General Maintenance & Repairs Leaks | Squeaks | Clunks | Rattles | Grinds
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by: CARiD

Ls1 oil leak

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Feb 22, 2020 | 04:11 PM
  #1  
mbrault95's Avatar
Thread Starter
Teching In
 
Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
Default Ls1 oil leak

Hi everyone my brothers 99 has a massive oil leak out of no where. It started smoking while driving and burning oil oil pressure dropped to under 30 and now it pours out it’s a manual car with 75k. Weird thing is the clutch went from being pretty much on the floor and very hard to light and sitting at a normal height after the leak. Does the rear main blow enough to cause a massive leak? Oil is all over the back of the motor. Going to put it up tomorrow to look just was trying for some suggestions.
Reply
Old Feb 22, 2020 | 11:16 PM
  #2  
RevGTO's Avatar
Pontiacerator
20 Year Member
Photogenic
Liked
Loved
iTrader: (12)
 
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 6,216
Likes: 236
From: Wichita KS / Rancho San Diego
Default

Sounds like the rear main. When mine went it formed a puddle of oil under the car, the bellhousing full of oil, oil everywhere.

Edit: This happened on my automatic car, so no slave cylinder as described below - which very well might be the case with your car.

Last edited by RevGTO; Feb 23, 2020 at 02:31 PM.
Reply
Old Feb 23, 2020 | 09:01 AM
  #3  
wssix99's Avatar
Save the manuals!
15 Year Member
iTrader: (5)
 
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 12,969
Likes: 389
From: Chicago, IL
Default

How is the level of the clutch hydraulic fluid???

I just went through a similar situation and it turned out to be a bad throwout bearing on the clutch. The odds of a "massive" leak sprouting out of our slave cylinder is much more likely than something going bad in the rear of the engine. (IMO) Either way, step #1 (if the fluid is coming out of the bell housing) is to drop the transmission.

My leak started slow and I assumed it was a leaking rear main. Over time the leak got much larger and continued to spew forth even then the engine wasn't running.


Originally Posted by mbrault95
oil oil pressure dropped to under 30
We all have Oil Pressure Sending Unit issues. This could be a normal thing that you are just now noticing. ...Or it could be an accurate indication of a problem.


Originally Posted by mbrault95
Weird thing is the clutch went from being pretty much on the floor and very hard to light and sitting at a normal height after the leak.
This would not be weird for a leaking slave.

I don't drive my car very often and see that there have been people who have had issues with dirty hydraulic fluid. I never flushed my fluid and expect that my infrequent driving on top of that led to abusive treatment of the seals on my throwout bearing. (It almost lasted as long as my clutch. I probably had another 10K miles on the clutch when the bearing gave out.)
Reply
Old Feb 23, 2020 | 09:16 AM
  #4  
LLLosingit's Avatar
TECH Junkie
10 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
iTrader: (4)
 
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 3,845
Likes: 487
From: Iowa
Default

Could be the oil pressure .sensor itself leaking.
Reply
Old Mar 21, 2020 | 07:53 AM
  #5  
SteveC's Avatar
TECH Resident
20 Year Member
Photogenic
Photoriffic
Liked
 
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 877
Likes: 55
From: Poway, Ca. where GOD and the sun always shines
Smile

Originally Posted by LLLosingit
Could be the oil pressure .sensor itself leaking.
I thought that also, being its location is behind the intake manifold (thanks GM) however a leaking sensor would not cause a drop in oil pressure.
Reply
Old Mar 21, 2020 | 10:31 PM
  #6  
LLLosingit's Avatar
TECH Junkie
10 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
iTrader: (4)
 
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 3,845
Likes: 487
From: Iowa
Default

Originally Posted by SteveC
a leaking sensor would not cause a drop in oil pressure.
Pardon my French but it sure the hell would, I've seen oil pressure sensors fail quite a few times where they start to come apart leading to a massive oil leak and pressure loss.... That's the reason I suggested that it could be the problem.
Reply
Old Mar 22, 2020 | 05:19 AM
  #7  
TTur1996's Avatar
TECH Fanatic
10 Year Member
 
Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 1,266
Likes: 165
Default

Could be the gasket on that 2 bolt cover above the oil filter. When they go, oil goes everywhere. There is direct oil pressure there.
Reply




All times are GMT -5. The time now is 08:42 AM.

story-0
Topdon ONE vs. Artidiag 800 BT2: Which is the Diagnostic Tablet For You?

Slideshow: We take a close look at the ONE and Artidiag 800BT2 diagnostic tools from Topdon and the reasons to buy one over the other.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-05-28 11:05:11


VIEW MORE
story-1
Gas Monkey Built a 6-Wheel Ferrari Testarossa With a Corvette LT4 Engine

Slideshow: The controversial Ferrari F6 swaps its original flat-12 for a Corvette Z06-derived LT4 V8 and sends power to four rear wheels through a custom-built drivetrain.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-26 18:23:54


VIEW MORE
story-2
7 Most Reliable High-Performance Engines GM Has Ever Built

Slideshow:These GM engines didn't just make huge power, they survived abuse, boost, track days, and six-digit mileage with a reputation for refusing to quit.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-21 16:45:27


VIEW MORE
story-3
Amazing '71 Camaro Restomod Is Modern Muscle Car Under the Skin

Slideshow: This heavily modified 1971 Camaro mixes classic muscle car styling with a fifth-generation Camaro interior and modern LS3 power.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-12 18:06:42


VIEW MORE
story-4
6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them

Slideshow: From wobbling harmonic balancers to failed EBCMs, these are the issues that define long-term C5 ownership and what repairs typically involve.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-05-07 18:44:57


VIEW MORE
story-5
Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph

Slideshow: A modern Camaro transformed into a retro icon, this limited-run "Bandit" build blends nostalgia with brute force in a way few revivals manage.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-21 13:57:02


VIEW MORE
story-6
Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked

Slideshow: Cadillac didn't just crash the high-performance luxury vehicle party, it showed up loud, supercharged, and occasionally a little unhinged...

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-04-16 10:05:15


VIEW MORE
story-7
Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!

Slideshow: Top ten most powerful Chevy trucks ever made

By | 2026-03-25 09:22:26


VIEW MORE
story-8
Hennessey's New Supercharged Silverado ZR2 Has 700 HP

Slideshow: Hennessey has turned the Silverado ZR2 into a 700-hp off-road monster with supercharged V8 power and a limited production run.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-24 18:57:52


VIEW MORE
story-9
Coachbuilt N2A Anteros Is an LS2-Powered C6 Corvette In Italian Clothes

Slideshow: A one-off sports car that looks like a vintage Italian exotic-but hides a C6 Corvette underneath-just sold for the price of a new mid-engine Corvette.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-23 18:53:41


VIEW MORE