Where else to find oil leaks

[BJM]

I still have leaks after doing my front cover and seal. It seems dry around the seal now, it was definitely leaking.

My oil filter has some drool on it and the whole side of the oil pan rail on the passenger side is moist with oil which drips down the starter onto the crossover and even into the torque converter cover.

The rear main seal is bone dry when the cover is removed.

My guess is the O-ring between the adapter and the front cover. Its really hard to see any real quantity there but there is a ton on the side of the pan. Are there any other likely spots?

 

[azgn]

valve covers

 

[BJM]

Good point on the valve covers, but I have changed those gaskets too.

 

[JACKH]

Oil Leaks

I had one from the oil return line right under the turbo... hard to see and it drops down onto the stuff beneath it, gets blown around by the intercooler fan, etc... a new gasket from GM and 10 minutes fixed it.

Jack
Jack@huisman.com

 

[BJM]

The return line seemed dry when I had the front cover off but I better check it again to make sure.

 

[Russ Merritt]

Could be coming out the oil pump cover. clean the area with carb cleaner, then have someone rev to 2500 RPM, while you look at the oil pump/adaptor/filter. Good luck.

 

[tom h]

or, after cleaning the entire area thoroughly (carb cleaner, Gunk, Simple green, whatever), add GM Fluorescent Dye to the engine oil.

Using a "black light" in a dimmed garage, trace back the now-glowing oil streaks to the source. it is subtle, but the oil streaks wil definitely stand out. You may have to first drive the car around to get enough oil to leak. only the fluorescent tube black lights have enough intensity to work, I tried one of those bulb-shaped lamps and it doesn't give off enough true UV light to work.

 

[JayLashua]

I too have a leak like that, i am planning to get my front seal replaced because i know its leaking, but it almos looks liek oil is coming from elsewhere? nothing coming from the top its hard to tell but it drips all over the side of the oil pan and onto my crossover pipe!

so maybe something else is causing that leak?

 

[BJM]

This is getting to be a pain. Would an oil pan gasket leak under boost? It looks fine but could the gasket relax enough for the dimples in the pan to bottom on the block surface and leak even though it looks fine?

I will have to clean the engine like crazy I guess before I try the dye thing.

What's your favourite way to clean oil and gunk off an engine?

 

[Roc87]

Do you have any adapters up there for an aftermarket oil pressure gauge? That's where mine was leaking. Crush sleve on the nylon tube for the autometer was leaking, couldn't tell, but I tightened it anyways, made it worse . Replaced that crush sleve and now there's no leak . But there's still a puddle at work where it's parked.....

 

[John Larkin]

I have a leak that has been getting worse. I ended up tightening 5 oil pan bolts somewhat, 2 quite a bit. I hope this fixes it; I haven't driven the car since. There was an oil film all around the pan rail up the block about an inch and the exposed edges of the pan gasket were moist. I also tried to clean off the ooze as best I could so I can recheck it again. Lemme tell you one thing: Greased Lightning cleaner will peel the skin off your hands, that's for sure.

 

[BJM]

roc87

I do have oil gauge fittings in there and I haven't really checked them for leaks. When I took the front cover off the engine I had to remove the oil gauge sender and nothing looked totally wrong but there are several fittings in there because I have the stock one teed in to the aftermarket one. I'll have to do a better check.

John Larkin

My block is oily right up the side as well, more on the passenger side. The oil pan gasket is totally wet on the edge. But I cannot tell if that is oil getting dumped on it or oil getting squeezed out from the pan. What pan bolts are you tightening? My bolts are nice and tight which makes me think the gasket has crushed down and the pan dimples are bottomed. Tightening more will not help. I guess I will have to change the pan gasket to find out (Sigh).

 

[John Larkin]

All the bolts that hold the pan on were the ones I tightened. I started at the rear and moved forward, alternating sides as I went. I had to end up using a box end wrench on the ones under the timing cover due to limited access caused by the crossmember. My pan gasket had been replaced prior to me owning the car (bright blue rubber one, I wonder what brand it is?). It also looked like the rear main had been done as well, because there was some black sealant squished out of it that I saw with the TC shield off. I really didn't see any sling up in the bellhousing so I'm sure that the pan gasket seal was the culprit. There was also a trail from the rear of the driver side valve cover down the block through the casting numbers; I'm a little suspicious that it's contributing as well, but I can only go a step at a time and see.

 

[BJM]

I have a new Felpro gasket waiting to go on and it is bright blue