Help! Problem!
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 165
Likes: 6
From: Kansas City MO
Help! Problem!
My wife called me yesterday at work to tell me she saw what she thought was oil on the floor of the garage beneath the Vette (I drove the vette in).
I forgot about it while at work and drove the car home without checking anything.
Drove home fine, but when I pulled into the garage, I have a fine mist coming out from under the hood on the driver side. Pop the hood and I hear a drip, then a hiss, then the mist - but I cant find the drip. Look under the car and notice a lot of sprayed fluid up onto the headers, etc.
So I jack it up this morning and get under it. It looks to me like there is much more of a gap between the back of the block (the back of the oil pan essentially) and what I believe is the bellhousing - than there should be. Like an 1/8" gap! Fluid exiting from the gap and back onto the headers/y-pipe - nasty mess. I cant tell if the fluid is oil or tranny fluid though....its all black on the headers, caked and gummed up, but does have a pinkish tinge on the ground. Checking the oil reveals that it is fine and not low at all...
Am I screwed here? What are my next steps? Sounds like the conservative route is to have it flat-bedded to the only shop I trust here in town - MC's..
I forgot about it while at work and drove the car home without checking anything.
Drove home fine, but when I pulled into the garage, I have a fine mist coming out from under the hood on the driver side. Pop the hood and I hear a drip, then a hiss, then the mist - but I cant find the drip. Look under the car and notice a lot of sprayed fluid up onto the headers, etc.
So I jack it up this morning and get under it. It looks to me like there is much more of a gap between the back of the block (the back of the oil pan essentially) and what I believe is the bellhousing - than there should be. Like an 1/8" gap! Fluid exiting from the gap and back onto the headers/y-pipe - nasty mess. I cant tell if the fluid is oil or tranny fluid though....its all black on the headers, caked and gummed up, but does have a pinkish tinge on the ground. Checking the oil reveals that it is fine and not low at all...
Am I screwed here? What are my next steps? Sounds like the conservative route is to have it flat-bedded to the only shop I trust here in town - MC's..
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 249
Likes: 1
From: Round Rock TX
This is one that I'd get in to the dealer or a good custom shop to take a look at. There's a lot of good information from forum members, but this sounds serious. I'd hate for you to take well intentioned advice which may not hit the mark and cause the problem to get worse.
My 2 cents.
My 2 cents.
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 1999
Posts: 22,025
Likes: 192
From: At the beach in little Rhody
Pinkish tinge sounds like coolant. Could be any number of things, but there are head block off's back there that could do this if leaking.
Here is what they look like.
Here is what they look like.
Last edited by vettenuts; Dec 16, 2006 at 11:33 AM.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 165
Likes: 6
From: Kansas City MO
Re:
Coolant level is probably an inch and a half from the top...perhaps a little low, but not bad and I've been eyeballing that level for a few weeks now - no movement in the level that I can tell.
Power steering fluid fine, brake fluid fine.
The fluid that's leaked is very thick in consistency - so I really dont think it's coolant, either tranny (or clutch?) fluid, or oil....I think that narrows it to the clutch/tranny spilling its guts as the oil level is fine.
I wonder if it's healthy enough for the ~15 mile drive to MC's? It hasnt leaked much, but a few drops since last night, but then again perhaps its pretty dry...
Power steering fluid fine, brake fluid fine.
The fluid that's leaked is very thick in consistency - so I really dont think it's coolant, either tranny (or clutch?) fluid, or oil....I think that narrows it to the clutch/tranny spilling its guts as the oil level is fine.
I wonder if it's healthy enough for the ~15 mile drive to MC's? It hasnt leaked much, but a few drops since last night, but then again perhaps its pretty dry...
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 1999
Posts: 22,025
Likes: 192
From: At the beach in little Rhody
I am assuming you have a Z06 by your name, is it an auto?
Is the fluid on the floor slippery like oil? What does it smell like?
There is no tranny fluid where you describe on a manual.
Is the fluid on the floor slippery like oil? What does it smell like?
There is no tranny fluid where you describe on a manual.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 165
Likes: 6
From: Kansas City MO
Re:
It is a Z06/M6...definitely not tranny fluid by location - you're right. The leaked fluid does look like oil, and its pretty thick stuff...just doesnt seem like coolant, but suppose it could be.
Since the coolant level is fine, I am thinking it'd be OK to drive 15 more miles, Ill take a closer look this afternoon - at the oil as well as far as signs of coolant contamination.
Since the coolant level is fine, I am thinking it'd be OK to drive 15 more miles, Ill take a closer look this afternoon - at the oil as well as far as signs of coolant contamination.
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Team Owner
Joined: Mar 1999
Posts: 22,025
Likes: 192
From: At the beach in little Rhody
It may very well be the oil pressure sensor then, it is on top of the block behind the intake. Once it starts leaking, the oil will find any path down.
Last edited by vettenuts; Dec 16, 2006 at 01:47 PM.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 165
Likes: 6
From: Kansas City MO
Re:
After the car was sitting on stands it has dumped a little more fluid today. Getting under it again and looking at the fluid and how it was leaking, its not the gap at the bottom of the motor that I thought it was. It is coming from higher up on the back of the engine, and is coolant. I guess on its travel down its gunking and blacking up some.
So...if I dont see coolant in the oil (would look like a nasty milk shake as I understand it), and its only leaking out and down the back of the motor, this may be a simple hose issue as vettenuts pointed out. I just cant find the source of the leak, have looked as best I can from top and bottom and dont see it...
Man I dont want to take this to a dealer....and I doubt I can get it into MC's any time soon.
So...if I dont see coolant in the oil (would look like a nasty milk shake as I understand it), and its only leaking out and down the back of the motor, this may be a simple hose issue as vettenuts pointed out. I just cant find the source of the leak, have looked as best I can from top and bottom and dont see it...
Man I dont want to take this to a dealer....and I doubt I can get it into MC's any time soon.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 32,910
Likes: 2,402
From: Anthony TX
CI 6,7,8,9,11 Vet
St. Jude Donor '08
Use a mechanics mirror and LOOK behind the intake manifold and around the back of the heads. I have a telescoping mirror and it serves me very well! My guess is that its the oil pressure sender!!
Bill C
Bill C
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 6,276
Likes: 227
From: Farmington CT
Cruise-In VII Veteran
headers? 1 minute check, use flashlight near the batt. box weatherseal, point to base of dsticktube, is the tube seated in the block?
some of the headers with thicker flanges will require the tube mounting flange to be trimmed(01-04 aps.)
some of the headers with thicker flanges will require the tube mounting flange to be trimmed(01-04 aps.)