'89 Oil Leak
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Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 85
Likes: 2
From: Selbyville Delaware
'89 Oil Leak
Stock '89 vert with 50K miles has a oil leak on passenger's side of engine. Back of intake appears to be dry so I suspect the valve cover gasket needs to be changed. Is there anything else on the passenger's side of the engine that would lead to an oil leak besides the intake and the valve cover, such as sensors, etc? Oil appears to be following the wiring going into the starter and of course falling onto the exhaust. What product is best for tracing an oil leak? Want to make sure where the leak is coming from before doing any repairs. Thanks.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 765
Likes: 11
Cruise-In I Veteran
Here's an oddball oil leak that took us almost a week to find on an '86 L98 Vette, many years ago. There is a bolt hole on the face of the engine, pass side, that is tapped into the mechanical fuel pump mounting pad. It should be a threaded blind hole with no bolt in it. When using a mechanical fuel pump, you could hold the f/p push rod with a bolt through it.
When the machine shop cleaned all the threads in/on the engine, they ran the tap too far into that hole and punched a small hole into the fuel pump mounting pad recess/cavity. So as the engine's internal pressure (blow by) would pass out of this hole, oil would come with it in a fine mist and coat that side of the motor. The excess would then collect and drip from the starter and exhaust.
May not be your problem, but somewhere you might want to check. Also, pull the starter and peek into the bellhousing. Just to make sure its not coming from there ie: rear main, oil galley plug, cam plate, etc.
Good luck.
When the machine shop cleaned all the threads in/on the engine, they ran the tap too far into that hole and punched a small hole into the fuel pump mounting pad recess/cavity. So as the engine's internal pressure (blow by) would pass out of this hole, oil would come with it in a fine mist and coat that side of the motor. The excess would then collect and drip from the starter and exhaust.
May not be your problem, but somewhere you might want to check. Also, pull the starter and peek into the bellhousing. Just to make sure its not coming from there ie: rear main, oil galley plug, cam plate, etc.
Good luck.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 8,183
Likes: 3
From: Santa Maria, CA
There's a chance it could be the oil pressure sender on the back of the topside(on the block). That is common for it to leak.
For the V/C's, the rubber gaskets instead of the cork ones.
Any traces from the dipstick tube?
Under the bellhousing, backside of the block is the cam's soft plug as well as 3 oil gallery plugs. Let's hope it's not one of those!
For the V/C's, the rubber gaskets instead of the cork ones.
Any traces from the dipstick tube?
Under the bellhousing, backside of the block is the cam's soft plug as well as 3 oil gallery plugs. Let's hope it's not one of those!
