Oil Leak : PICS

[snowboard1]

NEED HELP
Where is the oil comming from the exhaust manifold , head gasket, turbo oil line?

You must be logged in to view this image or video.

You must be logged in to view this image or video.

 

[Rob10_99]

Did you notice the loose turbo bolt?
Looks to me like its coming out of the headgasket area, want to put up another pic or two?

clean the area up with some degreaser and run the engine for a bit to see exactly where its coming from, make sure to check your oil level btw

 

[snowboard1]

pics

 

[maxim240sx]

I have the same thing going on with my new laser. It blows crazy smoke out while idling and when you let off the throttle. I was told by the previous owner that he thought it was exhaust valve stem seals? I'd like to know what the cause is also.

 

[snowboard1]

I just called up slowboy racing and they said it could be the valve stem seals too

 

[1fast97gsx]

The problem is if it's a valve seal it wouldn't leak externally ... it would burn oil and shoot it out the exhaust and give you blue smoke. I would do a compression test and replace the exhaust manifold gasket if that checks out ok.

 

[maxim240sx]

ok but couldn't it blow oil out between the manifold and the head? Also if it was the valve cover gasket,shouldn't there be oil running down the head,not so close to the manifold? If you look closely in the pic,theres no oil for the first 2-4" going down the head.Mine looks to be going up and out of my manifold

 

[1fast97gsx]

If your exhaust manifold gasket is bad or the studs are improperly torqued there could be a leak between the manifold and head. The problem is oil shouldn't be coming out of the exhaust port in the first place. Are you sure you are getting white smoke out the back instead of blue?

 

[danielbui]

really quick question, do you have a valve cover breather on the valve cover? or is it also leaking from the side.

 

[Nayr747]

I posted a thread like this a couple weeks ago. My engine looks similar to yours and a bunch of people said theirs looked the same until they cleaned it up. I thought over time they all looked like that.

 

[heavyD]

I thought over time they all looked like that.

Neither of my 4G63 engines have ever looked like that.

 

[sp00ln]

I posted a thread like this a couple weeks ago. My engine looks similar to yours and a bunch of people said theirs looked the same until they cleaned it up. I thought over time they all looked like that.

Im just posting to back you up. Mine looked like that too - both on my old 96 GST and on my new(er) 97 TSI AWD - After I cleaned it, there really wasn't a sign of an oil leak.

 

[kicker91laser]

If you really want to pinpoint the oil leak, go buy some oil dye and put in in your oil, run the car for awhile, then look under the hood with a flourescent blacklight, it will glow very bright under the light

 

[eclipsegsxccca]

I know of a couple dsms that have the same problem. It could have been from a previous leak that has been fixed. I dont think it is possible for the oil to be coming out of the exhaust mani. or you would also notice an exhaust leak. Like kicker said just degrease the motor and get the uv light and dye kit to see, but dont get cheap and buy the kit with the pen light b/c it dont work well, get the bigger light it dont cost more than $20 to $30.

 

[kicker91laser]

I know of a couple dsms that have the same problem. It could have been from a previous leak that has been fixed. I dont think it is possible for the oil to be coming out of the exhaust mani. or you would also notice an exhaust leak. Like kicker said just degrease the motor and get the uv light and dye kit to see, but dont get cheap and buy the kit with the pen light b/c it dont work well, get the bigger light it dont cost more than $20 to $30.

Yes, I second that , if you go this route, you have to get a real flourescent blacklight, I have tried this with an incandescent "black light" it doesn't work. But I guarantee if you have a leak, this will show you exactly where it is.

 

[1gdsmraider]

i'd say check the torque on the exhaust manifold studs. it is possible that the half moon/valve cover gasket in that area is bad as well... and if ou have a breather it tends to spirt all over that area..

 

[maxim240sx]

Yeah the only bad part about having to replace the valve cover gasket is it cost's $40 for that lil piece of rubber

 

[Rob10_99]

again... you do know only half of your turbo is bolted on right? heh

 

[1gdsmraider]

HAHA!!! I skipped that image... that seems to be a bit of a problem as well haha

 

[DSM90AWD]

I've been chasing the same prol on the other end of the exhaust manifold for about a year. From what I've heard, only the lower middle manifold stud is supposed to seat in an oil galley, though my rightmost/lower stud seems to be seeping oil

I'm going to pull it and put a bit of high-temp thread sealant on to see if that helps or not.

 

[RacethisTSI]

I had the sme prblem on my car...it turned up that the oil feed for the turbo...that bolt was striped out a bit and ooil leaked out...feel right under that bolt in the head and see if oil is coming out...i think that is were your problem is by looking at your pictures

 

[Mike1992]

Head to manifold studs are seaping oil

or

Your blowing oil out your enigne with a leaky head to manifold gasket causing leakage there.

 

[PIPOS]

I had the sme prblem on my car...it turned up that the oil feed for the turbo...that bolt was striped out a bit and ooil leaked out...feel right under that bolt in the head and see if oil is coming out...i think that is were your problem is by looking at your pictures

i go with what racethistsi said, cause i have the same problem and i thought it was my valve seals but my car doesn't smoke at all, and i clean my engine out like three times already to see where it comes from, and it starts from the oil feed line, right next to the bolt, i would put my finger there and i would feel oil there, and the rest of the engine looks clean. but by time passes it would drip down to what ever is below it.

Well thats where mine is coming from but i don't know if its the line or the bolt, i put rtv sealant where the washer go but it still leaks.

post a thread if u find out so we could know...

 

[DSM90AWD]

Well thats where mine is coming from but i don't know if its the line or the bolt, i put rtv sealant where the washer go but it still leaks.

Loc-tite / Permatex make a thread sealer which is better suited to this application than RTV.

 

[Strm Trpr]

Dude, judging by what appears to be spray onto your oil feed, I bet your manifold is loose, and is cooking the oil that's leaking from that banjo bolt.
Also if you look closely, the crush washer on the head appears to be leaking just a little bit. You can see the oil creeping onto the line fitting between the crush washers.
Those threads on the ex man upper stud look pretty worn.
Replace that rad hose too, you don't want to blow that up, that water is exiting the engine at over 200*...
I'd say get some Engine Brite, clean that sum bi*** up, install new banjo bolt, new crush washers and torque all of you manifold studs....