Tensioner assembly oil leak

[Go4Long]

alright I jacked the picture from another thread, but to make a long story short my 2.3 build has been nothing but a massive pain in the ass from day one...
I've destroyed the turbo center section twice, the second time while using an inline oil filter I still managed for something to go wrong...basically the car has been officially running for over a year, and I've driven maybe 5000 km because it's constantly parked waiting for me to figure out what the hell the problem is now...
after installing the turbo after the second failure I checked everything out and there was no leaks or anything, was running like a champ, boosted good...the whole nine yards.
Drove it home from strathmore to calgary(75 km or roughly 50 miles) no problem at all...checked the parking spot under the car, no drip...
two days later I drove it to work, got to work and there was oil literally running off of the cross member(err...whatever the one is that goes front to back) on the drivers side. let it cool off, checked the oil(added a quart), started it up, when it's cold no leak, but after a minute or two it started to drip out of the bottom of the timing cover.
took it to a local DSM guy here cus I was sick of dealing with it and his first shot at it is that it's coming from the head gasket...and quotes me $1200 to fix it...I was like "hmmm...I'll come get my car now thanks"
took it back home, tore the timing cover off it, hosed the whole mess down with brake clean, let it dry up then started the car...I would have assumed this guy had done some kind of expert diagnosis before quoting me $1200 to fix a head gasket, so I'm standing there with a flashlight pointed right at the spot where the head and block meet on the drivers side of the block, not a ####in drip...oil is pouring off the bottom of the block and there's no oil at the head. to the mechanic.
anyway...I'll cut to the chase now that I've bored you all half to death...it appears that the oil is coming from:

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is that even possible? if not where should I be looking around there? if I do have to take that bolt out, is the timing going to go out when I take it out? so sick of this car all this money and still not even a 12 second time slip

 

[lookin4dsm]

That bolt holds the tensioner bracket and screws into the motor mount behind it. Oil can't leak from those threads. If memory serves, the motor mount bracket bolt holes don't go all the way through and can't leak oil either. You can remove the tensioner bracket bolt without messing up the timing, however, DO NOT let the tensioner bracket slide off the motor mount. Remove the bolt slowly and make sure the tension on the belt doesn't try to force the tensioner bracket to start sliding off. If it does, tighten the bolt back up. Like I said, oil can't leak from there, so I don't see a need to remove that bolt.

You either have a leak up top (cam seals, head?) and the oil is flowing down the side of the motor or the oil case could be the problem (gasket bad or case is cracked?)

Mike

Edit: Just to be sure, I checked a bare block I have in the garage. The bolts holes for the motor mount do not go through to an oil galley, so you need to look at the cam seals, head, or oil case.

 

[Go4Long]

definately not coming from as high up as the head...like I said, I was staring at the head, bone dry even once there was oil cearly dripping below...I was thinkin it might be one of the tensioner bolts, as i've heard those can leak quite a significant amount of oil...I'm just not sure...it's leaking a LOT of oil where ever it's comin from. Within 3 minutes I'd say it's pooling up on that cross member...and dripping off in a near steady stream

 

[luv2rallye]

Here's some ideas: http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/showthread.php?t=179267#post1495716

 

[Go4Long]

upon closer inspection this seems to be just another thread about an oil leak coming from the tensioner...it's running down the tensioner, hitting the crank pulley, and getting thrown up in to the originally mentioned bolt area...my bad...I'll RTV it tonight and update if it's fixed it or not...that UV dye stuff is the shit...

 

[luv2rallye]

Replace the auto tensioner (cylinder looking thing) with new factory one if it is leaking (no after market or you will regret it). And when you compress it to put the holding pin in (eg. 1/16” allen wrench), compress it VERY, VERY, VERY slowly (like steps of: 1/2 turn of vise handle, then wait 20 seconds for it to settle, repeat) or you will damage the seals in the new one.