Excess RTV sealant clogging the oil pickup (early FA24)
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What causes "Excess RTV sealant clogging the oil pickup (early FA24)" on the Toyota GR86 / Subaru BRZ (ZN8/ZD8, 2022+), and how is it fixed?
Extra RTV sealant from the factory oil-pan joint can break off and collect on the oil pickup strainer, restricting oil flow. Fix: Check by looking through the drain hole with a borescope and by cutting open the oil filter.
Symptoms
Usually none until damage: low oil pressure under load, then bearing noise or a spun bearing. Pieces of sealant show up on the oil pickup screen or inside a cut-open filter.
Cause
Extra RTV sealant from the factory oil-pan joint can break off and collect on the oil pickup strainer, restricting oil flow. Reports came from North American and Japanese owners, including one failed engine at under 14,000 miles. No recall or bulletin covers it.
Fix (summary)
Check by looking through the drain hole with a borescope and by cutting open the oil filter. The strainer can only be cleaned by dropping the oil pan, and some shops suggest doing this once at around 5,000-10,000 miles. Toyota said it reviews warranty claims case by case and that HPDE use alone does not void the warranty.
Related build entries
- Inspect for RTV in the oil pickup, and drop the pan if you find it
- Track days on an FA24: log oil pressure and manage right-handers
Other ZN8/ZD8 problems
- Oil pressure drops in long, fast right-hand turns on track
- Rear turn signals may not work (2022 BRZ and GR86 recall)
- Check engine light for cam timing, evap leak-check or ECM communication codes (ECM update)
- Automatic transmission code P0613 (2022 BRZ TCM update)
- Wrong load-capacity label on some dealer-accessorized GR86s
- BRZ aluminum front knuckles rule out most Gen1 brake kits
More for this car
- All Toyota GR86 / Subaru BRZ (ZN8/ZD8, 2022+) fitment answers · ZN8/ZD8 common problems
- Newsletter archive: past issues with every new and corrected entry
Sources
- How To Spot and Fix the Oil Clogging Issue That's Killing 2022 Toyota GR86 Engines — The Drive (Aug 2022) (editorial; read 2026-10-26; full page read)
- Toyota 'Looking Into' 2022 GR86 Engine Issues After Owner Denied Warranty Fix Over Track Use — The Drive (Aug 2022) (editorial; read 2026-10-26; full page read)RTV found in a failed engine's pickup; Toyota statement on warranty.
- Understanding Oil Starvation in a BRZ/GR86: Solutions and Upgrades — FunctionTheory (performance shop blog, Feb 2025) (vendor article; read 2026-10-26; full page read)Shop found RTV in the sump screen of a sub-3,000-mile BRZ.
- Toyota GR86 & Subaru BRZ Common Problems & Fixes — CM Autohaus (repair shop blog, Sep 2025) (vendor article; read 2026-10-26; full page read)Suggests a one-time pan drop at about 5k-10k miles.
Summaries are in our own words. Not repair instructions; consult the factory service manual.
Report a correction — spotted an error or have a better source? Email hello@chassisdex.com.