oil leaking into alternator, i think its coming from the front, possible crankshaft seal, anybody else had this problem. I've cleaned off all oil, and climbed under and i start seeing oil straight down from 1st bolt on exhaust manifold, down by the front of oil pan/to the side. I've checked oil pan bolts, they are tight, hard to see in front behind pulleys. Hoping someone else may have run into same diagnose.

sent u pm.....

I have the exact same problem on a 2000 Montero Sport: Oil leaking from the front passenger side of the engine onto the alternator. I tried changing the cam bore O-ring in the back of the engine, which also appeared to be leaking but the front leak problem is still there and has damaged the alternator.

Has anyone figured this one out?

there are 4 known oil leaks on the monteros...

cam shaft seals and the crank shaft seal from the front...which are under the timing belt..and under the pulleys...
valve cover gaskets...
and the rear cam bore orings..

the first 2 can leak onto the alt which will eventually kill it...(and will also ruin the timing belt)
so if your alt has died from oil leaks..u still need to fix the leaks.

Thanks for the checklist.

Sounds like the next thing to check is the front camshaft oil seal because that leak is originating from fairly high up on the engine, but it doesn't appear to go quite as high as the valve cover.

A- Here is a simple step by step breakdown of how to replace the rear cam O ring seals on both V6 engines of the Montero Sport.

1) 6G72 3.0L V6- The passenger side rear cam O ring seal can be done quite easily from the top of the engine. All that is required is a 12mm wrench or 1/4" drive ratchet and socket to remove the two bolts that hold the "eye shaped" aluminum plug into place. Once you remove the 12mm bolts- twist and pull the aluminum plug straight out taking note of it's orientation. Once removed, clean it off with parts wash and replace the O ring seal with new one. For a longer lasting repair, add a small amount of silicone sealant (automotive grade RTV) on the aluminum plug where it will contact the flats of the cylinder head. Reinstall using the reverse procedure making sure to install it with the two bolt holes ABOVE the centerline of the plug.
The drivers side can be a bit trickier especially with 4wd (since the front propeller shaft can get in the way from underneath). The drivers head is much closer to the bulkhead (firewall) than the passenger side- leaving no choice but to tackle this job from below. The easiest access is from the front drivers side wheel well. More best access, prop the truck on a jack and remove the drivers front wheel- otherwise, leave the wheel on and turn the steering wheel to give you better access. Once the inside splash shield is removed, the plug is within arms reach. It will help if you remove the upper half of the transmission dipstick (remove dipstick, remove upper dipstick mounting bolts on the cylinder head bracket, and lower dipstick mounting bolt on the transmission) but is not neccesary if you have the patience. All you have to do is the exact same thing as you did on the other head- removing the 2 mounting bolts and removing the aluminum plug. When installing, make sure the bolt holes are BELOW the centerline of the aluminum plug.

2) 6G74 3.5L V6 - Everything above applies to this engine EXCEPT that since it is mounted more forward in the engine compartment than the 3.0L, BOTH sides can be tackled easily from above the engine compartment. The passenger side can be done EXACTLY the same as the 3.0L- while the drivers side can be done with the help of a small mirror or just by going by feel......either way, the 3.5L is MUCH easier to perform this repair on

Here is the driver side rear cam aluminum plug (that contains the O ring seal). Note that I have a manual tranmission with my V6, so the rest of you will have a transmission dipstick tube to deal with. This view was taken from underneath the truck- this plug can also be accessed from the side (through the fender well splash shield). The passenger side can be accessed from the top and can be easily seen.

i never put silicone on them....it just interferes with the fit of the plug