mysterious oil leak

[boostedtwo]

So I changed my timing belt and front seal today, timing belt was soaked in oil, and when I shut the car off oil would poor from between the timing belt and the oil pan couldn't tell where it was coming from, well put the nwe front seal in, and new timing belt on and oil leak is still there but timing belt is dry as a whisle. so I resealed the pan and the leak has seemed to slow down but its still leaking, whats weird is its after the car has ran and shut down, doesnt leak while running. Also the car does have about 1/2 qt to much oil in it, which i dont think would cause it to leak though?

 

[Dsmj89]

Have you checked the condition of the cam seals ? These go bad with time.

 

[boostedtwo]

right but wouldnt oil get all over the timing belt

 

[just90gs]

Thier is another seal next to the front main seal. That sometimes does not leak get on the timing belt it to the right on top of the oil pump it has a rubber o ring easy fix if that's your leak. you can check it with the tire off you should be able to see it then.

 

[boostedtwo]

ok do you know whats its called and do I need to remove the timing belt again?

 

[just90gs]

ok do you know whats its called and do I need to remove the timing belt again?

It could be the Balance Shaft Seal. If so, I would clean up the oil leak, take your driver side tire off, run the car recheck for the leak in the oil pump and balance shaft area. You can also buy some color dye for finding oil leaks to make it easier on you. no you should not take the timing belt off. Just the timing cover to spot the leak.

 

[boostedtwo]

can someone please tell me where this o-ring is, I took the cover off and its not leaking at the crank nor oil pump, nor cams, what does that leave? I did notice that one of the bolts that holds the motor mount on "on that side" is loose so I need to tighten that.

 

[just90gs]

can someone please tell me where this o-ring is, I took the cover off and its not leaking at the crank nor oil pump, nor cams, what does that leave? I did notice that one of the bolts that holds the motor mount on "on that side" is loose so I need to tighten that.

no the motor mount bolt would not have anything to do with the leak did you use dye. and that seal is in the front oil pump case. do you have the banace shaft eliminated.

 

[EVO]

Well let's see........ You have 2 Cam seals, 1 Main Crankshaft seal, An Oring behind the Balance Shaft seal, An O-ring between the Oilpump Shaft and Oilpump housing, then you have the gasket material between the oilpump and the Block and the oilpan and the Block also the front cover and the Block. If it doesnt leak while running (UNDER PRESSURE) then I would guess it's a toss-up between the Front Main Seal and the OIL PAN. WWhen the engine shut's down and the OIL lying in the head and other upper engine area's is draining back to the pan that"s when its leaking, Makes sense to me. If neccessary, remove timing cover's (PITA I KNOW!) and using Brake Cleaner, clean exceptionally well all the oil off, every crack and crevis, keep in mind the SH*T well make you high, but get clean, leave covers OFF, Restart engine let warmup and shut down, then inspect.
Good Luck.

 

[lacroixdp]

remove timing cover's (PITA I KNOW!) and using Brake Cleaner

Keep in mind, if you get any of this cleaner, or any oil on the timing belt at any time, it is junk and will need to be replaced again. Your oil filter housing or O-Ring on the oil filter cooler could be leaking as well. It will drain down when the motor is shut off - this leak can be rather obscure to clearly see since it's so close to the oil pan and front cover. It also tends to blow back onto the engine while you're driving, which makes a mess on everything and can make it hard to pinpoint the leak.

 

[boostedtwo]

ok thanks for all the seggestions, I replaced the the o ring behind the balance shaft and the seal. just got done, and it is still leaking, drips as the motor is running.

 

[EVO]

Keep in mind, if you get any of this cleaner, or any oil on the timing belt at any time, it is junk and will need to be replaced again. Your oil filter housing or O-Ring on the oil filter cooler could be leaking as well. It will drain down when the motor is shut off - this leak can be rather obscure to clearly see since it's so close to the oil pan and front cover. It also tends to blow back onto the engine while you're driving, which makes a mess on everything and can make it hard to pinpoint the leak.

I agree only partially with the Brake cleaner and trashing Tbelt. OIL (Petroleum Products) are far more detremental to the breakdown of the Rubber than a can of Brake Cleaner. Brake Cleaner However in my 18 years of turnin wrenches is BY FAR the best de-greaser I have ever used, and I've used them all!! I would not suggest it if I did not use this procedure myself in routine practice at my shop. Some Simple Green, Grease Lightening or Purple Power with a Hot Pressure washer would be envoirmentaly safer but detrimental to everything it sprays. Again OP, try running the engine with the timing cover off - Both top n bottom. As previous member noted, it is quit possible the oil filter housing or cooler is leaking as well, and that is under pressure while running.
Good luck.

 

[lacroixdp]

I agree only partially with the Brake cleaner and trashing Tbelt. OIL (Petroleum Products) are far more detremental to the breakdown of the Rubber than a can of Brake Cleaner.

You need to be very specific with which type of brake cleaner to use around belts. There are two types of brake cleaner - chlorinated and non-chlorinated. The non-chlorinated cleaner's main ingredient is propanone, which is used to break down synthetic fibers - definitely not something to have around any belt, let alone a timing belt. Chlorinated brake cleaner's main ingredient is tetrachloroethylene, which isn't harsh to rubber. However, I know that PCI Components and Gates clearly states on their warranty sheet for their timing belt that not only is the warranty invalidated if any chemical contaminates the belt, but also that any timing belt contaminated with any kind of contamination needs to be disposed of. Oil and anti-freeze are obviously the worst possible chemicals you can get on a timing belt. With as cheap as a timing belt is relative to a valve job, I would opt to not take any chances and replace the timing belt, IMHO. I couldn't agree more with brake cleaner being an excellent de-greaser. I cannot agree with operating a contaminated belt though - I'd rather play it safe and replace it.

 

[EVO]

^ I agree to disagree. Better safe than sorry I suppose, but concidering the threads I've posted to in this section, most of these guys would re-use a t-belt after an engine fire.
And FYI I dont use Non-chlorinated it doesnt work nearly as well, I've even tried safteyclean hot solution, doesnt work verywell either. Also, I'd like to add, in 18 years I've never had a warrantee claim on a Tbelt or chain for that matter, but have with other hard parts, electric's, etc... And have found that almost everytime the manufacturer will come up with a general excuse why NOT to cover the product. This has been my experience with OEM and AFtermarket stock and performance parts. So indeed their claims as No warrantee implied for chemical exposure is bogus and almost always unavoidable. But again, I dont condone nor applaude someone with dousing or saturating Tbelts in anything prior to or after installation - Better safe than sorry!