cant stop this oil leak -long-

[richp85elco]

i got the same dam problem but not as bad i get a couple drips on the pass side behind the block and cant find where the hell its coming from either...

i know you said its hitting the flexplate and splashing everywhere but check that the oil filter is screwed on tight enough and the screw in oil plug above it that is also used for a oil pressure sendor....just throwing out some ideas other then that its gotta be the main seal or plugs

 

[81GrandPrix383]

i got the same dam problem but not as bad i get a couple drips on the pass side behind the block and cant find where the hell its coming from either...

i know you said its hitting the flexplate and splashing everywhere but check that the oil filter is screwed on tight enough and the screw in oil plug above it that is also used for a oil pressure sendor....just throwing out some ideas other then that its gotta be the main seal or plugs

Thanks Richp85elco,

I was under the car on the weekend looking at the oil filter. The filter is on tight but I will go back tomorrow and check the plug above it.
I have also heard that the adapter that the filter threads onto can be leaking if it is not on right or something like that but it is dry around the filter where I would imagine it wouldn`t be if either the filter or the adapter were not on right.

 

[LSCustoms]

Y did you replace the pan? did you see it leaking from there too.. can you see where the oil is leaking from? have you checked the oil pressure sender, or around the back of the intake? sometimes when you use a gasket on that it leaks and you have to use gasket maker on the front and back of the intake... anyhow, i hope its something simple

Thanks LSCustoms

Builder put the pan on originally. Originally thought the leak had to be the pan as he said he had never had a rear main seal leak in his 16 years of building race motors. When we test fit it to put it back on it did not sit right and rocked. I said `F`it and changed it.
Havent been under the car when leaking. That is next I guess. The oil is hitting the flexplate and spraying all over.
Back of the intake and pressure sender are dry. 100% not from there.

man, yeh, next thing i would do is clean the motor/flexplate real well and have someone start it up, your gonna have to trace the leak that way then go from there, I have had a few seals leak and it didnt spray out, just small drip etc... gotta be something simple that is being overlooked... we normally check the big things first... but often times it something little, hope this is the case

 

[pontiacgp]

The engine I bought was a fresh rebuild but after a while I thought I had developed a leak at the rear main and my clutch developed the tell tale signs of oil on the disk. I removed the engine and the rear main seal was dry so I started checking the block to see if it was cracked. Since I couldn't find anything I decided to change the rear main to see if that cured it. What I found when I was taking off the housing for the rear main was the bolts for the housing were loose and the oil was getting tossed out between the seal housing and the block..you might want to check that housing

 

[Bonnewagon]

How about using a priming tool to spin the oil pump with the motor not running? That way the oil pressure will be up, but you won't risk an injury getting up close for an investigation. If the indication is that it's a leak that only occurs with the crank turning, get someone else to spin it by hand at the crank pulley nut while you watch the rear seal.

 

[pontiacgp]

that's a good idea Mark...we use an distributor shaft on a drill with shaft installed in the housing, without the housing the oil won't reach the valve train

 

[Bonnewagon]

I use what I refer to as the "$200 primer tool". After I told my buddy how to use an old cut down distributor as a primer tool, the idiot used a perfectly good Mallory dual-point unit to cut down.

 

[pontiacgp]

...that's just so wrong...

 

[81GrandPrix383]

Thanks guys.

Getting my distributor to line up was such a pain in the *ss that I would rather drop the transmission.

I do have a primer tool but not one of those $200 ones though.

PontiacGP, what housing are you talking about? The rear cap? It is tight.

I will likely dive into it tomorrow night.
During the day I am dry walling my upstairs hall ceiling. What fun.

 

[pontiacgp]

I'm not talking about the rear bearing cap if that's what you mean, the rear seal is installed into an aluminium housing that is bolted to the block with 4 bolts, there is a gasket inbetween the housing and block