Wheres my leak. Please help! (small pics)
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 1,785
Likes: 91
From: Leander TX
Wheres my leak. Please help! (small pics)
These pictures show the leak that I have been fighting for about a year now. It just keeps getting worse. I thought it was the intake manifold gasket so I changed it and it still leaks as you can see. The pics below show how bad it is leaking and about where it is leaking. I placed that old shower curtain down after a drive a week ago and it has not been driven since so that pudle is after only one drive and sitting for a week. Please help me out.
I should also say I haven't clean anything under the car in about 10-15 drives.
I should also say I haven't clean anything under the car in about 10-15 drives.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 1,785
Likes: 91
From: Leander TX
Re: Wheres my leak. Please help! (85WHITEZ51)
If it would help I could also post a pic just like the bottom pic but much larger. I wanted people with dial ups to still be able to help so I down sized both the pics.
Team Owner
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 90,675
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From: SE NY
Cruise-In II Veteran
Re: Wheres my leak. Please help! (85WHITEZ51)
If you've done the intake gasket, oil sender, valve cover gaskets check out the oil pan gasket.
I had done those and finally had the rear main seal replaced when the tranny was done. In my case the oil had blown back onto the tranny and exhaust system causing smoke on the strip.
I had done those and finally had the rear main seal replaced when the tranny was done. In my case the oil had blown back onto the tranny and exhaust system causing smoke on the strip.
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 151
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From: Santa Rosa CA
Re: Wheres my leak. Please help! (85WHITEZ51)
85WHITEZ51 -- I also have an 85 and I have a similar leak, although not as much. Since the 1985's have a two piece main seal, and it is known to leak, this might be a good place to start. I gather the 85's were known for rear main seal leaks...... Just a thought.
BTW, I also from time to time will notice a drip ready to fall that will appear green, so I suspect my water pump leaking a bit also. Will be pulling the motor within the next several months and will fix then.... Is yours toward the front , or the rear of the pan??? Hard to tell from photo.
BTW, I also from time to time will notice a drip ready to fall that will appear green, so I suspect my water pump leaking a bit also. Will be pulling the motor within the next several months and will fix then.... Is yours toward the front , or the rear of the pan??? Hard to tell from photo.
Pro
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 683
Likes: 4
From: Laurens SC
Re: Wheres my leak. Please help! (85WHITEZ51)
Possible sources:
Oil pressure sender where it threads to the block. This shgould be easy to tell... look down in there with a flashlight and see if it is oily in that area.. if you already changed the intake gasket and are sure it was done right (no offense) then the only other way for it to get on the top of the engine in that area would be from the oil sender.
Oil drain bolt..... Sometimes these arent tight enough and some have plastic washers that crack causing leaks....
Oil pan gasket..... could be.....
And the one you dont want to hear.... ReAr main seal.. that would require pulling the trans and alot of other work....
I would seroiusly look at the oil sender first...if its dry on top of the engine, then start searching under the car. Good Luck!
Oil pressure sender where it threads to the block. This shgould be easy to tell... look down in there with a flashlight and see if it is oily in that area.. if you already changed the intake gasket and are sure it was done right (no offense) then the only other way for it to get on the top of the engine in that area would be from the oil sender.
Oil drain bolt..... Sometimes these arent tight enough and some have plastic washers that crack causing leaks....
Oil pan gasket..... could be.....
And the one you dont want to hear.... ReAr main seal.. that would require pulling the trans and alot of other work....
I would seroiusly look at the oil sender first...if its dry on top of the engine, then start searching under the car. Good Luck!
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 1,023
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From: Marietta, South Carolina, USA
Re: Wheres my leak. Please help! (85WHITEZ51)
Does it come from the behind or from the side of the engine?
If it is comming from the sides it could be the valve covers but if it coming from the back it could be the seal, intake gasket or the oil plug in the pan.
Jay
If it is comming from the sides it could be the valve covers but if it coming from the back it could be the seal, intake gasket or the oil plug in the pan.
Jay
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Wheres my leak. Please help! (85WHITEZ51)
I had a pretty good leak for a while, turned out to be the rear valley gasket on the manifold. Stick your hand down around the oil pressure sender/rear block area and see if you find oil there. They sell a fluorescent liquid you can put in your engine that will identify were the leak is when it comes out. Check some of your local parts stores.
HTH
[Modified by Mark84_L383, 1:16 PM 7/26/2002]
HTH
[Modified by Mark84_L383, 1:16 PM 7/26/2002]
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2001
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From: Life is just one big track event. Everything before and after is prep and warm-up and cool-down laps
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Cruise-In IV Veteran
St. Jude Donor '12
Re: Wheres my leak. Please help! (85WHITEZ51)
:eek: My 88 leaks a little, the puddle comes out in almost the same place though and here is what I noticed on mine:
Oil drain plug seems to be leaking a little, I need to change the washer
Its leaking around the oil filter, guess its time to clean up where it seats
Valve cover gaskets, right about the center of the exhaust manifold
I'll do the first two the next oil change. The valave cover gaskets I'm putting off until it uses more than 1 qt/3000 miles though.
Oil drain plug seems to be leaking a little, I need to change the washer
Its leaking around the oil filter, guess its time to clean up where it seats
Valve cover gaskets, right about the center of the exhaust manifold
I'll do the first two the next oil change. The valave cover gaskets I'm putting off until it uses more than 1 qt/3000 miles though.
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Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 1,785
Likes: 91
From: Leander TX
Re: Wheres my leak. Please help! (jaa1988)
Thanks for the replies so far. I should have mentioned this before but this is what I have done so far.
*Intake manifold gasket (no vacume leaks so I think I did it right)
* when doing the intake gasket I removed the whole oil pressure (whats the other sensor anyways?) tubing from the block. Disassembled it and cleaned it up then put it back together while using thread sealant on ALL the threads. I will check that anyways just to make sure.
*the rear main seal was replaced 50K, could it be going out again?
*valve cover gaskets were replaced with the intake gasket
*new dist. gasket
*I change that oil drain plug gasket at every oil change and it has been doing this for over 5 changes
There really isn't practically any oil on the transmition cover and the oil pan is dry as a bone on the sides, the back seems to have some oil on it but can't tell from where. Is it possible to change the rear main seal without removing the tranny? I was reading in my shop manuals and the only rear seals they talk about are rear main bearing oil seals which they said is accessed by removing the oil pan.
*Intake manifold gasket (no vacume leaks so I think I did it right)
* when doing the intake gasket I removed the whole oil pressure (whats the other sensor anyways?) tubing from the block. Disassembled it and cleaned it up then put it back together while using thread sealant on ALL the threads. I will check that anyways just to make sure.
*the rear main seal was replaced 50K, could it be going out again?
*valve cover gaskets were replaced with the intake gasket
*new dist. gasket
*I change that oil drain plug gasket at every oil change and it has been doing this for over 5 changes
There really isn't practically any oil on the transmition cover and the oil pan is dry as a bone on the sides, the back seems to have some oil on it but can't tell from where. Is it possible to change the rear main seal without removing the tranny? I was reading in my shop manuals and the only rear seals they talk about are rear main bearing oil seals which they said is accessed by removing the oil pan.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 1,785
Likes: 91
From: Leander TX
Re: Wheres my leak. Please help! (85WHITEZ51)
Here is a larger pic that should help you understand better where it is coming from. The black pan is the oil pan and the alluminum pan is the tranny cover. The oil is right in the middle of the car. Not on either side of the engine or tranny, just right smake down in the middle.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 2,620
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From: 20 forward gears to shift through in MD
Re: Wheres my leak. Please help! (85WHITEZ51)
I would tend to go along with it still being the rear intake manifold seal (by the way, what type of sealant did you use when you changed it?) I have had terrible luck with the UltraBlack RTV and now pretty much swear by the UltraBlue for the intake gasket (although some swear by "Great Stuff"). Do you see any oil up on the back of the block (using a flashlight)?
Safety Car
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 3,767
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From: Jacksonville Fl
Re: Wheres my leak. Please help! (Radio Joe)
And the one you dont want to hear.... ReAr main seal.. that would require pulling the trans and alot of other work....
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 1,785
Likes: 91
From: Leander TX
Re: Wheres my leak. Please help! (Glock'94)
I used the stuff that came with my felpro gasket set. It was black but I don't know what name brand it was. The intake in the rear looks pretty good but it had so much oil back there before the change it is hard to tell. I will run the car tomm for a bit and then check to see if any fresh oil is back there.
You say the rear main seal can be eaisily accessed by removing the oil pan? If so I will just go ahead and replace the oil pan gasket and rear main seal any way the next time I change my oil. As long as I don't have to remove the tranny I think I should be fine.
You say the rear main seal can be eaisily accessed by removing the oil pan? If so I will just go ahead and replace the oil pan gasket and rear main seal any way the next time I change my oil. As long as I don't have to remove the tranny I think I should be fine.
