Oil issues and replacement estimate
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2004
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Instructor
Joined: Apr 2022
Posts: 110
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From: Austin Texas
To bad you do not have your location in your avatar, many times a close by member is more than willing to help. Your problems are not the first we have ever seen and often there are several different solutions to solve your problem. Normally the front oil seal does not leak unless the balancer has been replaced and who ever did the job did not do the seal at that time. There was a recent article about a product that helps expand old seals and stops or controls oil leaks, etc.
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Instructor
Joined: Apr 2022
Posts: 110
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From: Austin Texas
I agree!! Pulling the LS1/LS6 intake (to access the valley cover/gasket) is super easy. OP-Disconnect the positive battery terminal. Spend $10 bucks, get a fuel line disconnect tool. Remove the plastic coil covers, disconnect fuel line. Unplug the coil packs, 1 each side. Loosen 10 M6 hex head cap screws that hold the intake to the heads, with a 10mm socket. Unplug the throttle body. Disconnect the MAP sensor and vacuum line at the rear of the intake. There may be a couple more easy to remove things that I've forgotten. Lift intake out and place on a nice clean bench or whatever you have thats CLEAN. Plug the 8 intake ports on the heads with a couple of paper towels in each, or use duct tape to seal them. Remove valley cover and gasket. Replace gasket, and reinstall everything in reverse of removal procedure. As for new wiring plug-ins, and new sensors, I call BS if you have no codes. My engine had an oil leak for over 3 years. Never replaced any wiring or sensors. If no codes, no replacements are necessary. You must look like a cash cow to whoever wrote up this repair estimate!!!!
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Instructor
Joined: Apr 2022
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From: Austin Texas
lspowah - Look - your car is leaking a little oil. OK - not great, but hardly the end of the world. If the leakage is really slow as you seem to be seeing, live with it for a while. A quart of oil runs less than $10.
I'm betting that $4,800 estimate came from a dealership. If I were you - I'd look for an Independent place that works on Vettes regularly. They should be substantially less expensive. You don't need special factory tools for the work being shown on the invoice. I haven't done the jobs listed on a C5, but $3,000 in labor to deal with some oil leaks is pretty hard to swallow. Look elsewhere.
And don't beat yourself up - I would not consider oil leakage to be that big an issue with a used car. I'd be much more concerned with other stuff.
I'm betting that $4,800 estimate came from a dealership. If I were you - I'd look for an Independent place that works on Vettes regularly. They should be substantially less expensive. You don't need special factory tools for the work being shown on the invoice. I haven't done the jobs listed on a C5, but $3,000 in labor to deal with some oil leaks is pretty hard to swallow. Look elsewhere.
And don't beat yourself up - I would not consider oil leakage to be that big an issue with a used car. I'd be much more concerned with other stuff.
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Instructor
Joined: Apr 2022
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From: Austin Texas
Took to another shop. They show no leaking at all other than at the plug itself as I had initially suspected. I’ll start with that and hope it works. $120. Getting another opinion on Wednesday. Strange to find such distanced diagnoses
Last edited by lspowah; Jul 8, 2022 at 03:39 PM.
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Instructor
Joined: Apr 2022
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From: Austin Texas
1st thing I do to fix a leak is use a rag and call it good unless its more than a slow drip or seep.
The seal of the harmonic balancer could be leaking and running down making it look like the oil pan.
The PVC system could have a problem and if it is fixed the leaks could stop.
I have one person that I sort of trust to work on my cars and I only sort of trust him. They take me into the shop and show me the problem and ask are you going to fix it or us.
If you can get a good set of ramps or low profile jack and start wiping.
The seal of the harmonic balancer could be leaking and running down making it look like the oil pan.
The PVC system could have a problem and if it is fixed the leaks could stop.
I have one person that I sort of trust to work on my cars and I only sort of trust him. They take me into the shop and show me the problem and ask are you going to fix it or us.
If you can get a good set of ramps or low profile jack and start wiping.
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Instructor
Joined: Apr 2022
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From: Austin Texas
Last edited by lspowah; Jul 8, 2022 at 06:46 PM.
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Drifting
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 1,844
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From: San Jose, CA
Drain plug would need to be leaking like a sieve to have oil drop off it as you drive, whip up, and coat so much of the engine that someone _honest_ thinks it's a leak from the front main seal and valley cover gasket. Like, a good solid drip for several years.
Let us know how it looks with a new plug and obviously a new crush washer, and after the engine is cleaned to a reasonable minimum spec.
Let us know how it looks with a new plug and obviously a new crush washer, and after the engine is cleaned to a reasonable minimum spec.
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Instructor
Joined: Apr 2022
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From: Austin Texas
Drain plug would need to be leaking like a sieve to have oil drop off it as you drive, whip up, and coat so much of the engine that someone _honest_ thinks it's a leak from the front main seal and valley cover gasket. Like, a good solid drip for several years.
Let us know how it looks with a new plug and obviously a new crush washer, and after the engine is cleaned to a reasonable minimum spec.
Let us know how it looks with a new plug and obviously a new crush washer, and after the engine is cleaned to a reasonable minimum spec.
I definitely get what you were saying. However the shop today said they didn’t see any leakage from those other areas. I don’t even know what to believe at this point. And after seeing that just a bit is still seeping out of that plug area, it makes me think maybe the lower pan has a burr or has a thread stripped that they didn’t catch. I don’t know why the shop today would say that if it wasn’t true as that would be an opportunity for a big job for them.
didn’t see any leakage coming down around from the top of the bolt, pan gasket, etc.. like I said I’m beginning to think there is a slight connection issue within the threading of the lower pan. Maybe they just re used the crush washer but I don’t know why the hell they would
Last edited by lspowah; Jul 8, 2022 at 10:45 PM.
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 1,844
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From: San Jose, CA
That's interesting.
(For what it's worth, I re-use crush washers about 50% of the time with no leaks due to it. Not on purpose, usually due to forgetting to prepare the washer when I do the job and then laziness to get up and find where the heck I put them, and which one of the 4 different kinds is right for the car.)
New plug, torqued to spec, not cross-threaded, goes in nice and easy, no weird feeling? Still seeing a leak? That tells me a thread damage issue can definitely be a culprit. There are multiple remedies. I recommend calling the shop up and having a chat with them about next steps; whatever they propose is likely to be expedient and reasonable.
(For what it's worth, I re-use crush washers about 50% of the time with no leaks due to it. Not on purpose, usually due to forgetting to prepare the washer when I do the job and then laziness to get up and find where the heck I put them, and which one of the 4 different kinds is right for the car.)
New plug, torqued to spec, not cross-threaded, goes in nice and easy, no weird feeling? Still seeing a leak? That tells me a thread damage issue can definitely be a culprit. There are multiple remedies. I recommend calling the shop up and having a chat with them about next steps; whatever they propose is likely to be expedient and reasonable.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2022
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From: Austin Texas
That's interesting.
(For what it's worth, I re-use crush washers about 50% of the time with no leaks due to it. Not on purpose, usually due to forgetting to prepare the washer when I do the job and then laziness to get up and find where the heck I put them, and which one of the 4 different kinds is right for the car.)
New plug, torqued to spec, not cross-threaded, goes in nice and easy, no weird feeling? Still seeing a leak? That tells me a thread damage issue can definitely be a culprit. There are multiple remedies. I recommend calling the shop up and having a chat with them about next steps; whatever they propose is likely to be expedient and reasonable.
(For what it's worth, I re-use crush washers about 50% of the time with no leaks due to it. Not on purpose, usually due to forgetting to prepare the washer when I do the job and then laziness to get up and find where the heck I put them, and which one of the 4 different kinds is right for the car.)
New plug, torqued to spec, not cross-threaded, goes in nice and easy, no weird feeling? Still seeing a leak? That tells me a thread damage issue can definitely be a culprit. There are multiple remedies. I recommend calling the shop up and having a chat with them about next steps; whatever they propose is likely to be expedient and reasonable.
I still don’t see how all of those other areas could be seeping oil with the amount I lost over the past few weeks. I mean my dipstick read correctly all the way through. It’s like a drop at a time. Really makes me wonder about that first shop and it hasn’t made sense to me from the beginning
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 1,170
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From: Oconomowoc Wisconsin
Who bought and installed the new plug? Is it the correct type? My drain plug has a rubber type ring that is attached to the under side of the head of the plug. Some vehicles use crush washers to seal.
Drifting
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 1,862
Likes: 594
From: Prescott, Arizona
Next time you change oil, carefully inspect the pan plug sealing surface for burrs or other discontinuities. Perhaps some careful file or scraper work is indicated. Original C5 drain plugs are sealed with an O ring which is usually very reliable, but an aftermarket plug with a gasket could seep.
On my vehicles with gasketed pan plugs, I always add silicone sealant to the plug before installing. This usually prevents seeps and absolutely prevents a plug you hand tightened but forgot to torque from falling out.
On my vehicles with gasketed pan plugs, I always add silicone sealant to the plug before installing. This usually prevents seeps and absolutely prevents a plug you hand tightened but forgot to torque from falling out.
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Instructor
Joined: Apr 2022
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From: Austin Texas
christian brothers automotive in Austin. They have done work on my truck and have always been fair and did good business. I’m getting a third opinion on Wednesday for sure. The guy took the words out of my mouth when discussing the type of plug, magnetic, gasket on it etc. I don’t know how they would screw up getting the plug
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 1,844
Likes: 375
From: San Jose, CA
Let us know how it goes. Some aftermarket plugs are trash, and it can be hard to get a good source of truth for something as simple as a drain plug.
I use this:
"Dorman 65372 Oil Drain Plug Magnetic M12-1.75, Head Size 15Mm Compatible with Select Models"
It has a rubber gasket/washer under the head, that has never caused an issue for me yet. It also has a magnetic tip to catch any iron/steel grit, both to prevent it circulating and for inspection. With that said, Dorman's products aren't always the best, so I can't guarantee that if you bought this item right now for the stated $5.03 you would be happy for it today, or five years from now.
I use this:
"Dorman 65372 Oil Drain Plug Magnetic M12-1.75, Head Size 15Mm Compatible with Select Models"
It has a rubber gasket/washer under the head, that has never caused an issue for me yet. It also has a magnetic tip to catch any iron/steel grit, both to prevent it circulating and for inspection. With that said, Dorman's products aren't always the best, so I can't guarantee that if you bought this item right now for the stated $5.03 you would be happy for it today, or five years from now.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2022
Posts: 110
Likes: 7
From: Austin Texas
Let us know how it goes. Some aftermarket plugs are trash, and it can be hard to get a good source of truth for something as simple as a drain plug.
I use this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0011NDZKW/
"Dorman 65372 Oil Drain Plug Magnetic M12-1.75, Head Size 15Mm Compatible with Select Models"
It has a rubber gasket/washer under the head, that has never caused an issue for me yet. It also has a magnetic tip to catch any iron/steel grit, both to prevent it circulating and for inspection. With that said, Dorman's products aren't always the best, so I can't guarantee that if you bought this item right now for the stated $5.03 you would be happy for it today, or five years from now.
I use this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0011NDZKW/
"Dorman 65372 Oil Drain Plug Magnetic M12-1.75, Head Size 15Mm Compatible with Select Models"
It has a rubber gasket/washer under the head, that has never caused an issue for me yet. It also has a magnetic tip to catch any iron/steel grit, both to prevent it circulating and for inspection. With that said, Dorman's products aren't always the best, so I can't guarantee that if you bought this item right now for the stated $5.03 you would be happy for it today, or five years from now.
he verified the crankshaft seal/harmonic balancer are leaking and showed me. He said he didn’t see anything else. Also she needs new tie rods. He’s also going to clean in between the ac compressor and radiator. Roughly $2k for everything. Powerbond race balancer. Tie rod ends.. etc everything
Last edited by lspowah; Jul 13, 2022 at 05:12 PM.
