Hi Everyone,

I just got my car back from the stealership where I paid $100 for a diagnostic of oil leaks.

The estimate showed that the real engine seal, rear plate seal, oil pan seals, front timing chain cover, and valve cover gaskets needed to be replaced, what are the chances what seems like every gasket that holds oil from spilling out of the motor needs to be replaced?

Also they wanted to charge me close to $4,000 to do the work.

They wanted to charge me $2,000 just for the rear seal then over $1,000 for the timing chain cover and $900 for the oil pan seal then like $350 for the valve cover gaskets.

They charge $105 per hour labor, so I can see the rear engine seal costing the most, but once the engine is out and seperated to change the rear engine seal,
how much additional time should it take to replace the rest of those seals and gaskets?

I think I can get to all but the rear engine seal and the oilpan seal with the engine in the car and I have no way to lift the body off the chasis.

Does anyone know of a good shop that is familiar with corvettes and would not rake me over the coals, and is close to Brevard County Florida?

Thanks in advance

Tony

 

LOL! WOW! So, they cant pin point the area of the leak SO,,,,,,,, if they replace EVERYTHING, there covered!

Come on..... The Service Managers daughter needs a new car... He needs your cash!

All I can say is RUN,,, Run as far and as fast as you can and find a better service center.



If it were ME,,,,,,,, I would clean the bottom and back of the engine with degreaser and brake parts cleaner. THEN, when its all clean, take it for a short drive and then re-examine the now clean engine and se if you can find the leak paths.

What year C5 and how many miles??

If the front seal is leaking, it will oil everything from the damper to the fuel tank!

The oil pressure sensor is a well KNOWN cause of the leak at the rear of the engine. Get a mirror and a flashlight and look back there and see if there is oil around the sensor.

You can get an oil additive that glows under black light and when its added to the oil, you can use it to see where the main leak is coming from..

Bill

 

Hi Bill,

Thanks for getting back to me,
it's a 2003 with 130k on it.

I already changed the oil pressure sensor.

They already cleaned the motor and put die in it (Supposedly), I have a u/v light, if they used dye, can I tell if they did, or does the dye burn out?

how many of the seals can I replace without removing the Body?

Tony

 

You don't need to remove the body to do any of them! That's just how they do it cause they have the lift and your cash.

Still requires torque tube, differential/trans removal for the rear main. That can be done on jack stands.

The front seal requires steering rack partial removal and damper replacement (normally) The old seal is well known to cut into the damper sealing surface and leak like a sieve.



YES, if they put dye in, it will be visible with black light!.

 

The oil trail does seem to start from the front of the motor.

How about the oil pan?

Are there any step by step instructions?

Thanks

Tony

 

You have a TWO PIECE oil pan. The bottom part is secured with some very small delicate screws but, they can get loose and you can re- torque them (inch pounds) If you get to carried away with the wrench, they WILL STRIP! The upper oil pan is a bit more complicated BUT, its can also be re-torqued.

The oil pan gaskets are NOT your run of the mill paper or cork gaskets.. There aluminum frame parts with rubber embossed sealing strips. They just don't outright fail.

Yes, some people have had leaky oil pans and just re-torqueing can resolve the leaks. Its NOT an easy task but it is doable.. It isn't as easy as just crawling under and putting a socket on some bolts...

Changing the upper oil pan gasket is a BIG DEAL! You have to remove the K member and support the engine from above..


BC

 

So, it's starting to sound like I should attack the timing chain cover Harmonic balancer first, because the engine is oil covered from the front to the cats (atleast).

Does the harmonic balancer need to be replaced?


Do I need any special tools

 

No, it's starting to sound like you should do what Bill suggests, and clean your engine, get some dye (example and don't forget you'll need a light and maybe glasses), and see where you find dye after you get more leaks.

 

YES,,,,,,, REPLACE THE DAMPENER! It can NOT be reused if its scared!

You will need the following:

New GM Torque to yield damper bolt (MUST CHANGE)
New Damper (I recommend an aftermarket DAYCO/Powerbond damper
Three Jaw puller OR the required designed damper puller installer
New front cover gasket and damper seal
New serpentine belts
Torque wrench
Someway to HOLD the dampener while re-torqueing it to proper requirements!!!!!! I use a LARGE Strap wrench!
The GM Tech Manual to do the procedure 100% correctly.
New GM or equivalent power stearing fluid

You will have the cover off,,,,, New Melling Oil Pump and a new GM Timing chain!

NOTE! If you don't replace the One time use "Torque To Yield" damper bolt and follow the GM Tech Manual 100% on the exact procedure to retighten the damn thing,,,, you will be replacing all this AGAIN very soon!

Bill

 

For $4000, if you had every single gasket leaking, you could just get another LS engine put in that isn't leaking.

 

LMAO! You are absolutely correct and that would most likely be INSTALLED!

 

Gotta agree 100% on that comment. My local speed shop has a completely rebuilt LS1 with Fast intake, milled heads, big cam, etc (full motor, no TB, no headers) that makes over 500hp at the crank for $2800. $4k is another stealership special !!

 

Oh no, the steelrship (Bob Steele Chevy) says they will have to replace
all the parts that are not included in the crate engine with brand new ones
because they can't use the old ones.

Any body know where I can buy a Corvette Crate motor?

 

I would completely ignore what the dealership told you and do not let them scare you by suggesting they didn't want to find root cause either, they said to replace everything.

As Bill has said you need to find root cause. Start by cleaning your motor the best you can and do the dye test to find out where the car is leaking. Doing that is cheap and easy to do and you maybe pleasantly surprised to find out you're only looking at a few hundred bucks or a grand to fix as opposed to 4k.

 

EVERYONE is saying it wrong,,,, Its STEALERSHIP!

Your being RIPPED OFF, I've helped people with ZERO mechanical skills do this job over the internet and they have been successful.

Just tell your self that you are going to do it and GETERDONE!

Then send the $3000 that you saved to me.. LOL!!!

Other than some oil leaks,,,,, WHY,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, do you THINK you need a new engine?????????????????????????????????? ???

They are BROW BEATING and intimidating you into spending a WHOLE lot more money than you really need to..

Hell, if you lived here, it would already be fixed!

Bill

 

Ok, you guys talked me into doing it myself, I'll start with the front cause thats where it seems to start, and I have an extremely limited budget, atleast until the beast is paid off.

I guss I will have to rent or buy a cherry picker, are the ones Harbor Freight any good? what length should the boom be, and how heavy is the motor?

Thanks Everyone.

P.S. So I drove it to Sanford to A guys house who has a two post lift, and he really didn't want to do the job, which also kinda scared me a bit, as he was recomended by a guy who owns a Corvette shop.

Thanks again

 

You don't need a cherry picker to do the front seal.. Start there and see where your at. You can tighten/re-torque the pan bolts on jack stands.

See where your at after those simple repairs..

BC

 

And DON'T over-tighten the oil pan bolts. Torque to spec. Overtightening can deform the edge of the pan which will result in leaks.

 

OR Worse yet, strip out the bolt holes or break the bolt! Especially the lower pan "SMALL" bolts..

 

I have already purchased the dye and the dealer already applied dye as well.