Dear Lexus and Toyota V6 owners. In this video we completely remove the drivetrain out of this 2015 Lexus RX350 with a 2GR-FE 3.5L V6 engine to repair a common and costly oil leak caused by engine sealer failure from the front timing cover.
Unfortunately this issue is expensive to repair and more common than we hope for. In this video you’ll see why this job is expensive. You will see us remove the entire powertrain to get enough room to remove and reseal the front timing cover on this 2GR-FE 3.5L V6 engine.
I will share with you a bit of the history of the 2GR-FE and it’s common issue and how they were resolved over the years. Then we’ll talk about the cost of this job, If you decide to fix this how to choose the correct mechanic to fix it and when should you fix it.
Recently a well respected mechanic and shop owner @Car Wizard released a video with a mysterious leak on a 2GR RAV4 which is a classic front timing cover leak. In that video that leak was very small and built up over time. When the leak reaches the axle it will spread the oil everywhere eventually making it’s way on the belt and really making it difficult to diagnose. And when the leak is small you’ll clean it and won’t see it again for a while.
However if you clean your leak and it reappears within a few weeks perhaps you’d want to consider repairing it if the smoke\oil leak bothers you enough.
TCCN Automotive Inc.
Toyota and Lexus Specialist Repair
Visit www.tccnautomotive.com to schedule your appointment today.
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0:00 Intro
1:26 Problem History of the 2GR-FE
7:42 Powertrain Removal and Tour
18:04 Engine Disassembly
21:11 Why it leaked?
29:30 Cost of This Job
31:54 Who should do this job?
34:18 Should you fix your leaking 2GR? Is it Worth it?
40:14 Engine Start
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I have a 2011 Toyota rav4 v6 I’m the original owner with 76,500 miles I’m willing to drive out to you I’m from nyc I want you to do exactly what you just did to this vehicle on this video please reply back to me
Why is there a channel in the timing cover that seems to be the cause of this leak in the first place?
Simply brilliant from every angle…
Super cool! I have this exact engine, 07 Camry SE… just did an alternator replacement this week. BOY WHAT A PAIN… could not get that bottom bolt off under the idler for the alternator. Had to remove the water intake pipe and idler to get to it (which was tough). I have another pulley that this video's 2GR-FE doesn't have that the belt goes around, behind the water pump and crankshaft pulley on this 2GR-FE. By the way, the belt would want to keep moving off the pulleys as I was working on it, several times had to stop and… woah there, get back on that pulley… stay…
Awesome Job!!!!
I think I will stick with my 25 year old Ford Expedition. The only thing I've replaced so far is the alternator and the driver seat motor
I saw that video from the car wizard and I referred your channel
I have a 2014 Toyota Highlander XLE with 50,000 Highway miles. Same 3.5L V6 Engine. Oil change are always done by Larry Miller Toyota in Peoria, AZ. I'm retired Heavy Duty School Bus mechanic and this video was interesting for me. Thanks a lot for your time and the chance to watch it!
Really love your channel. It appears all the old pulleys and accessories went back onto the car. Why not change everything while the engine is out?
Would it not also be a good idea to replace the coils and plugs on the firewall side, they could all be done as well, while you have it out? I have seen the difficulty of doing that with the engine in place and would only add minutes of labor cost to the instant job plus the peace of mind that the plugs&coils are new as well, then having to worry one might fail in immediate future.
You are the man! I wish I knew an awesome mechanic like you with your Toyota-specific knowledge in Cali!
OH boy… I've been worried about this project. Great video by the way!! We have an '08 Highlander with this drivetrain. It's been leaking oil, and it's only been these past few months that the car – which has 230,000 miles on it – actually uses or loses oil. For all these years of hard driving, the oil level never flinched, and I've never had to top it off. It just never used oil, and we rev the hell out of that thing! I've suspected the timing chain cover since that was a huge problem on my old '04 Mazda 6 with the Ford Duratec 3.0 V6. That car would have oil leak – only when I was driving – onto the top one of the pre-catalyst and it would vaporize and get into the car through the HVAC system at stop lights. I was so disgusted with the car for years until I finally tackled the project under tarps in my back yard. I didn't lower the engine, but boy would that have been nice to be able to do! It certainly was difficult getting that cover in place with a new bead of sealant on it and not have the sealant get smeared somehow. I definitely recommend paying close attention to the joint he pointed out at the engine block and valve head, that seam where the leaks were happening. I made sure to really blast that with cleaner and used compressed air to drive out the cleaned oil. On my Mazda, the two surfaces of the block and head were slightly misaligned, so I used a fine file and emery cloth to smooth the aluminum to help the seal span the gap better. I then made sure to put a healthy dollop of sealant on the inside of the casing over the joint to add a level of protection. All the careful attention paid off, as the car leaked NO oil for the duration of my ownership. That was in 2016 and I sold it in 2021. Oh, and keeping on top of PCV valve replacement schedules helps to make sure you're not dealing with high blow by pressures forcing oil out because of a stuck PCV valve.
You mentioned the nightmare of having that rubber oil line for the VVTi system fail and possible cause engine failure. This happened to my wife about 8 years ago. She was driving coworkers to a funeral when a guy on a motorcycle flagged her down to get off the highway as she was spewing oil out the back of the car. Thank God for that guy!! She pulled into a gas station and shut the car off. Thank God she knew to do that as there was NO OIL left in the engine. One of the VVTi rubber lines had failed and all the oil shot out. The whole underside of the car including the rear bumper and tailgate were COVERED with oil. It was such a mess. We had the car towed to a nearby Toyota dealership. They magically happened to have a dozen or so of the new all-metal oil line in stock. The repair cost $500, and within 6 month or so Toyota Corporation issued a service bulletin to replace that part and extend the factory warranty. As we had already had the job done, we were reimbursed in full for the repair and cost of towing. We lucked out in that the engine suffered no damage. Thanks again to that thoughtful guy on the Harley!!
Regarding having the 2GR out of the car, it makes a great deal of sense to replace the spark plugs. I did my own short video (check my profile) 5 or 6 years ago explaining the steps required for DIYers like myself to pull the cowl and other items apart to get to those damned rear plugs, and it is a LOT of work. Having the engine out makes it a less-than-one-hour job to install new plugs.
A few months back I tackled the project of replacing the front lower control arms, all 5 engine mounts/torque stoppers and the sway bar bushings. Believe it or not, the sway bar bushings were the worst part! Being from Massachusetts, there was plenty of rusty stuff under the car, and the bolts that hold the sway bar brackets in place are a nightmare to get to. In addition, the two rear bolts are fully exposed and were rusted in place, so they both snapped and required drilling. No amount of PB blaster or heat helped. What a pain in the a$$!! You can see from your video how easy it is to get to those bolts with the engine out. Oh, and a trick to replacing those two lower control arms as you stated had recently been done is to jack the engine slightly and remove the right and left engine mounts. Each mount covers one of the control arm bolts. Thanks Toyota. 😉
Nice. good thing mine is tight, not a drip. If it does happen I would definitely do it because my 09 XLE is very clean.
Just curious, why did you use black sealant instead of the OE Grey sealant? Does it have to do with cure time?
After watching; I went and looked at my highlander and I do have a leak. Now what?
Great video
I don't fix my engine t/chain cover leaking oil. I may do valve cover gaskets. I did replace the rubber oil cooler lines. Replaced the oil deepstick tube "O" ring . This one leak a lot because some one kink the rubber O ring. That is it. Toyota 3.5L engine is ok. Not perfect dry. But it's ok too me. Smooth and quiet. 5k miles M1 oil changed since I bought it used at 119k. Now 155k. Not too bad.
I have a 2018 Tacoma. I replaced my oil myself for the first time. I used good oil and filter. I tried to fill with exactly 6.2 litters but on the dip stick is slightly 1/8 inch over second notch. is it bad to run it with a third or half of a litter over 6.2?
Although my Toyota does not have the 3.5l great engine, it was still a treat to watch the master at his craft. Should anything major go wrong with my car (which I highly doubt will happen as it's a Toyota), I will ship it from Canada to AMD for the best service! "Fair for me, fair for the customer". Worth the cost of shipping, and travel there to pick it up, and know it was done rite the first time. Win, win!
Amazing job! Thanks for sharing!