Help me find my oil leak
 

My car is leaking oil, to the tune of 1/2qt per day (~150mi). It is not burning, and completely damps a layer of kitty litter overnight, as well as leaving spots wherever I park.

I cleaned and checked my oil drain, no dice. Then I started noticing that oil was pooling on the water neck, and bottom of the valve cover.

Attachment 198436

It seems that it leaks while sitting still, but possibly more while running. At first I thought it HAD to be something below oil level to lose that much oil while not running, but the fact that I've got oil all over the front of the motor makes me think otherwise.

Also, I did put in the "special" bolt for the oil pump that you have to use after removing the AC compressor bracket. This motor came without that bracket in place, and I didn't notice it for a few days. I had hoped that that would fix it, but the problem is persistent.

Please take a look at these pics, and if someone has had a similar problem chime in.


Intake cam gear
Attachment 198437


Exhaust cam gear
Attachment 198438


Driver side block and oil pan
Attachment 198439


Pass side
Attachment 198440


Driver side timing belt pulley
Attachment 198441


Pass side

Attachment 198442


Note that the timing belt itself stays dry...



Also, previously had checked the back of the head, and it was dry under the CAS. Now there's just a little bit of oil there.

Attachment 198443


Attachment 198444


Thanks guys.

For the eleventy billionth time on this forum. GO TO ADVANCE AUTO AND GET SOME OIL DYE AND A UV LIGHT!!!!

Time.
Money.

Neither of which I have.

I do have a membership to this forum though...and figured someone else just might have seen the same spread on their beater.

I guess when you have oil leaks it's all over the road...no need for dye.

Front cam seals.

I Lol'd.

Good luck with finding the leak. My only solution was to buy a 2.0.



Have you checked the torque on the front 2 cam caps, if loose, they could leak between the seals, just like the CAS cap being loose in my case.

That's really what I was afraid of, and why I asked before biting off another fun project.



I checked the cam gear bolt torque when putting the adjustable gear on, didn't check the caps...good idea.

this


don't have the 20 minutes it might take to cure?

I hate it when you're right.

imo vc gasket in the front maybe loose cas in the back or damaged oring. disasemble and rtv or good cleaning etc and let the shit cure should help. unless you fuxared your oring on the cas and then you will need a new oring.

New o-ring after replacing CAS last month. I checked it daily after install...never leaked. Very little oil back there, nothing like the CAS leaks I've seen.


I was hoping it could be VC gasket. I've done that job 5 times and never fucked it up, but I guess there's a first for it all. I probably didn't let it cure enough this time. Easier to try that than the cam seals.

Front cam seals and/or vc gasket, especially the cam humps? I wouldn't think it would get as high as the lip of the vc if it didn't originate high up. That's a lot of oil, though.

Valve cover gasket?

cam seals... Valve cover gasket. both will take time and money to fix, so eh, just pour more oil into it.. Be sure to RTV' the corners of the cam caps when you put a VC gasket on.

Go OEM or do it again.

Yes, it's a lot of oil. I'm really frustated. Need to be focusing on studies and don't have time for it, but a quart of synthetic every other day is straining the wallet.


If it's that high though I wonder how it continues to leak when not running. I guess it's possible it's filling the timing belt galley and leaking out down the oilpan.


I get oil splotches on the floor at the very front and very back of oil pan.

the VC gasket might be gone too, but there's no where else to get that oil on the front.

did you have the cams off recently? You might have just not lined the seals up under the front caps...

When's that last time you replaced your valve cover gasket?
It looks like it's at least the cam seals too.

The best course of action right now is to clean off the front of the motor, and then see where it's weeping/flowing from.

Hmm... looks like I took way to long to reply.

I may have a spare VC gasket lying around let me check my stash.

O hai, I want to waste a lot of time hunting around for an oil leak and spending money on parts only to find that I didn't need to replace that part and my problem still exists instead of buying a $2 bottle of dye and a $1 uv light from a part store. I am so smrt!

I always change the cam and front crank seals when replacing the timing belt at its regular interval. It's a lot more fun than doing it twice. And I change the rear main seal when doing a clutch at the end of its normal life span. I guess I don't much like dropping the tranny.

Cams have not been off. Just swapped cam gears.




Replaced valve cover gasket when doing the cam gears. May have fuxored it this time, but have done it several times before with success. I'm blaming it on my wife nagging me when working in the garage...



Will clean motor...check, consider dye and light...check. Most likely will just throw parts at it. Replace cam seals and valve cover at the same time.

yay cam seals.

I just finally said F it and pulled my entire motor out to redo all my gasket and seals. They all leaked.

I TOOK MY TIME... used OEM seals and RTV called "the right stuff" . it comes in a half caulking bottle and is 100000% worth the 30 bucks you pay for it. Knock on wood I dont have a single leak now.