CAM SHAFT TOWER SEAL LEAKING ** PLEASE READ***

I think this is the referenced thread.
https://www.tundras.com/threads/cam-leak-fire.40688/#post-1035463

Investigation saying cause was the oil leak looks suspect to me. Motor oil makes a good fuel for starting fires, but it is not exceptionally easy to light off. Motor oil is also not volatile enough to start a raging conflagration without a lot of highly flammable fuel being added quickly before it dies off and begins smoking. Not a lot of such fuel in an engine compartment; oil fire would have to last long enough to burn through a fuel line.

 

This cam tower do you smell it burning off the exhaust?
And if It had a rear main leak does anybody think I would smell it up by the front of the truck like I do.

 

I would smell mine right in the wheel well after getting out. I don’t know if mine was off the exhaust or dripping down on the heat shield but it was very noticeable

 

Sup dudes. Just learned about this issue yesterday. Went and checked my truck and saw some oil on the passenger side seal. Luckily my CPO warranty is good till August. I'll simple green the oil off and drive a few hundred miles to confirm, but I'm guessing I'll be at the dealer getting diagnosed next week. Any advice on how to deal with the dealer?

 

My guess is that the dealer/Toyota will call that a "seep" and won't want to fix it, unfortunately.

 

I pressure washed it yesterday, so I think only the residue is left. I suspect it will be an actual leak after some drive cycles. We'll see. Otherwise I'll have till August to call / pressure everyone at Toyota. Wish me luck.

 

Ah, gotcha. Yeah, I wouldn't touch it again and let it actually leak so they can approve the fix. If it's leaking there shouldn't be an issue getting it repaired, but you might have to pressure them to approve both sides of the other isn't leaking (and you want them to take care of both).

 

Your truck has a generous amount of the gray gasket maker and it is seeping. That is one of the better beads of sealant I’ve seen. This gasket maker is simply a poor choice for our application. Really wish they would have selected a stronger gasket maker. Sorry you are having to deal with this.

 

I think its the quality of the FIPG and the fact it is very inconsistently applied...some trucks have generous amounts while other do not.

 

Curious if anyone in socal has had this work done, with a positive outcome, and could steer me in the direction of the dealer that did the work, or steer me clear of a problematic one. I do 90percent of my own maintenance, and go to a trusted independent shop when a job is too big for me.

 

Helpful post. I am a Toyota lover and bought close to 10 vehicles from Toyota, not to mention that my family and friends-most drive Toyota and I always brag about its reliability. So, I have replaced tires yesterday on my 2010 LC with only 19k miles and been told by the dealership that I have cam tower leak on passenger side. I have called Toyota of America number before I join legal action and give them hell of a negative publicity-the bottom line is I won't be paying to replace something that is defective. Hope they can fix the issue before it escalates.

 

This is interesting as it's my understanding that all the LC 5.7Ls are assembled in Japan...

 

@Trdwillie14

 

Wow, that's some low mileage for a 2010

 

I'm curious, is this engine design and setup with the CAM tower vastly different than other manufacturers that is making this more susceptible or is the consensus just the sealant methodology used in manufacturing?

 

@dcsleeper408 its covered under my Route 66 warranty holllerrrrrrrr

 

Some MFGs don't use overhead cam setups lmao

 

@dcsleeper408 u know anyone who can do the work that’s good ?

 

Some have it where the cam cradle portion I is casted as part of the cylinder head.

For our design I think it's just too much for fipg to keep that area sealed up. This won't be solved for good until Toyota revamps the 5.7 or we get another motor otherwise they would of fixed it by now.

 

Mine is "seeping" more than that and Toyota wouldn't approve mine at this point. Good luck, maybe your dealer is better to work with than mine. I was told they had to take pictures and send them into corporate for approval due to the cost. They said wasn't bad enough to get approval. Let us know how it turns out.

 

Just heard from the dealer today. The master mechanic wrote it up as a leak because he saw a bead of oil that was about to drip. He said to him that constitutes a leak. So, it goes in on the 17th and Toyota says it should take 13hrs. So I hope the mechanic doesn't feel rushed. We will see how it goes....

 

Glad you didn't get the runaround. I'm going to have them take a look at it each oil change and maybe one of those visits it will be bad enough to get approved. I just want it taken care of before I hit the 60K mark and it's no longer covered under the powertrain warranty.

 

So ..would this be a good time to throw that supercharger on?

 

I was thinking that earlier today! I will get a quote might be the first major mod

 

I was wondering the same, but doubt they'd give much discount on labor if any.

 

Does anyone know after you fix this if it just comes back or if there is a aftermarket part that does a better job then the stock ?

 

Had Toyota look at my truck today and yes it does have a leak on the driver side. They gave the ok right away. Start working on it tomorrow. I'm Glad I didn't have to jump through any hoops.

 

The head mechanic told me that with all the seals he has fixed, toyota gives them a black sealant. Which from what I have read, this is what is used in Japan. For some reason they use gray when the make the cars in the US.