Finding oil leaks.
Finding oil leaks. just like the title says, what's the best way to find oil leaks? i personally think it's coming from the front of the block but a mechanic i know took a glance at it and said it was the rear main seal. i personally think it's blowing back from the front of the engine and dripping occasionally from the tranny and in the garage 85% of the oil "puddle" is where the front of the block would be. anyhoo, any tricks or anything like that to finding an oil leak pretty quickly?
TECH Regular
Joined: Aug 2005
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From: Tampa Bay
They've got additives on the market that contain a photolumesint (spell ?) chemical that helps to locate the source of the leak. Just dump it in the oil and let the car run for a few minutes and keep an eye on the areas you think it may be coming from. The oil kind of "glows" when it hits light. Sorry, but I can't remember where we got the stuff. Might have been Orielly's?
awesome, i was never aware of anything like that. it's really hard to tell where it's coming from since it splashes back etc. and isn't really concentrated in one area, and unless it's gushing out i can't really sit there and see it myself. i'll call around today and see what i can find, thanks though man i appreciate it.
yeah i would use one of those additives that give the oil a desitinctive color and put it up on jackstands and find the leak, my bet would be the crank case seal is leaking or possibly the oil pan seal, might also be valvecover leakage.
i'm thinking it's coming from the timing chain cover area on the front of the block, and it just started leaking like this after the cam swap and the ported oil pump before it did not leak at all. idk if a seals not on good, or the added psi made it leak more. but i'm going to be picking some of this stuff up.
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those dyes generally need a uv light (or a black light if you have one, same thing) and a pair of yellow safety glasses really helps light it up. also, start with a clean slate. what i mean is clean under the hood really well, then let it run, and just idle. if its leaking, it cant blow anywhere, so that will help you pinpoint it.
TECH Regular
Joined: Aug 2005
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From: Tampa Bay
Originally Posted by 01RedT/A
those dyes generally need a uv light (or a black light if you have one, same thing)
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Have had the same leak since I did a cam swap but it doesnt leak enough to puddle just makes the underside dirty. I seems to be more concentrated on the small bolts in the picture. Fixing the leak will be my next project after I get some good tuning done.
