Front seal on 93
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 40,156
Likes: 45
From: San Pedro CA
how many miles on the car?
Auto or manual?
The reason I ask, the rear main is a bitch, the transmission has to come out. If it's a manual and the miles are right, I would go ahead and do the clutch.
As for the front... that's a pain, dude... getting down there is not easy whilst the engine is still in the car.
mileage is another factor to doing the front, when was the opti changed? if ever?
It can be done, don't get me wrong, but it's a pain...
Auto or manual?
The reason I ask, the rear main is a bitch, the transmission has to come out. If it's a manual and the miles are right, I would go ahead and do the clutch.
As for the front... that's a pain, dude... getting down there is not easy whilst the engine is still in the car.
mileage is another factor to doing the front, when was the opti changed? if ever?
It can be done, don't get me wrong, but it's a pain...
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 40,156
Likes: 45
From: San Pedro CA
if the front seal has gone, you will want to consider a new timing set, too... since your in there.
it's going to be a labour intensive operation... expect it to take you a day or 2... especially if you are not familier with where you are going in there.
Get a helms manual, they print the GM factory service books - www.helminc.com. Worth its weight in gold.
it's going to be a labour intensive operation... expect it to take you a day or 2... especially if you are not familier with where you are going in there.
Get a helms manual, they print the GM factory service books - www.helminc.com. Worth its weight in gold.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 1999
Posts: 2,535
Likes: 2
From: Rochester NY
not that bad. If you can replace the Optic, than you can replace the front seal.
ps. Buy a Kent More tool for hub removal/installer. This will make the job much easier. A must have ...
Bruce
ps. Buy a Kent More tool for hub removal/installer. This will make the job much easier. A must have ...
Bruce
Safety Car
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 4,234
Likes: 355
From: Albuquerque, NM
Originally Posted by 93JetJocky
Just curious, when you say front seal leak. How did you isolate that it was that seal and what symptoms did you have?
Make sure that's what's leaking before you replace it. There are many seals on the front of the LT1 that can leak, and they all leak down and look like they're coming from the front seal. It's very hard to see up there so oil leaks can be very hard to diagnose. The front of the intake is a prime suspect. You've also got oil seals at the opti and waterpump drive shafts and timing cover. Another one to check is the power steering line that runs from the reservoir under the balancer and up to the pump. It's a metal line but it has rubber hose on each end that is secured with two hose clamps on each end (two clamps at reservoir, two at pump). Make sure these hose clamps are tight. If you get a PS leak at either end it runs down and drips from the bottom of the metal line right at the front of the engine, and it looks like an oil leak in the front of the engine. That happened to my '92.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 2,348
Likes: 0
From: Belews Creek north carolina
St. Jude Donor '05
Originally Posted by BlackbirdZ07
Make sure that's what's leaking before you replace it. There are many seals on the front of the LT1 that can leak, and they all leak down and look like they're coming from the front seal. It's very hard to see up there so oil leaks can be very hard to diagnose. The front of the intake is a prime suspect. You've also got oil seals at the opti and waterpump drive shafts and timing cover. Another one to check is the power steering line that runs from the reservoir under the balancer and up to the pump. It's a metal line but it has rubber hose on each end that is secured with two hose clamps on each end (two clamps at reservoir, two at pump). Make sure these hose clamps are tight. If you get a PS leak at either end it runs down and drips from the bottom of the metal line right at the front of the engine, and it looks like an oil leak in the front of the engine. That happened to my '92.
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Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 5,713
Likes: 105
From: Manassas VA
And if the opti was just replaced there is a good chance that the seal going to the waterpump drive is damaged. They make a tool to protect it from cuts when installing it, and if the tool was not used there is a real good chance the leak is there. Which is directly above the front engine seal.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 2,135
Likes: 0
From: Sebastian Florida
St. Jude Donor '06
How I diagnosed the problem was this, jacked the car up on a hydraulic jack and degreased the motor as best I could. Then after the water dryed up, I drove the car for a while, then ran my finger 1st over the seal as best I could. Then I ran my finger above the seal, again as best as possible, there seemed to be fresh oil around the front of the pan and not really any above. I know this not the best way, but it was the best way I knew now.
Drifting
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 1,337
Likes: 0
From: Brighton, MI
Originally Posted by BIGJIM13
Can the water pump seal be replaced without taking the timing cover off on a 93?
Randy93 - as other's have said, it may not be the crank seal. But your first step to get in there will be to take the water pump and opti off. Just take your time from there and look over the timing cover real good before going further. If either the w/p or opti seals are leaking, you might see a trail of oil down the front of the cover.
Race Director
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 13,421
Likes: 8
From: Lake Mary Florida
This is kind of the reason I posed my questions. I have a similar leak, its very minor but its there. I have for months now put it up on ramps cleaned it as best as I could but the stupid brace is in the way to actually see where it is coming from. I've taken pictures stuffing the camera up there and still cannot identify what is causing the leak. My water pump and opti were replaced by the dealer a couple years ago.
Right now I'm still in a wait and see mode, I clean it up generally after each oil change. I've not seen any significant loss of oil or any noticable loss of oil level.
Which is a primary reason I was interested in your post. I have yet to make a decision about it.
Right now I'm still in a wait and see mode, I clean it up generally after each oil change. I've not seen any significant loss of oil or any noticable loss of oil level.
Which is a primary reason I was interested in your post. I have yet to make a decision about it.
