Oil leak getting bad but I can't find it!

[BJM]

I don't know how an engine could leak so much yet the source is impossible to find.

Oil seems to come from the front passenger side somewhere. It runs back along the pan rail. The catalytic converter and cross over is getting covered. Its dripping onto the paasenger X brace and the frame cross member is soaked. I changed the front seal about two months ago and the seal area is dry (it used to leak).

There is oil right below the turbo drain tube on a little cavity in the front cover but the drain tube seems dry. My oil cooler lines are brand new and dry. I replaced the filter adapter o ring. There is oil collecting on the filter low point.

I took a 3 hour drive and the engine went from a bit oily to soaked. Arrgh!!!

Is it possible for the front cover itself to be leaking through the gasket?

My oil pressure is great as always.

Help

 

[CanVan87GN]

Just my 2 cents....

I had a brutal oil leak similar to yours after I did a tonne of work. It was the drain plug gasket No kidding. I put tracer dye in the motor and it was all over the pan, crossmember, TC cover, and some on the front cover. I thought it originally was the rear main again Thank god it wasn't.


Shaun

 

[NJTurbo]

Just an idea for you. At the dealership we use dye and a black light on tough to find oil leaks. Very effective. Install a little dye in oil filler tube, do not worry does not effect or hurt engine in anyway. Turn on engine let run for about 10min. Turn on blacklight while car is running, check top and bottom oil leak will glow. Awesome tool helps us every day on the line.

 

[Men in Black]

Check your turbo oil feed line, it could have loosened up.

 

[TurboDave]

Can you see the entire front intake manifold gasket area? Could be the intake to block seal.

 

[BJM]

I'll try to check the intake to block area, its really hard to see.

I can see the drain plug is okay and the oil is right up front where its all wet.

I have tried looking at the turbo feed line, I really can't tell. The leak is getting really bad though so it should all come to a head soon.

Thanks for the ideas.

 

[zam70]

I had a similar situation, ended up being my oil pump cover. It was bleeding around the bolts and then "traveling" all over the passenger side of the engine

 

[GN-231]

BJM, The situation your are describing sounds exactly like mine and the problem is exactly what ZAM70 stated. All the areas that you say you get oil on are the same that I have been getting and I am positive that it is my oil pump cover plate.
ZAM70,
I think I have the same problem you do after installing my high volume pump. BGC (those thieves) sent me the wrong bolts with the kit. The bolt shanks were too short and I think they almost began to stripe the threads in the front cover during installation. I wasn't able to torque all the bolts to the required spec., but I think I got them all pretty close.

What did you do to fix the situation?
Does anyone know if you can helicoil the oil cover bolts without removing the front cover?

 

[BJM]

Stupid me! When I had the front cover off I had to clean it all off because the whole thing was slimed up. I never touched the oil pump area at all. It looked fine (because I had just cleaned it). It would make sense that it could squirt oil onto the IC. That's about the only thing there that can dump oil on all the things that are now soaked.

Thanks again for all the suggestions, I really appreciate the help.

 

[zam70]

I just pulled it apart and put in a new GM gasket with copper tack spray. Dry as a bone.