Random LT1 Oil Leak *pics*
12-28-2011, 05:50 PM
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Random LT1 Oil Leak *pics* My little brother just bought a 94 Formula with less than 100,xxx miles for $2,000. Looks like a pretty good deal. 6 speed, leather, all that jazz.
After getting it home, he txted me about a random leak from the front of the motor. I live about 8 hours away so it's difficult to help him with this project. What do you guys think it could be? How should we go about diagnosing this thing.
He says it's under below the water pump, and behind the opti. I'm guessing it's the front main seal. Any educated guesses?
Video of Leak;
Within an hour or two.
After getting it home, he txted me about a random leak from the front of the motor. I live about 8 hours away so it's difficult to help him with this project. What do you guys think it could be? How should we go about diagnosing this thing.
He says it's under below the water pump, and behind the opti. I'm guessing it's the front main seal. Any educated guesses?
Video of Leak;
Within an hour or two.
12-28-2011, 06:13 PM
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one of the seals on the timing cover, mine looked like that after a few minutes of running with a fubar'd WP drive seal.
find the highest point on the motor that oil is and look around, but my money is on the WP or opti seal in the timing cover...
find the highest point on the motor that oil is and look around, but my money is on the WP or opti seal in the timing cover...
12-28-2011, 06:51 PM
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The car just started to sputter at idle, so the opti is going out. Looks like he'll need an opti. I've always gone oem on my older LT1's.
Any recommendations for a 94?
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12-29-2011, 11:24 AM
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I love my MSD as well. As for the leaks I like to clean everything off with brake clean then run it until I see oil dripping then shut off and follow the oil to the source. A bright light and mirror might come in handy.
12-29-2011, 11:56 AM
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most common source of this leak is WP drive seal. It could also be front intake manifold but most likely the wp drive seal.
Buy a FelPro front timing cover gasket/seal set for about $12 and it will have all, and more, gaskets you need to do the fix.
opti may have been contaminated if it is sputtering. replace with AC Delco or Delphi. Also replace opti vent harness or add the later model vented opti and get a vent harness.
the wp drive seal is prone to leaking and is tricky to install without the inner lip folding over on install. A "tool" is best but the right size "marker" pen cap or socket can be used.
Buy a FelPro front timing cover gasket/seal set for about $12 and it will have all, and more, gaskets you need to do the fix.
opti may have been contaminated if it is sputtering. replace with AC Delco or Delphi. Also replace opti vent harness or add the later model vented opti and get a vent harness.
the wp drive seal is prone to leaking and is tricky to install without the inner lip folding over on install. A "tool" is best but the right size "marker" pen cap or socket can be used.
12-29-2011, 01:56 PM
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most common source of this leak is WP drive seal. It could also be front intake manifold but most likely the wp drive seal.
Buy a FelPro front timing cover gasket/seal set for about $12 and it will have all, and more, gaskets you need to do the fix.
opti may have been contaminated if it is sputtering. replace with AC Delco or Delphi. Also replace opti vent harness or add the later model vented opti and get a vent harness.
the wp drive seal is prone to leaking and is tricky to install without the inner lip folding over on install. A "tool" is best but the right size "marker" pen cap or socket can be used.
Buy a FelPro front timing cover gasket/seal set for about $12 and it will have all, and more, gaskets you need to do the fix.
opti may have been contaminated if it is sputtering. replace with AC Delco or Delphi. Also replace opti vent harness or add the later model vented opti and get a vent harness.
the wp drive seal is prone to leaking and is tricky to install without the inner lip folding over on install. A "tool" is best but the right size "marker" pen cap or socket can be used.
12-29-2011, 04:34 PM
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I would buy two WP drive seals, I just replaced mine and I messed up the new seal on my first attempt installing it. Luckly I bought two just incase, second time was a charm. Check this video out, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjIT_FT-mDI
12-29-2011, 08:03 PM
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I would buy two WP drive seals, I just replaced mine and I messed up the new seal on my first attempt installing it. Luckly I bought two just incase, second time was a charm. Check this video out, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjIT_FT-mDI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwDuo...94EE85&lf=plcp
12-30-2011, 06:37 AM
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We're doing the timing cover gasket today, and oil pan gasket. Any tips or writeups? I've searched and it didn't come up with much. Any help is appreciated.
12-30-2011, 05:01 PM
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Did mine a couple weeks ago replaced the opti seal and WP drive seal. I went ahead and relaced the opti with a new one off ebay for 90 bucks. It works great. I replaced the water pump because it was pretty rough looking and showed sign of weep leakage.
No leaks so far and car runs great!
Good luck
No leaks so far and car runs great!
Good luck
02-22-2012, 09:16 AM
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Hello everyone, i am new to the group, My son has a 95 caprice/impala clone that the previous owner put a Lt1 motor in., It has a really bad oil leak coming from the area of the opti. we have sprayed with carb cleaner and got it pretty clean, then started it and looked with lights but cannot see where its coming from. I am pretty optimistic its the waterpump seal and or opti seal.
Heres my real concern though his car is intermitently running bad, when it runs bad black smoke comes out passenger tail pipe, we drove it 60 miles yesterday cause we thought we had it sold, and as i was behind him. it would smoke and dog, then 30 sec later, run really good and not smoke at all, I have a theory why. wanted to what u all think.
the opti in vented, therefore the vacuum line runs to the intake, can the opti be gettin so much oil in that its sucking oil into the intake? We are gettin ready to tear it down, not sure if we need to tear the heads off. dont really sound like head gasket cause it doesnt get hot and the smoking is intermittent. please let me know what you all think, thank u very . Doug ps, his car can run good for like a whole day straight. supposedly this motor only has 40,000 miles on it. thanks again ps I make signature pictures with photoshop and other programs, will be glad to help someone with one. thanks again
Heres my real concern though his car is intermitently running bad, when it runs bad black smoke comes out passenger tail pipe, we drove it 60 miles yesterday cause we thought we had it sold, and as i was behind him. it would smoke and dog, then 30 sec later, run really good and not smoke at all, I have a theory why. wanted to what u all think.
the opti in vented, therefore the vacuum line runs to the intake, can the opti be gettin so much oil in that its sucking oil into the intake? We are gettin ready to tear it down, not sure if we need to tear the heads off. dont really sound like head gasket cause it doesnt get hot and the smoking is intermittent. please let me know what you all think, thank u very . Doug ps, his car can run good for like a whole day straight. supposedly this motor only has 40,000 miles on it. thanks again ps I make signature pictures with photoshop and other programs, will be glad to help someone with one. thanks again
Last edited by dugy40; 02-22-2012 at 09:27 AM.
