milosav2

I think so. You can see the location of that last bolt in the picture here:

https://ls1tech.com/forums/attachmen...bodyoilpan.jpg

It's pretty tight down there.

Edit: Maybe you can get in there with some combination of extensions/swivel sockets and go by feel to try and tighten that bolt. It's an M8 bolt and torque for it is 18 lb ft / 25 Nm.

EviLS7

It just seems like its concentrated on that area around the filter. Once the filters get warmed up they expand and if it damaged the filter will leak since it has pressure. I would spray everything down again with brake cleaner and dry it off, then put it up on ramps and start it up. Let it get warmed up and then see if you can spot the leak.

Maligator

Ah, I see that little bitch! this is actually promising because that bolt looks like its dead nuts to where the leak is. Not only in this thread, but someone else commented how the majority of LS7s that come in with a leak is from these cross bolts. Man ill be happy if this is the culprit because it looks like something I can fix in the garage.

milosav2

Maybe you can get in there with some combination of extensions/swivel sockets and go by feel to try and tighten that bolt. It's an M8 bolt and torque for it is 18 lb ft / 25 Nm.

Maligator

I just climbed under there, between the headers, oil cooler plate and my gorilla hands I cant even feel the bolt. Tried sneaking a mirror up there to check and I cant see it. Guess Ill just have to wait for the dye to make its way through the oil. Thanks for all your help, greatly appreciated!

Dan_the_C5_Man

At this point if I had to put money on a blind bet, I would bet on it being something other than the oil filter gasket (possibly the bolts I mentioned). Good luck with the fix, so long as it's not the pan gasket it should be "relatively" easy to correct.

Maligator

I'm hoping you are right, because nowhere else is the pan gasket leaking.

Maligator

just an update and I know this is premature because I have not started the car after hosing the leaking area down with brake cleaner. I was able to manipulate a mirror and I could see "almost" all of valley area where the cross bolt goes in and no sign of oil. So for ***** and giggles I torque spec'd the oil pan bolts from the front to the rear (the ones I could reach) and the first two definitely moved before hitting 18 ft/lbs. When I hit the bolt that was covered in oil, without a doubt, I had a full quarter turn before hitting 18 ft/lbs. Im not an engine builder, but would a bolt that was a quarter turn loose cause an oil leak like mine?

milosav2

Hard to know that for sure, although 90* is not a small amount especially for that one on the corner of the oil pan.

https://www.corvetteactioncenter.com...ges/780.36.jpg

Maligator

so far, so good. Ran it up to operating temp twice and the oil temp up to 175 and no leaks. Thanks to all who gave suggestions for what to look for, forum helped me on this. Used the dye milo suggested and the UV light and no signs of a leak. Cant figure out why an oil pan bolt would walk out like that, but Ill take it. Ill check again in a few months, hopefully I got lucky on a loose oil pan bolt!

Dan_the_C5_Man

Great result.

Maligator

no **** right! nothing like a loose bolt that I can actually get a damn socket on!!!!!! I did notice all the other pan bolts I could get to had a tad bit of play in them before they hit 18 ft/lbs. I wonder if they pan bolts were loosened during the cam install, thought the front seal or some **** like that gets in the way.

Dan_the_C5_Man

It's quite possible with gasket compression, heat, vibration and time, they loosened up on their own.

Do you know the old racer's trick about applying a dab of black RTV on the edge of the bolt head and case? It's not saftey wire, but it's cheap, easy and it does help. Clean both the bolt head and case with brake cleaner before applying.

I would recommend this for all the cross-main cap bolts you can get to as well.