Oil leak, beating the dead horse

[talontd92tsi]

Ok, here is the deal.

I put this engine together last year, and it has like 4-500 (yes hundred) miles on it. For the life of me i can not get this goddamn thing to stop leaking oil like it is going out of style. It is on the rear side of the engine. I replaced the rear main seal, resealed the oil pan, pulled the pan again, straightened the pan where it was overtightened, resealed it again. and it STILL leaks oil out of the rear corner oil pan bolt. it appears to be coming right out of the bolt hole.

what now?

EDIT: The problem ended up being a crack in the corner of the oil pan, firewall side, right near the 12mm transmission bolt. Picture shows the crack, it is approximately 1 inch in length. New oil pan installed and leak is GONE!

About GODDAMN time!

 

[Calan]

What are you using to seal the pan?

Sure it's coming from there, and not running down from a trubo oil line or something?

 

[8urwrx]

I had the same thing happen to me with a freshly rebuilt engine. I had oil everywhere! It ended up being the oil feed on the head for the turbo. Oil was so clean I didnt see it coming from there.

 

[talontd92tsi]

What are you using to seal the pan?

Sure it's coming from there, and not running down from a trubo oil line or something?

Permatex ultra gray. I have the tcase and drivers side crossmember off right now so i can see everything and it looks like its coming straight from the bolt hole. Could it be the cas or something? It is coming down in the back side, and i mean it is a hell of a leak. like a drip every 1.5 seconds.

I had the same thing happen to me with a freshly rebuilt engine. I had oil everywhere! It ended up being the oil feed on the head for the turbo. Oil was so clean I didnt see it coming from there.

I have fresh crush washers on that and the head looks dry as can be. but i will look again when i go out to the garage.

 

[Calan]

My guess would be a knked rear seal, rear seal plate (if it wasn't flat or bad gasket),CAS O-ring (kind of unlikely I think), or back of VC around CAS.

See if you can wipe it all down above the pan, and then stick a paper towel or something up above the pan and see if you get oil. Or you could try some dye and a UV lamp.

 

[talontd92tsi]

Already tried the dye crap. just turned the oil all funky colored and i had glowing oil everywhere . Gonna try the paper towel thing in the morning. I cant remember if i put rtv on the end cam cap around the cas when i put it on, would it leak really bad out of there?

 

[Calan]

The VC will leak pretty good at the corners of the CAS and both cam caps. It really sounds like something in the rear seal area though, if the head looks clean.

When you rebuilt the motor... did you replace the rear seal plate and gasket, and lube the rear seal really well? How about putting the rear seal in backwards, or forgetting the oil separator that goes in the seal plate?

 

[talontd92tsi]

I did the rear seal twice now and it hasnt changed. I lubed it up good, and the separator is in there. im running out of options. I really think it is the pan being wavy or something.

 

[TurkF26]

Ok, here is the deal.

I put this engine together last year, and it has like 4-500 (yes hundred) miles on it. For the life of me i can not get this goddamn thing to stop leaking oil like it is going out of style. It is on the rear side of the engine. I replaced the rear main seal, resealed the oil pan, pulled the pan again, straightened the pan where it was overtightened, resealed it again. and it STILL leaks oil out of the rear corner oil pan bolt. it appears to be coming right out of the bolt hole.

what now?

Where did you have the pan overtightened at? You didnt accidently strip any holes out did you? Just trying to maybe overstate the obvious incase you missed something. Do you have anyone that can come give you a 2nd set of eyes on the leak?

 

[talontd92tsi]

Yes, I had a friend come down and look. The pan was overtightened by me, and I origionally put a gasket in it (like an idiot). I am beginning to think that the pan just needs replaced and is beyond repair due to too many bends/dents/whatever in the mounting flange and it will never be straight (enough to seal at least) again.

EDIT: See first post, problem fixed.