Leaky oil pan?
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 734
Likes: 0
From: Fishers Indiana
Leaky oil pan?
I pulled my C6 out of the garage today and noticed a fresh oil drip. Just a couple drops, but definitely leaking. I got under the car and found that the bottom of the oil pan was just covered in oil. I couldn't find anything difinitive for a while. Then I got up to the crank pulley and ran my fingers across the leaf spring and it was covered in sludge. It is definitely a slow leak and has probably been going on for quite some time and it just now found the garage floor. I still couldn't actually tell if that was where the problem was occuring but deductive reasoning tells me it has to be the front main seal.
Is this common? The car only has 10k on it and only 5k since I got it back from LPE. I hope this is covered under their warranty. I'm sure the seal is a $30 dollar part, but the labor would be over 1k if they don't.
When I started the car it said check oil level. That's the first time it's done that. Sure enough it was 1 1/4 quarts low.
I'll call LPE tomorrow, but any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance
Is this common? The car only has 10k on it and only 5k since I got it back from LPE. I hope this is covered under their warranty. I'm sure the seal is a $30 dollar part, but the labor would be over 1k if they don't.
When I started the car it said check oil level. That's the first time it's done that. Sure enough it was 1 1/4 quarts low.
I'll call LPE tomorrow, but any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance
Pro
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 693
Likes: 2
From: Los Angeles CA
i am seeing the same oil leaks.
dripping mostly off the rear of the oil pan and drain bolt.
after carefully examining for the second time, there seems to be a trail of oil from the front of the engine.
also noticed the top of front leaf spring is covered in oil.
slow leak, but enough collects on leaf spring/oil cooler lines and eventually works it's way to the back of the oil pan to drip it seems.
if you resolved your leak, could you please share what the problem/solution was?
i am suspecting front main seal as well, since it's dry above the crankshaft pulley, but seems wet below.
mine is a 2005 z51, in the <11,000 vin range for the loosening crank pulley bolt.
no crank pulley bolt fix was done on it, but it also never leaked for over 115,000 miles...
dripping mostly off the rear of the oil pan and drain bolt.
after carefully examining for the second time, there seems to be a trail of oil from the front of the engine.
also noticed the top of front leaf spring is covered in oil.
slow leak, but enough collects on leaf spring/oil cooler lines and eventually works it's way to the back of the oil pan to drip it seems.
if you resolved your leak, could you please share what the problem/solution was?
i am suspecting front main seal as well, since it's dry above the crankshaft pulley, but seems wet below.
mine is a 2005 z51, in the <11,000 vin range for the loosening crank pulley bolt.
no crank pulley bolt fix was done on it, but it also never leaked for over 115,000 miles...
Instructor
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 132
Likes: 0
From: Calgary Alberta
My 2008 ls3 was doing the same. I noticed as I started to rip it apart for my cam instal. Mine ended up not being the front main, it was the seeping out of the timing chain cover/oil pan junction. where Gm puts a dab of RTV. When I tore it down the rtv was still soft, like it have never dried. (crappy gm rtv?)
In re-assembily I put high temp black "the right stuff" rtv sealant behind and infront of the timing chain gasket in these areas after a good cleaning. Not too much, but enough. After sealing back up and running her a few time's she is still dry but, I have only ran it 4 times since.
That yellowish GM RTV was more of a paste then a sealant, at my last oil change she was dry, and 3,000 miles later the pan was wet.
While under my vette I also noticed a couple drops under my new duramax.... ugh.... looks like a rear main on it...
In re-assembily I put high temp black "the right stuff" rtv sealant behind and infront of the timing chain gasket in these areas after a good cleaning. Not too much, but enough. After sealing back up and running her a few time's she is still dry but, I have only ran it 4 times since.
That yellowish GM RTV was more of a paste then a sealant, at my last oil change she was dry, and 3,000 miles later the pan was wet.
While under my vette I also noticed a couple drops under my new duramax.... ugh.... looks like a rear main on it...
Safety Car
Joined: Jun 1999
Posts: 3,570
Likes: 3
From: Austin, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Houston, Dallas, Hong Kong, Elgin, etc.. Texas
My 2008 ls3 was doing the same. I noticed as I started to rip it apart for my cam instal. Mine ended up not being the front main, it was the seeping out of the timing chain cover/oil pan junction. where Gm puts a dab of RTV. When I tore it down the rtv was still soft, like it have never dried. (crappy gm rtv?)
In re-assembily I put high temp black "the right stuff" rtv sealant behind and infront of the timing chain gasket in these areas after a good cleaning. Not too much, but enough. After sealing back up and running her a few time's she is still dry but, I have only ran it 4 times since.
That yellowish GM RTV was more of a paste then a sealant, at my last oil change she was dry, and 3,000 miles later the pan was wet.
While under my vette I also noticed a couple drops under my new duramax.... ugh.... looks like a rear main on it...
In re-assembily I put high temp black "the right stuff" rtv sealant behind and infront of the timing chain gasket in these areas after a good cleaning. Not too much, but enough. After sealing back up and running her a few time's she is still dry but, I have only ran it 4 times since.
That yellowish GM RTV was more of a paste then a sealant, at my last oil change she was dry, and 3,000 miles later the pan was wet.
While under my vette I also noticed a couple drops under my new duramax.... ugh.... looks like a rear main on it...
Make sure to use a fresh tube of silicone sealant whenever you do this kind of work.
Instructor
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 132
Likes: 0
From: Calgary Alberta
The good permtex stuff from your local parts store will always dry... almost too well (hard to get parts back apart again, and it swells while drying to increase seal)
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