C4 General Discussion General C4 Corvette Discussion not covered in Tech

Oil Drip problem

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Sep 19, 2008 | 10:12 PM
  #1  
Ga_blueeyes's Avatar
Ga_blueeyes
Thread Starter
Advanced
 
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 82
Likes: 0
From: Alpharetta Georgia
Default Oil Drip problem

I own a 1990 L98 Corvette and notice it recently started to leave drips that can cover a area the size of a note book paper. There use to be no drips of oil or any other kind of fluid at all under the car. The car has 80K miles on it. The oil is leaking right behind the oil pan. Its not coming from the oil pan screw but whatever is behind there. It does a slow drip but messes up the floor now. Anyone have any idea of where this may be coming from and what would have caused this?
Reply
Old Sep 19, 2008 | 10:33 PM
  #2  
aminnich's Avatar
aminnich
Le Mans Master
 
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 6,564
Likes: 6
From: Woodstock Georgia
Default

About the only thing to do is get it up in the air where you can get a good look at it. It could be as simple as a loose oil filter. You describe a major leak, keep your driving to the minimium and one eye on your gauges until you get it fixed or you could lose an engine.
Reply
Old Sep 19, 2008 | 10:41 PM
  #3  
RedVette84's Avatar
RedVette84
Safety Car
 
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 4,284
Likes: 1
From: Whitehall Pa.
Default

If the valve cover gaskets were never replaced it might tend to run down the back of the engine. I have a smaller leak on one of my covers that I haven't got to.
Reply
Old Sep 19, 2008 | 11:55 PM
  #4  
WW7's Avatar
WW7
Le Mans Master
15 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 8,735
Likes: 412
From: WV
Default

If its at the back top of the oil pan that would be the rear main gasket. If it is the rear main the transmission has to come out to replace it. WW
Reply
Old Sep 20, 2008 | 12:30 AM
  #5  
CorvetteMike2024's Avatar
CorvetteMike2024
Corvette Enthusiast
Supporting Lifetime Gold
15 Year Member
 
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 6,795
Likes: 2,710
From: So. Cal.
2025 C7 of the Year Finalist- Unmodified
2024 C7 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2023 C7 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
Default oil leak

Its very comman for L98's to devolop a leak at the rear of the intake manifold. That was my first oil leak on my L98. About 80,000 miles. As mentioned check valve covers.
Reply
Old Sep 20, 2008 | 10:22 AM
  #6  
enventr's Avatar
enventr
Safety Car
15 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 4,147
Likes: 452
From: Port St. Lucie West Florida
Default

Originally Posted by CorvetteMike2004
Its very comman for L98's to devolop a leak at the rear of the intake manifold. That was my first oil leak on my L98. About 80,000 miles. As mentioned check valve covers.
also common with LT1
Reply
Old Sep 20, 2008 | 10:27 AM
  #7  
Demonic85's Avatar
Demonic85
Team Owner
 
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 24,460
Likes: 7
From: sw Ohio
Default

I've got the same problem with mine leaking out the back. I think mine is the timing cover seal where it meets the oil pan cause its all over the bottom of the oil pan. Its also all over the oil filter too. I just keep putting oil in mine until I figure it out...
Reply
Old Sep 20, 2008 | 04:43 PM
  #8  
xCCTer's Avatar
xCCTer
CF JASOC Member
Supporting Lifetime
15 Year Member
 
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 8,040
Likes: 34
From: Downtown Annapolis, MD. The Future is where we all have to live. Let's not screw it up.
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11
Default

Originally Posted by CorvetteMike2004
Its very comman for L98's to devolop a leak at the rear of the intake manifold. That was my first oil leak on my L98. About 80,000 miles. As mentioned check valve covers.


Drips right down the back of the block.
Reply
Corvette Stories

The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts

story-0

10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years

 Joe Kucinski
story-1

How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972

 Joe Kucinski
story-2

Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!

 Michael S. Palmer
story-3

Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!

 Joe Kucinski
story-4

150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter

 Joe Kucinski
story-5

8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time

 Verdad Gallardo
story-6

Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)

 Joe Kucinski
story-7

Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!

 Verdad Gallardo
story-8

Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!

 Brett Foote
story-9

Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!

 Michael S. Palmer
Old Sep 20, 2008 | 06:25 PM
  #9  
Ga_blueeyes's Avatar
Ga_blueeyes
Thread Starter
Advanced
 
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 82
Likes: 0
From: Alpharetta Georgia
Default Oil Leaking and burning

I just came back in from driving my vette for about 30 minutes and it was smoking off the left side of the engine. I could not tell where the smoke was coming from. Its oil buring somewhere. I jacked the car up and could see oil that had leak just above the oil filter but cannot tell where its coming from. In runs down to the bottom of the car and drips off the bottom of the an inch behind the oil pan screw. I made sure the oil filter was tight and the screw for the oil pan is also tight. There is so much in the way to see if the valve cover gaskets are leaking or not. It does appear it a leak higher up on the engine on the left side ( drivers side ) but cannot tell where it is.................
Reply
Old Sep 20, 2008 | 06:53 PM
  #10  
srumfield's Avatar
srumfield
Intermediate
 
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 37
Likes: 0
Default Sounds like your intake manifold

Very common....time to replace gaskets...intake manifold, valve covers, throttle body, etc. Same problem....been there....done that...
Reply
Old Sep 20, 2008 | 06:55 PM
  #11  
Iroc57's Avatar
Iroc57
Melting Slicks
 
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 2,171
Likes: 1
From: Warwick RI
Default

Originally Posted by Ga_blueeyes
I just came back in from driving my vette for about 30 minutes and it was smoking off the left side of the engine. I could not tell where the smoke was coming from. Its oil buring somewhere. I jacked the car up and could see oil that had leak just above the oil filter but cannot tell where its coming from. In runs down to the bottom of the car and drips off the bottom of the an inch behind the oil pan screw. I made sure the oil filter was tight and the screw for the oil pan is also tight. There is so much in the way to see if the valve cover gaskets are leaking or not. It does appear it a leak higher up on the engine on the left side ( drivers side ) but cannot tell where it is.................

This aint rocket science here
none of us can tell you where your leak is...you will have to get dirty and find it. We can help you plug it up once you identify exactly where it is coming from
Reply
Old Sep 20, 2008 | 07:05 PM
  #12  
CorvetteMike2024's Avatar
CorvetteMike2024
Corvette Enthusiast
Supporting Lifetime Gold
15 Year Member
 
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 6,795
Likes: 2,710
From: So. Cal.
2025 C7 of the Year Finalist- Unmodified
2024 C7 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2023 C7 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
Default Smokin

Smoking on your car after running is a comman symptom of the rear intake leak. The oil drips on your exhaust pipes.
Reply
Old Sep 21, 2008 | 10:22 AM
  #13  
Iroc57's Avatar
Iroc57
Melting Slicks
 
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 2,171
Likes: 1
From: Warwick RI
Default

Originally Posted by CorvetteMike2004
Smoking on your car after running is a comman symptom of the rear intake leak. The oil drips on your exhaust pipes.
It could also be the valve cover.
Reply
Old Sep 21, 2008 | 09:05 PM
  #14  
Chris44m's Avatar
Chris44m
Drifting
15 Year Member
 
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 1,295
Likes: 326
From: Central Pennsylvannia
2021 C4 of the Year - Modified Finalist
Default

Also you might want to look at you oil pressure sending unit, i have the same problem, i'm not 100% sure, but you might have to take the drivers side intake runners off to get to it.
C
Reply
Old Sep 21, 2008 | 11:30 PM
  #15  
RandyJ75's Avatar
RandyJ75
Safety Car
15 Year Member
 
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 3,566
Likes: 4
From: Mt Laurel NJ
St. Jude Donor '06-'07
Default

Hi John, how are you?
My car had the same problem, just not as bad as yours seems. It was the gasket around the distributer that was bad. I found it when I replaced the intake gaskets because of a coolant leak. It could also be the sending unit for the oil pressure sender, it is located back by the dizzy as well.
Be cafeful taking to a shop, as they will want to replace all of the gaskets, which it may not need. I am sure you have a trusted place you take your cars, good luck.

Randy
Reply

Get notified of new replies

To Oil Drip problem





All times are GMT -4. The time now is 01:25 AM.

story-0
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years

Slideshow: 10 reasons why the C6 Z06 is still a performance benchmark after 20 years.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-27 17:20:09


VIEW MORE
story-1
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972

Slideshow: How much horsepower every Corvette engine lost in 1972.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-27 16:54:53


VIEW MORE
story-2
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!

Slideshow: How to Protect A Convertible Top: 10 DOs & DON'Ts

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-04-03 00:00:00


VIEW MORE
story-3
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!

Slideshow: The 10 most explosive Corvettes ever built based on power-to-weight ratio.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-20 07:23:03


VIEW MORE
story-4
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter

Slideshow: From C1 to C8 we compare every Corvette generation by the numbers.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-12 16:54:12


VIEW MORE
story-5
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time

Slideshow: Some Corvette pace cars became collectible legends, while others perfectly captured the look and attitude of their era.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-11 09:50:51


VIEW MORE
story-6
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)

Slideshow: Ranking the top 10 Corvette engines by torque output.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-05 11:58:09


VIEW MORE
story-7
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!

Slideshow: A Corvette pace car nearly matching IndyCar speeds sounds exaggerated, until you look at the numbers.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-04 20:03:36


VIEW MORE
story-8
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!

Among a rather large group of them.

By Brett Foote | 2026-05-04 13:56:44


VIEW MORE
story-9
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!

Slideshow: the top 10 things Corvette owners want in the C9 Corvette

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-04-30 12:41:15


VIEW MORE