Joel_SS

iTrader: (8)

It leaked almost 3 quarts in 2 weeks.. I got up under tonight and found this.. Is this a blown head gasket? Look like there is oil on the plugs as well... I just bought this car and it just had the motor rebuilt!!!


Pics are huge (1+MB) for clarity.

This is looking up the drivers side
http://www.bpl-music.com/oil1.jpg

Shot of the plug second on from front drivers side
http://www.bpl-music.com/plug.jpg

Bottom of the tranny bell housing..
http://www.bpl-music.com/tranny.jpg

spy2520

iTrader: (3)

I blew a head gasket before and rather than oil coming out of the engine, coolant would get into the oil (or was it the other way around). I think the plugs were changing a funky color too. I don't know though.

ROCNDAV

iTrader: (100)

What kind of headers are those? They still look new.

AVB

iTrader: (9)

Where's the oil going, on the ground?

zamboxl

iTrader: (1)

damn man u screw but y would there be oil coming out of the head gasket that is strange there is no oil in there unless ur valve seals are shot beond hell or u dont have any and ur combustion chamber is swiming in oil, but then u would have notice before u even bought the car. Very strange deff take the heads off and check it out there should be no oil out of there, well unless half of ur gasket just blew clean off or a crack in the block somewhere.

Byter

iTrader: (1)

Make sure your valve cover gaskets are not pinched or not seated properly. It is very easy for the gaskets to come out of the grooves in the valve covers and not seat properly. I found that I had to get new gaskets because the old ones became too stretched and too flexible.

30th droptop

iTrader: (-1)

I think Byter's right. Check the valve-cover gaskets. From the first picture, I see oil ABOVE the head gasket (just below the header tube - although the picture's upside down). It's very unlikely that a head-gasket leak would be able to spray oil ABOVE the head-gasket surface. And, I'm not sure, but don't LS1's oil the rockers through the pushrods? If so, there wouldn't even be any oil passages through the head to leak.

Bill's 02 Z-28 SS

Hi folks
looking at the first picture, it appears that there is oil on the headers which would imply that the oil is coming from the Valve Cover (as pointed out by the above posting). I would first replace or at least pull the valve cover and inspect the gasket. I would replace it if I saw oil on the head (coming from the top). You may have many problems but take them one at a time. The bell house picture could be the OIL sending unit behind the intake, many people break them putting in the intake.
Bill

Tranzor

I had the valve cover gasket pinched in the back on the passenger side, and there was oil leaking down the back of the engine... if you had it pinched in a good deal along the side above the headers, then it could create an oil leak like the one in your pics. Like the others said, definitely check those first, and replace them... they're fairly cheap.

Joel_SS

iTrader: (8)

Awesome guys thanks for all the replies I will check the valve cover gasketts and let you all know what I find.

What do you guys think if the oil on the plug?? Could that be caused by the valve cover seal as well?

777

iTrader: (21)

See that's what I'm thinking. I don't see how the valve cover gasket would cause oil to be on the plug like that. In that picture it looks like there are metal shavings on the plug (probably just the light though). I would replace the gaskets (they aren't much money) and see if it fixes the problem.

Joel_SS

iTrader: (8)

FLP long tubes.

BAN-LS1

iTrader: (16)

are all the plugs like that? Does the car smoke, start up or high RPM? Might not have changed the valve seals when rebuild. What are the miles on the car?

Reckless

iTrader: (9)

Agree on the valve cover gasket idea

2003torch

From your sig it looks like you have some after market heads in their. Sometimes when heads are ported the bolt hole where the rockers attach makes it all the way through to the intake area runners. Under heavy throttle you can suck oil into this area and the oil will show itself under headers as a leak. Sometimes where the head meets the block it will pool their. Anyway you may have to remove your rockers and verify by seeing how far the hole extends. If in fact the hole does go all the way through when you install the rocker bolts you have to seal them. Locktite will not do this as everything in this area flexes and over time the locktite gets brittle. I have been told that liquid teflon tape is good to use. Let us know how you make out.

Mark

Joel_SS

iTrader: (8)

I only pulled the one plug, I will check the rest tonight.. On a rare occasion I have seen white smoke coming out of the exhaust.. This is what prompted me to check the plugs. How hard is ot to change the valve seals? The car has 46k but the motor was rebuilt at 43k.. I just bought the car and I have talked with the builder, but there is no warranty on the re-build.

Intresting idea, I will check the rockers as well...

Beast96Z

iTrader: (21)

Oil on the plugs is usaully a sign of bad or worn valve seals or guides. Worn or faulty piston rings could also cause blow by which would oil the plugs.

daryl2cb@yahoo.com

iTrader: (2)

I was thinking rings there looks to be a ton of oil on that plug, and you never know if it is taking that much oil, whether burning it or spilling it out, it could have just leaked out the header gasket through pressure, and being blown up there, are they gm gaskets on there? Or paper? Could not make out and I was not familar with FLPs gaskets, um you should try a compression test on the cylinder and reference the number with the others, if it is close rings are out. Or ok, unless the number is low then most likley they are bad. 3k on rebuild? NO WARRANTY? sounds like a bang up job they did for you. Keep us informed.

Joel_SS

iTrader: (8)

Update: I pulled the valve cover tonight and unfourtanetly they were clean as a whistle I saw no oil leaking from them. There was oil collected right under the header flange though in the same place, almost as if it leaked out of the header.. You can see it in my first post.. The only diffrence I saw over in that area of the head was oil pooled by the #7 intake and exhaust valves.. See picture.. I pulled all the plugs on the driver side, and today they were all clean. I did not find oil on any of them.. I am kinda at a loss now I guess... Anyone else have any ideas?

http://www.bpl-music.com/head.jpg

Byter

iTrader: (1)

Although I still think its a valve cover gasket (replace them anyway), also check where your timing chain cover meets the oil pan. If this area is leaking, oil can get everywhere once the wind starts blowing it around.