How to Change an Oil Pan Gasket in a Toyota Camry

Overall, your Toyota Camry is a very reliable vehicle requiring common maintenance attention. Still, after a few years of service, you will find yourself replacing a few extra items like a leaking oil pan gasket. Toyota uses a silicone adhesive sealant between the pan and the engine block that can be replaced at home. To replace it, you will need to remove a few items to gain access to the oil pan. This procedure applies to the standard, four-cylinder, 2.2L engine Camry model.

Removing the Oil Pan and Gasket

Park your Camry in a level surface away from traffic.

Open the hood and disconnect the ground battery cable using a wrench. This is the cable terminal attached to the battery post with the minus (-) sign next to it. If your Camry model comes equipped with air bags, wait about 2 minutes for the system to disarm before you begin to work on your car.

Raise the front of the vehicle using a floor jack and support it with 2 jack stands. Apply the parking brake and chock the rear wheels.

Place a drain pan under the engine oil pan and release the oil pan drain plug using a wrench. Loosen the oil filler cap from the top of the engine to let the oil drain faster. Replace the oil pan drain plug.

Remove the engine undercovers using a ratchet, ratchet extension and socket.

Detach the front exhaust pipe from under the engine using a breaker bar and socket.

Remove the engine mounting center member using a ratchet and socket.

Take off the end stiffener plate from the rear side of the engine oil pan using a ratchet, ratchet extension and socket.

Take out the oil dipstick and move it aside.

Loosen and remove the oil pan bolts evenly and gradually using a ratchet, ratchet extension and socket.

Cut the oil pan gasket sealer from the sides of the pan using an oil pan seal cutter.

Carefully detach the pan from under the engine. If necessary, use a plastic scraper to cut the rest of the pan front and rear seal. Remove the pan from the vehicle.

Installing the Oil Pan and Gasket

Remove the oil pan sealer from the pan flange and under-engine mating surface using a plastic scraper.

Clean the oil pan thoroughly using denatured alcohol and a clean shop rag.

Apply a bead of silicone adhesive sealant, about 1/4 inch wide, around the oil pan flange and to the inside of the pan mounting holes.

Place the oil pan in place under the engine and install the pan mounting bolts finger-tight.

Tighten the bolts evenly and gradually with the ratchet, ratchet extension and socket, following a crisscross pattern. And torque the bolts to 48 inch-pounds (5.4 Nm) using a torque wrench.

Install the oil dipstick.

Install the end stiffener plate to the rear side of the engine oil pan using the ratchet, ratchet extension and socket.

Attach the engine mounting center member using the ratchet and socket.

Replace the front exhaust pipe under the engine using the breaker bar and socket.

Mount the engine undercovers using the ratchet, ratchet extension and socket.

Lower your Camry using the floor jack.

Remove the oil filler cap and place a funnel in the filler hole. Refill the engine with engine oil and replace the oil filler cap.

Connect the ground battery cable using the wrench and close the hood.

Check for oil leaks at the oil pan.