Cam tower leak

My 07 Tundra has just reached 226k miles. Dealer just confirmed it has a cam tower leak and I was quoted over $4k to fix which includes timing cover, valve cover seals, water pump and belt. I do not have that kind of money laying around. I was leaking oil but according to them it was from the lower oil pan. Does a cam tower leak cause any harm to the engine or components? As tough as this is for me, do you guys think I should part ways with this truck? If I do trade it in, it will definitely be for the Silverado, sierra, or Ram. Aside from this cam tower leak and AIP problem I had a year ago, this truck has treated me well the last 14 years I had it.

 

How bad is the leak? I drove a BMW 525 for 100k miles with various minor leaks that i kept an eye on the fluid levels and topped off as necessary. What's your motivation for switching brands if you do trade?

 

They said it’s seeping but it could become worse over time. They fixed the oil leak from the pan. They really should just use a real gasket instead of the RTV sealant. I think I’m losing a quart or so after I had a oil change almost 2 months ago. I went with Toyota years ago because I wanted a reliable and trouble free vehicle, which is mostly true. I guess now I’m just dealing with wear and tear. Some of things I replaced are a design issues like the air injection pumps, had it replaced twice now with the first time under the warranty and second time paid out of pocket. That kind of left a bad taste in my mouth. I’m not even 100% sure if another brand is better but I do have an eye out for a new truck if I decide to get one.

 

Cost on a new truck?
4K to fix one you already have?
What can you get for the truck as it sits?

Wouldn’t it be cheaper to fix what you have and wait for the used price new market to come back down to reality?

 

Good point, at least it’s paid off. Could save a few to pay for repair

 

I just want to be clear you have no other oil leaks at this time and you’re losing a quart through your cam tower seals every two months?

 

Correct and I do smell burning oil while driving but it comes and goes

 

That’s significant for a cam tower. Can they retorque the bolts? may have to remove the valve covers to get the ones securing the cam tower.

 

They gave the full quote. I really don’t want them to take the engine apart. They said they would need to keep the truck for about 2 days and I told them I would wait and think about.

 

The quote sounds right, the leak is what I thought sounded significant.

 

Now that the oil pan leak is fixed, does it drip oil from the cam towers on the ground? It’s truly not a big deal most of the time. Oil gets splashed up onto a ledge, and the minor crankcase pressure causes it to seep out. Speaking of which, it could be good to replace your PCV valve in case it’s not venting the crankcase pressure properly. They are cheap. I’d probably just monitor the oil consumption and dripping for while now after getting your pan leak fixed and then decide.

 

From the smell, I think it’s dripping down and making its way on the exhaust. There are noticeable oil spots on the cam housing. I will definitely replaced the PCV valve

 

If I decide to get this repair done, will my truck drive the same? I know most people may say that once the engine gets taken apart and put back together, it will never drive the same again.

 

If it is dripping on the exhaust I’d sooner look into having a Fab shop make some sheet metal pieces that I could mount in there somehow to catch the oil and funnel it elsewhere, maybe even into a small container. I’d get all kinds of creative before paying 4000 to fix a little leak like that.

As for your question, mine had it fixed under warranty under the previous owner and it’s already leaking again 12,000 miles later. There’s nothing wrong with it otherwise. I even invested in a supercharger which I wouldn’t have done if it was messed up. I guess it depends who does the work.

 

All right, I made my mind up. I think I’m going to go through with getting the cam tower leak fixed. However, I have a few concerns with what could go wrong and how the truck will drive afterwards.

To those who had theirs fixed, what was the outcome? How did the truck perform afterwards? Obviously the burning oil smell should be gone.

 

One more thing. Is the 0w20 oil that the dealer use any good or is it best to use 5w20? They always use 0w20 but I feel I it’s too thin

 

It took me a few hours to think about it. I was contemplating on getting a 2019-2021 Silverado Trail Boss but my Tunny still have some life left and I shouldn’t turn on it yet.

 

Before I pulled the trigger on the cam tower repair I would get a second opinion for a good local shop. Just to make sure it is a bad can tower leak and not something like a valve cover. That’s a lot of money to spend on one dealership opinion.

 

I use 5w30. Motor is quieter. Manual states 5w30 for severe duty like towing. Everywhere else in the world uses 5w30 for the 5.7. 0w20 Is for that 0.2mpg improvement the government is looking for.

 

For what it's worth ... leave it alone. Tearing into an engine with that many miles is a bad idea, unless you have an excellent and experienced mechanic. Money is tight these days, and honestly how many quarts of oils could you buy for 4000 bucks? My vote... feed it oil until it croaks, you'll be dealing with that oil smell for a couple hundred thousand miles is my guess, but that's a great thing. Leave it, and keep it!

Don't get rid of it, if you trade it for used for an exorbitant price, that wouldn't make sense. Seriously keep it and leave it. Money is tight.

You might very well only be half way through the engine life.

 

I really don't mean to discredit you or anyone else on this forum, but if you use thicker oil, your oil pressure will increase. You might guess what that will do to your leak. I may be wrong

 

I've had the cam tower leak on both of my Tundras (2018 and now 2010) and I was just going to say leave it alone, but if it's truly losing a quart or more between oil changes that seems like an extremely significant amount from the cam towers. My 2010 is leaking on both sides but I'm not losing any noticeable amount between changes (usually yearly due to low miles driven), so I'd make sure 100% it's from the cam towers and not somewhere else before you make a decision on dumping it or paying to fix it. Good luck!

 

In addition to this cam tower leak, what can I do to improve the overall performance? I replaced spark plugs, had a fuel injection service, air filters always changed, and I do atf drain and fill regularly without feeling much of a difference. Only thing I haven’t done is MAF sensor, possibly ignition coils, and the worst case being the exhaust system or catalytic converter which is still original and looks a bit rusted on this 15 year old truck. Never had a code for cats and not even sure if it’s clogged or not. I did have the dealer replace the oxygen sensors a few years ago.

 

Hahaha did not know it had cam phasers but yes they mentioned replacing the timing chain and tensioners, water pump, belt, the seals and all. Water pump was only replaced once at around 79k when it was leaking.

 

I wonder if the dealer carries a thicker weight oil. They always have that 0w20 in stock.

 

It may have been leaking for awhile without me noticing and became worse. I personally would rather leave it alone and just top it off with oil when needed.

 

How far do you think I could make it? I was hoping I could make it to at least 500k miles but not sure if that’s possible. I’m a little iffy about having the dealer do it although they have a few experienced technicians. I have mixed feelings about this whole ordeal and my wife even said it may be time for me to start thinking about a newer truck since this one is so “old”

 

I had a 78 chevy that leaked oil out of everywhere, everytime I parked there was a oil drops. I called it marking territory. Hell the thing even spit oil out the tail pipe but it ran like a scalded dog. I kept a case of oil in the back and put a quart in every other fill up, I kid not.
If it were me I wouldn't have someone breaking down the motor like this for a leak no worse than what you're talking about. my .02

 

Just to make sure I read something correctly. You said you had a pan gasket repaired already ? Was this just done or has it been a while ?

 

It was just done. They said the lower oil pan was leaking a little.