Help! Oil Leak. Pic. Included

[jaden]

I just got my car back together and now I seem to be getting oil on my timing belt... I took it apart and cleaned everything off and an the engine to see if I could determine where the oil leak was coming from (timing belt was throwing it everywhere)

I just tried putting a new gasket on the oil filter housing and that isen't leaking anymore but still oil leaking on the belt. ballanced shafts are eliminated but the bolt is not leaking.

here is a picture of where the oil seems to be coming from. Is there any possible thing that could leak up there other than the front cover?? ...I dont want to do the front covr gasket unless i have to

Thank you for your help!

 

[gringo72884]

I'd check your cam seals...they tend to be a leaky source

 

[beachbum2185]

what gringo said.

 

[tsi1991awd]

I ran into a phantom leak a little while ago....we cleaned everything up then it looked like it was leaking from where the oil pan and block met....it ended up being from the castle plug. The O-ring had become hard plastic and the castle plug leaked. The oil was picked up by the belt and sprayed it everywhere.

Ended up that the oil pump was completely shot. The driven gear wiggled when you touched it.

So check the castle plug...take the plug off, make sure the o-ring is actually rubber. If it's not that, check the crank seal. if it's not that, check the cam seals. If it's not that, check the oil pump sprocket seal.

 

[BLINKY619]

I ran into a phantom leak a little while ago....we cleaned everything up then it looked like it was leaking from where the oil pan and block met....it ended up being from the castle plug. The O-ring had become hard plastic and the castle plug leaked. The oil was picked up by the belt and sprayed it everywhere.

Ended up that the oil pump was completely shot. The driven gear wiggled when you touched it.

So check the castle plug...take the plug off, make sure the o-ring is actually rubber. If it's not that, check the crank seal. if it's not that, check the cam seals. If it's not that, check the oil pump sprocket seal.

hahaha i had the same problem... it tuned out that the previous owner didnt put the o ring back on th castle nut... now it doesnt leak...!!!

http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/newbie-forum/374043-misterious-oil-leak.html

 

[jaden]

hmmm... well as for the castle plug i blieve that they are jb welded in. it has new cam seals and it doesen't look like its coming from there either.

so all thats left is front cover gasket, crank seal and oil pump sprocket seal??? btw. does anyone know what the 2 bolts are in the picture?

 

[BLINKY619]

hope this helps

 

[gringo72884]

it really doesnt matter whether your cam seals are new or not....first off if they arent OEM then they will never seal right....second, even if they are OEM they need a thick ring of rtv to seal precisely. Trust me, i have gone through plenty of non oem and oem cam seals.

 

[jaden]

so nobody thinks that the oil is coming from the front cover than??? ... i only think that because it looks like the front cover stops right around where the oil is coming from

 

[fran_drivertsi]

you better fix it before driving your car, timing belt + oil = oh, trouble trouble!

 

[tsi1991awd]

I specified points in the front cover where it could be....so yes, I said it could be the front cover or cam seals.

Also, why would anybody JB Weld the castle plug in???? As if the damn thing isn't hard enough to get off after it's been on for years.

 

[SteGerHPI]

I've got a customer car with a similar "phantom" oil leak in the same area. The motor was rebuilt by someone else and it pours about a qt of oil on the floor in 30 seconds. It already has a new ft cover and oil filter housing gasket. I tried a new ft crank and oil pump seal, a new castle plug seal, and silicone on most of the bolts, and I replaced the valve cover gasket. Please post what you find.

 

[tsi1991awd]

If it is pouring out a quart of oil in 30 seconds of idling, thats pretty f*cking bad....

Did you check the mating surfaces for the front case and OFH for gouges? If there are gouges or grooves, the gasket wont do shit for sealing.

Also check for actual cracks in the front case or OFH. Clean EVERYTHING with brake cleaner and then have the car on the lift and start it up.....check with a flashlight to pinpoint the leak.

If that doesnt work, use dye in the oil and see where its coming from. COuld be the cam seals if you have already replaced everything else.

 

[SrKegler]

Front cover gasket doesn't have anything to do with oil control. There's even a big gap at the bottom to allow oil to drain out.

Other than what has already been mentioned, there is one bolt right under the motor mount that goes thru the front case. It's kind of hidden by the bottom of the tensioner arm assembly. Check to make sure it was reinstalled.