Transfer case leak

Got a leak out of the rear output seal on the transfer case. Not dripping, just wet around the seal. Noticed a collection of gear oil one day when changing oil, wiped it down and kept an eye on it. It is seeping a little every so often. I pulled the fill plug and there is plenty of oil in there, enough that it was running out with the plug. I also checked the breather and replaced it just in case.

It is a 2009 with 15,900 miles and my warranty ran out about three weeks ago. I spoke with a service representative at Cavendar Toyota who was amazed that I have never had it serviced or brought in for work. I questioned if Toyota might cut me a break since I was so close to the end of the warranty and never bothered them about any of the other problems (melting lenses, malfunctioning radio, etc.) but he told me since it had never been in for service that they would probably not. He said if I had serviced it a tech would have noticed the leak as part of the normal inspection and would have noted it. Whatever.

So, is there anything I should look out for before I bring it in next Tuesday? I don't trust dealerships and asked in the regional forum if anyone was aware of a trustworthy mechanic in the San Antonio area but got little response. I did find a write-up for the front output seal on a 4Runner: but have not been able to find anything for the Tacoma rear seal. It is probably similar but I would rather have a real mechanic tackle this rather than my DIY meddling.

 

Don't forget to bring your wallet with you on Tuesday.

Seriously though, the is a DIY thread on the subject... it's fairly easy to replace the seal.

 

I wouldn't bother with it until it becomes a real leak, as in you need to add oil to the diff between oil changes.

I would FIRST change the differential breather. If it's plugged, when the oil heats up under normal operation, pressure increases and has to go somewhere. This will cause the leak (seepage may be a better description) you are experiencing.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

 

Breather has been changed, still weeping.

Is there a DIY for the Tacoma rear? All I have been able find is the one for the 4Runner front.

And I'm handy, but always run into stupid problems.

 

I thought your leak was coming from the rear output seal of the T case? Anyway, Seaping around the rear of the T case becomes almost normal. If it's not a drip then I wouldn't really worry too much. But if your OCD like me then it's a fairly simple process to change the seal

They don't cost very much and if you have a 30mm socket, a couple of screw drivers, if you don't have a seal puller, and two 14mm wrenches, then you can do this your self. An air gun will help with that 30 mm nut that holds the flange on. Otherwise you'll need a good sized breaker bar.

Take your rear drive shaft off from the rear of the t case, 4 14mm nuts, then remove the two 14mm bolts that hold the driveshaft to the truck floor. Lay it aside. Unstake the flange nut and remove it. Best to have the truck in 4wd for this if you dont have an airgun. After that gently remove the old seal. Then, depending on where you get your new seal you may have to grease it first on the inside of the seal. Then place it in and gently tap it in with a plastic hammer if you don't have a seal install tool.

Once it's in put everything back on in reverse of how you took it off making sure you restake the flange nut and put locktite on your 4 drive nuts that you removed and your good to go. No need to put any fluid in because you shouldn't have lost that much.

 

Replace the seal. Its a cheap part and it saves us a world of headache from hippies and it helps keep our streams clean so I can continue catching fish.

 

Keep asking around about another mechanic.....you'll find one.
THAT dealer would never get a dime from me.

 

I am OCD and it is the rear seal. I wiped down the crevice with a folded over paper towel last Sunday and cannot see anything forming as of today but I know if I cram a paper towel in there that it will come back wet on the end. You make it sound easy and I really want it to be as simple as that. I'm a teacher and have a little time off this summer so it can easily be down for a few days, it's just the heat and 8 million mosquitos that are an issue.

I have a an email in to Toyota and a free diagnostic set up at Cavendar Toyota on Tuesday. The email reminded me that my warranty was up on 6/15/2009 but also said that Toyota would like to take a look at it in regards to good faith and customer service. I will have to make some decision then.

 

Is it Cavender that you don't like or all Toyota dealers. I had some issues with Red McCombs and although I like North Park it is an extra long ways away. We just bought our 2014 4Runner from Universal and they were decent to deal with in sales, just not sure about their service department.

And I would rather give my money to a mechanic that knew what they were doing and would profit from the exchange, not the dealer.

 

So between 7/8 and today it is dry on the outside, driven about 200 miles over various terrain and various speeds including highway. BUT if I fold over a paper towel and push it in the lip, it wicks up gear oil. It is just collecting in the lip and after a couple of weeks will work itself into a drip on the outside. Lip in question is inside the red square outline.

Normal? Should it be bone dry in that lip or just a little wet? I really hate to have the dealership touch it and possibly produce a different problem. I know I am OCD.

And when I first noticed it, it was collected into a drip outside of that lip but nothing had dripped on the floor in the garage.

 

Further away.

 

Mechanic, service advisor, and Toyota (according to the service advisor) says that it is normal to be wet. Even if that means to the point of collecting and dripping. That's odd, considering from 2009-2013 it was bone dry. I guess being bone dry was abnormal and I should have had that looked at.

 

wat ?

I have a tcase where it weeps on the casing seal but not at the shafts whatsoever

I would say some weep where dirt collects is OK (in 10 years you won't lose much)
but if you have an actual drip at the shaft, that is not right. none of my toyota have
any drips at the shafts (except rear axle seals every 7 years on the 4runner)

 

It had formed into a drip in the beginning of June. I wiped it down and started getting real OCD checking it everyday. The accumulation happened sometime between December and June (6 month oil change intervals). I only crawl under the truck and give it a once over during oil changes, I figured it is a Toyota after all, it should be okay. In December, it was bone dry.