I brought my 92 SC300 5speed down to lexus today to throw $100 at them and have them do their used car safety inspection. They noted these three oil leaks and these are their prices to repair:
1) Valve cover gaskets leaking oil $346.00
2) Cam seals leaking $415.00
3) Distributor O-Ring $145.00

I did the distributor o-ring a week ago so i guess i didn't thoroughly enough clean up the oil because they suspect it's leaking, but there's a little catch-plate under the distributor that i did clean completely and that was previously covered with oil and still no drop of oil has it it yet... so i'm assuming it's still good, lexus must of just saw the oil that dripped on the alternator and thought it was the distributor leaking <shrug>.

I was wondering how serious the first two items are because i can't see that oil anywhere

Any suggestions would be welcome. -Joe

 

any oil in the spark plug valleys? around the upper area of the manifolds? front of the head near the valve covers?

i say clean everything really good, go for a nice drive, then check everything..

not all dealerships are honest..

 

Valve cover gaskets sounds a little expensive for what it is. With no prior knowledge, using the FSM's I was able to do it in a short weekend with no problems for passenger side. That driver side one is a total (@*#&%(*#&$(#*, I just couldn't get the EGR system off to do everything. Might want to run the car by a reputable independent shop in your area and see what they quote you for it. Good luck!

 

all of those are easy fixes. i did my plugs, distributor gasket, and valve cover gaskets all in about 5 hours...including a LONG lunch, smoke breaks, and a few phone conversations

the cam seals should be along with the timing belt, water pump, thermostat, front main seal, tensioner and idler. they you're all set

btw: dont over look replacing the timing belt idler. they can go bad. the bearings in them start to work really rough. ive seen one seize up too. the tensioners usually work fine and dont need replacement.

there is also the right way and the worng way to install the thermostat. ive done so many toyota/lexus timing belts that i can probably do one in my sleep. lol.

i worked at a shop specializing on toyota/lexus for 3 years until i went off to school.

 

Do It You'r self

It will be fun, and you will learn a little..

So the next time you do it, it will be

 

is it realistic to do the valve gasket and the cam seal this weekend without pulling out the motor? i'm not sure exactly how to reach back there to change the cam seal.

 

you can do all that at home in the driveway engine in the car. sometimes you'll have to wedge you rhand in there to get to soething. you just have to be creative and patient. make sure you have a full set of good tools. don't rush it.

 

engine work now goes up on the list of reasons i miss my 240, along with gas O.o

the SC is still wining, btw