Oil leak; what is this bolt?

Hey guys, I just changed my oil and noticed an oil leak. What is this bolt?

Thanks!

 

Ok so looks like it’s an oil cooler relief valve; I believe it opens up to let oil through if the filter gets too clogged.

Why is it leaking though? Is that bad? Lol

 

Maybe the filter is too clogged?

Are you positive it's coming from that valve and not anything above it?

 

90% sure it's coming from that valve. I'll hit it with brake cleaner and look again.

I just changed the oil and filter and it looked fine but i guess it could have been clogged

 

Oil circuit relief is on the pump? Output is cycled back to inlet I believe.

Oil filter relief/bypass is at the base of the perforated tube inside the filter bowl... which has been changed to aluminum already.

 

That is the oil cooler relief valve.

 

So is it an issue if it's wet?

 

No leak is good. With that said, it certainly won’t damage the engine to leave it. I can get a part number for the gasket… but it’s rare for a leak to happen there.

 

She's still under warranty so I might just bring it in tbh

 

Any relief valve that has to be used is an indication of some type of issue. Relief valves (like fuses), by design, are meant to prevent a small issue from becoming a major issue. Something is causing the relief the valve to activate...or something is wrong with the valve itself. It should not be constantly wet with oil.

If you just changed the oil, it's possible the old filter was clogged up (which is something to investigate in of itself BTW). If that's the case, I would monitor it to see if it continues. If it does continue, then it might be an indicator of an issue with the relief valve itself. Bad gasket, etc.

My 2 cents.

 

Ok so it sounds like my move should be to hit it with brake cleaner and then check it after I put some miles on it and see if it's wet again before taking it in

 

The relief valve/bypass operates all the time, especially when cold or at high RPM. It keeps oil volume high and prevents damage to the oil cooler.

The gasket is not listed separately for the Tundra, but other models use and list the part number. If you are under warranty, let the dealer solve it.

 

If it were me, that's exactly what I would do. Clean it and put some miles on the truck. As @Jowett said, it's not going to threaten the engine. The leak is small and you're not going to lose so much oil that it would threaten the engine. If you do see it wet again after you put 30-50 miles on...then just monitor the oil level at the dip stick until you can take it to the dealer (since you said it was still under warranty). Leave it wet, don't clean it again, so the dealer can see where the issue is.

 

I don't like it. Clean the area thoroughly and leak check with an inspection mirror to find out where it's coming from.

 

Some oil leaked from the filter housing when you were replacing the filter?

 

Nah, it was there before I replaced the filter. Good idea though

 

Maybe check the hose and clamp shown in the picture. Toyota sells OEM replacements for that but close to 80 bucks. You can maybe reposition it to have it better fitted

 

Wouldn't the first step be put a socket on it and see if it's Tight?