Oil leak. Oil pan gasket???

[TurboTJ]

I finally got around to replacing my oil filet bracket today which had been leaking since I rebuilt my engine. When I started to prepare to replace it, there was oil all over everything in that area outside of the timing cover. I replaced it and started the car up and let it run for a while to check for leaks. A fairly large leak started coming from the rear side of the timing cover. I cant tell if it is the timing cover or the oil pan. It looks like it starts in the back and works its way to the lowest part where it then drips.

My question is will the oil pan gasket ever drip oil or does the leak have to be from under the timing cover? I also have my balance shafts removed and I havent been keeping an eye on oil pressure so could I have blown a gasket?

thanks for the help

 

[Mitsubishified]

I finally got around to replacing my oil filet bracket today which had been leaking since I rebuilt my engine. When I started to prepare to replace it, there was oil all over everything in that area outside of the timing cover. I replaced it and started the car up and let it run for a while to check for leaks. A fairly large leak started coming from the rear side of the timing cover. I cant tell if it is the timing cover or the oil pan. It looks like it starts in the back and works its way to the lowest part where it then drips.

My question is will the oil pan gasket ever drip oil or does the leak have to be from under the timing cover? I also have my balance shafts removed and I havent been keeping an eye on oil pressure so could I have blown a gasket?

thanks for the help

Hmm well when i got my motor rebuilt and i put it in, i forgot to put the castle plug in. The castle plug is a little screw in piece on the oil pump that if you don't put it in, it will leak oil fairly fast. Its located on the oil pump and is in the lower right area of the oil pump. It looks like this http://slowboyracing.com/estore/product.php?productid=1926&cat=0&page=1

Its pain after taking off the cover again, but if it has to be done it has to be done. I didn't put an oil pan gasket on when i put the oil pan on, i used a self sealer, but i can't remember what it was. If it is the oil pan, i would look into getting some self sealer since oil pans didn't come factory with oil pan gaskets. But thats just me
Luke

 

[19Eclipse90]

Take off the timing cover and look for it. There are many possible culprits in that area. With the cover on it will be nearly impossible to pinpoint the source of the leak.

 

[TurboTJ]

Alright, so I pulled the cover off, cleaned up all the oil and started the engine. It is being flung everywhere in small amounts from the timing belt. I found a possible culprit. The oil pump sprocket was on only hand tight and when I pulled the nut off, oil came out.

I cleaned off the oil and put the nut back on hand tight, started it up for a few seconds and found more oil in the same area.

Is there supposed to be a seal on the nut or a lock washer? If I just tighten that, could that fix the leak if it is coming from there?

Thanks for the help!

Edit:
Solution: It turned out to be that nut on the oil pump. Tightened that up, no more leaks!