I removed the inside splash guard on the passenger side wheel well to give me a little extra room. Once all the bolts and nuts were removed, the pan was stuck on the engine pretty good from the old gasket sealant. Since I was not worried about damaging the old pan. I used a screwdriver and hammer to hit the lip of the pan in a downward motion to break the seal. I then went around with the screw driver and gently pryed the pan off the engine. I took my time as I did not want to damage the aluminum engine mating surface. Once the old pan was removed, it was just a matter of cleaning the engine surface using a razor blade, small wire brush, and some gasoline on a rag.Be sure to wear some eye protection. You want to try and get the surface as clean as possible to ensure a good seal when you install the new pan.I purchased an aftermarket pan from RockAuto.com for $61.79 (SPECTRA PREMIUM/COOLING DEPOT TOP33A). While you can probably use Permatex gasket maker, I elected to use the Toyota 103 FIPG sealant. The stuff is really good....a little too good!! It only allows you 15 miniutes to button everything up, so you have to work quickly. I did not have torque wrench, so I just tightened up the bolts / nuts with a sensible amount of pressure in a crisscross pattern.I then installed the new oil filter. I had the luxury of not needing the vehicle for a few days, so I let it sealant cure for a full 24 hours before adding the oil. It has been about 3 months with 1,000+ miles, and not a drip of oil.
Good Luck!!
As mentioned, I wanted to replace the pan because I was worried about the impact of the dented oil pan on the oil pick up. Thankfully the oil pick up was not damaged and the engine was also free of any sludge.Replacing the pan was not bad at all once you remove the plastic underbelly cover. I had the day to myself, so I just took my time. I started by removing the oil filter and letting the oil drain from the pan overnight. While it is not necessary, I think allowing this extra time minimized the amount of oil dripping from the inside of the engine once the pan was removed. Mostly all bolts / nuts were easily accessible using a ratchet , extension, universal, and socket. There was one nut that I had to use a box end wrench to get to since it is right above the frame. I removed the inside splash guard on the passenger side wheel well to give me a little extra room. Once all the bolts and nuts were removed, the pan was stuck on the engine pretty good from the old gasket sealant. Since I was not worried about damaging the old pan. I used a screwdriver and hammer to hit the lip of the pan in a downward motion to break the seal. I then went around with the screw driver and gently pryed the pan off the engine. I took my time as I did not want to damage the aluminum engine mating surface. Once the old pan was removed, it was just a matter of cleaning the engine surface using a razor blade, small wire brush, and some gasoline on a rag.Be sure to wear some eye protection. You want to try and get the surface as clean as possible to ensure a good seal when you install the new pan.I purchased an aftermarket pan from RockAuto.com for $61.79 (SPECTRA PREMIUM/COOLING DEPOT TOP33A). While you can probably use Permatex gasket maker, I elected to use the Toyota 103 FIPG sealant. The stuff is really good....a little too good!! It only allows you 15 miniutes to button everything up, so you have to work quickly. I did not have torque wrench, so I just tightened up the bolts / nuts with a sensible amount of pressure in a crisscross pattern.I then installed the new oil filter. I had the luxury of not needing the vehicle for a few days, so I let it sealant cure for a full 24 hours before adding the oil. It has been about 3 months with 1,000+ miles, and not a drip of oil.
Good Luck!!
Last edited by RX350ROX; 06-15-17 at 07:20 PM.
The following users liked this post:
michaelw12 (07-22-20)
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post