Oil leak... possible sources?
Thread Starter
TECH Regular
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 409
Likes: 0
From: Miami, FL
Oil leak... possible sources? I pulled my tranny out yesterday (had it rebuilt, 3rd gear was howling, builder is fixing it) and when I got the car in the air, I noticed oil all over the passenger side of my ORY, all over the p/s of the pan, tranny, starter, etc. It wasn't pouring over everything, but it was stained and fresh.
Pulled the tranny, and there was oil inside the bellhousing as well. First thought was rear main seal... pulled the bellhousing, clutch, and flywheel off, but the seal was dry. Looking at the motor from the back, the top back of the intake area seems to be soaked. I didn't see anything coming directly from a valve cover, but there was oil in that vicinity as well.
Any ideas on a possible source? Lifter valley cover?
Pulled the tranny, and there was oil inside the bellhousing as well. First thought was rear main seal... pulled the bellhousing, clutch, and flywheel off, but the seal was dry. Looking at the motor from the back, the top back of the intake area seems to be soaked. I didn't see anything coming directly from a valve cover, but there was oil in that vicinity as well.
Any ideas on a possible source? Lifter valley cover?
Most likely it's your valve cover gasket. Take off your valve cover and inspect the gasket, you might have a tear or it could have moved out of it's groove. The valley cover gasket does not see that much oil up there to leak that bad.
Let us know what you find.
Let us know what you find.
Thread Starter
TECH Regular
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 409
Likes: 0
From: Miami, FL
Bump... still there, lost approximately 1qt in ~1500 miles of mostly highway driving. I just haven't had time to deal with it.
I checked the valve covers, they're fine.
What are all possible sources of a leak from the top of the motor/back of the intake? Oil pressure sensor, cam sensor, knock sensor/valley cover, what else? The sensors are too pricy to play guessing games with, I need some way of narrowing it down.
I checked the valve covers, they're fine.
What are all possible sources of a leak from the top of the motor/back of the intake? Oil pressure sensor, cam sensor, knock sensor/valley cover, what else? The sensors are too pricy to play guessing games with, I need some way of narrowing it down.
Originally Posted by jlaw
Bump... still there, lost approximately 1qt in ~1500 miles of mostly highway driving. I just haven't had time to deal with it.
I checked the valve covers, they're fine.
What are all possible sources of a leak from the top of the motor/back of the intake? Oil pressure sensor, cam sensor, knock sensor/valley cover, what else? The sensors are too pricy to play guessing games with, I need some way of narrowing it down.
I checked the valve covers, they're fine.
What are all possible sources of a leak from the top of the motor/back of the intake? Oil pressure sensor, cam sensor, knock sensor/valley cover, what else? The sensors are too pricy to play guessing games with, I need some way of narrowing it down.
Just an idea,clean the motor with degreaser(Simple Green, Castrol Super clean,etc) and if you have access to a lift/ramps etc, after cleaning it let it run for 20 minutes or so and the leak should be obvious. Hope this helps,we have used this method for years.
Originally Posted by jlaw
The sensors are too pricy to play guessing games with, I need some way of narrowing it down.
Teching In
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 16
Likes: 0
From: St. Louis Missouri
Just took my 2004 GTO in for an oil leak. Dealer told me it most like the cam sensor and are replacing it. Based on this thread, that sounds like it is a possible culprit of oil leaks. Car had 230 miles on it, and was 2 days old. I was a little miffed, to say the least. Where is the cam sensor on this motor?
Trending Topics
Sensor is on the top behind the intake. The sensor is a good place to look for a leak but it is not necessary to replace the whole sensor just to fix a leak. The sensor has an o-ring seal that can be replaced...o-rings are easily pinched when installed and can cause the kind of leak you are seeing. If GM doesn't sell the seal seperately then it can be gotten from many other sources...
LS1 Tech Stories
The Best V8 Stories One Small Block at Time
Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked
Pouria Savadkouei
Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!
Hennessey's New Supercharged Silverado ZR2 Has 700 HP
Verdad Gallardo
Coachbuilt N2A Anteros Is an LS2-Powered C6 Corvette In Italian Clothes
Verdad Gallardo
Awesome K5 Blazer Restomod Comes With C7 Corvette Power
Verdad Gallardo
10 Camaros You Should Never Buy
10 LS Engine Myths That Refuse to Die
Verdad Gallardo
