2017 Tacoma TRD Off Road, 3.5 V6, 4wd, Auto. 73,000 miles, owned since new. After watching videos about the tendency of the right side of the timing cover to leak, I inspected my truck and found it to be leaking a small amount from the right timing cover. There are no drips and no oil is added between changes. My question is: should I consider any oil additive to minimize or delay this leak, or is it simply watch and wait? It would have to be a pretty serious leak to justify resealing the cover. I'm a DIY mechanic for the past 54 years. I have successfully overhauled a few engines and one Asin-Warner transmission. I perform all maintenance on my vehicles. I presently have 3 Toyotas of various ages.
I'm guessing that since this is a non-gasketed application and I received no relevant answers that the stop leak compounds are pure snake oil. Probably best to use them as recommended by the hydro-gear dealer as a seal conditioner, and leave them out of modern engines.
As a mechanic, you know that the only correct fix for the problem is to remove the timing cover and re-seal it with new gaskets.
Since re-sealing involves pulling the engine, a small seep does not justify resealing. My only curiosity is about the stop leak additives. Do they have any value in a situation like this? I've never used them. I've replaced my share of oil seals and gaskets. This is not a candidate for a 20 hour disassembly.
…leaking a small amount from the right timing cover. There are no drips and no oil is added between changes.
In light of that, I would watch and wait. Additives won’t buy you anything here, and I agree it’s no where serious enough to justify fixing yet.
The stop leak stuff won't do anything on this leak since the timing cover seal is rtv and not a gasket. If it's just slight seepage, I'd just keep an eye on it. It's a big job to reseal the timing cover on the Toyota 3.5L V's and wouldn't consider it until it becomes a noticeable leak.
It has been 5000 miles since I cleaned up the oil residue. Nothing of note yet. It seems to be seeping very slowly from a single point where the timing cover crosses the head gasket. At 81,000 miles it is clean. If I have to clean it every year with a $3 can of brake cleaner to keep it spotless, so be it. I can always drop the power steering pump and dab some Ultra Gray RTV at the joint if it bothers me too much. Thanks for the input. And yes, I've been wrenching as long as Scotty.