OK so the past month I have had to fill my radiator with about a a gallon of 50/50 mix and was trying to figure out where my leak was. it wasn't leaking while it was sitting so i had to wait until I had time to climb under the 4runner to find the leak. Well I got under there and saw that my steering rack had a nice coat of orange from the coolent. I couldn't tell where the leak was coming from but it looked like it was from behind the tranny.

1. Are there just two Freeze plugs back there or more?
2. Any one got a picture of the rear of the 5VZ-FE engine block so I can get a view of the ass of my engine.
3. How hard is it going to be to remove my tranny and pull the plugs out and get new ones in it?

I am not looking forward to the possibility of pulling out the engine to get to these. I am not looking to use BAR stop leak as I want to fix the problem and not just patch it and cause more problems.

 

i dont have any pics. for you but what ever direction you too remove the freeze plug. I would suggest replacing it with a rubber freeze plug as they are easier to deal with in the future. In my case i was scared of rubber freeze plugs but i have replaced all the freeze plugs with them and they are great. the only issue i had with the rubber ones is you have to keep tightening them a few times for a week to get the seated but once done they are good to go, and fit i tight spaces great.

 

I would just go ahead and use the brass ones install them once and be done with it . YOu dont want to have to pull the tranny more than once in a week do you.

They are easy to intall and remove once you can get to them , pound in on one side then just pull them out , install by pounding on something something the same diameter as the freeze plug. .

 

ok so I don't want to pull the tranny more then one time. Would be different if it was on the side of the block. I will do the brass plugs.

Any one willing to help that has a lift and tools to remove the tranny?

 

Ok well it is a PITA to remove the tranny!
I replaced my engine in mine and that was the hardest part of the whole job!
I decided if I had to do that job again that i was pulling the engine and tranny together out the hood really seems a lot easier you do not have to remove the wiring harness from the tranny this was one of the big issues i had in this job along with just getting the tranny out of that hole.
I had to take the stabilizer loose and drop it down and slide the tranny back then wiggle it and drop and wiggle it and f@#$@% it, and yeah a real PITA!!!
through the hood you pull the hood off take the harness loose at the grounds and and the fuse box a couple other places and take the hood off and use an engine hoist.
but if you really want the experience its a pita!!!!!

 

looks like the slow leak will have to wait another month. I hope it stays a slow leak for that long. I think I am going to take it in to get the work done at a shop, to much work for a drive way job and I don't have the time to have a vehicle down for as much time as it would take me.