oil leak just started... need help
oil leak just started... need help Guys my engine I built has been running great and oil free for about 750 miles and just a few days ago I noticed a burnt oil smell. Sure enough a small leak started. Not cool! And it's blowing over everything making it hard to find the source. The furthest oily spot forward and up is the oil dipstick hole. I did not replace that o'ring on the build. I don't remember it being in bad shape, but I will pull it out and check tomorrow. That doesn't have standing oil level over that hole does it? Is there a way that oil could be getting pushed out that hole at 7000 rpm? Could my PCV system be giving me fits causing this leak? I was fine up until just now.
Update!
Pulled the dipstick tube out. Definitely wasn't the problem. I knew I couldn't get that lucky. I kept looking towards the front of the car. I think I found the source, I hope! I see oil running down the the front timing chain cover which follows the block/pan and blows all down the passenger side of the pan in a V shape. I can see it running around the passenger side of the water pump where it bolts up to the block. So it must be leaking towards the top of the timing cover. WTF? All that is tight. No leaks from main seal or pan sealing area, etc where alignment is key. All was torqued properly, of course. Could the cover have cracked after 750 miles? I will soon be tearing the water pump off to find out more. Just curious if anyone has ran into this. I just don't see any reason for this.
Pulled the dipstick tube out. Definitely wasn't the problem. I knew I couldn't get that lucky. I kept looking towards the front of the car. I think I found the source, I hope! I see oil running down the the front timing chain cover which follows the block/pan and blows all down the passenger side of the pan in a V shape. I can see it running around the passenger side of the water pump where it bolts up to the block. So it must be leaking towards the top of the timing cover. WTF? All that is tight. No leaks from main seal or pan sealing area, etc where alignment is key. All was torqued properly, of course. Could the cover have cracked after 750 miles? I will soon be tearing the water pump off to find out more. Just curious if anyone has ran into this. I just don't see any reason for this.
Last edited by frito1; Oct 7, 2008 at 08:45 PM.
Cleaned it up well with brake cleaner. Ran the car around the block. No oil from anywhere. Ran it to 6800rpm around a bigger section. Had oil coming out of the pan gasket in the middle (tire side) on the passenger. I'm almost sure that is where it's coming from. Is it possible I'm out doing the stock PCV valve? Is it possible at 6500-7000 that I'm pressurizing the crankcase and pushing oil out the gaskets?
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its possible.... but would consider the gasket more of the weak point though. what i mean is if you had that much blow by the dipstick should push out first in my opinion.
are your pan bolts torque to spec? maybe need a little more? or maybee the gasket has a defect or tear?
also be positive its from that spot and not just leaking somewhere else and following the gasket and showing itself there. on my car id pressurize the coolant system and saw coolant dripping from the driverside head gasket at the middle and rear of the head. i nearly **** myself until further investigating revealed it was weeping from my front crossover hose and just following the head gasket ridge.
try to isolate it with taped on rags or something to verify the spot
try adding a breather to see if the problem goes away
if the breather works.. do a leak down to see what rings didnt seal and remedy.
good luck and post back
are your pan bolts torque to spec? maybe need a little more? or maybee the gasket has a defect or tear?
also be positive its from that spot and not just leaking somewhere else and following the gasket and showing itself there. on my car id pressurize the coolant system and saw coolant dripping from the driverside head gasket at the middle and rear of the head. i nearly **** myself until further investigating revealed it was weeping from my front crossover hose and just following the head gasket ridge.
try to isolate it with taped on rags or something to verify the spot
try adding a breather to see if the problem goes away
if the breather works.. do a leak down to see what rings didnt seal and remedy.
good luck and post back
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Verdad Gallardo I guess I should have updated this. I FINALLY found the problem and fixed it thursday.
I disconnected all the PCV and let it vent to atmosphere to make sure I wasn't pressurizing anything. That didn't fix the problem!!
As a last chance, I pulled out the dipstick tube again and threw on a thicker o'ring. I'll be danged if that wasn't it! No more leaks. The block has a rougher cast than the pan and I couldn't tell it was leaking there. It just appeared on the pan.
Thanks for the help though. I can rest easy at night again knowing I have no leaks
I disconnected all the PCV and let it vent to atmosphere to make sure I wasn't pressurizing anything. That didn't fix the problem!!
As a last chance, I pulled out the dipstick tube again and threw on a thicker o'ring. I'll be danged if that wasn't it! No more leaks. The block has a rougher cast than the pan and I couldn't tell it was leaking there. It just appeared on the pan.
Thanks for the help though. I can rest easy at night again knowing I have no leaks
