Oil Leaks

[iamtall77]

Okay i hate that my car leaks oil, but some of it can't be helped, it's a DSM. However, leaking a quart of oil every 500 miles or so is unacceptable. It seems to be leaking form the oil filter housing area. Yes I did the BS removal, so that may have started it. It seems to leak oil from the BS tension pulley hole. What's the fix? Should I put a dab of silicone under the head of the bolt to seal it to the front case better? What about the oil filter housing? I've used just a gasket and then tried to seal the gasket with silicone. Then I tried to seal it with just silicone. No good. Should I try to seal it again with just a gasket? Should I over torque the bolts or try anything else? (torque spec is 16lbs i think) This really sucks and it even gets on my timing belt. I will of course get a new belt when i can control the leaking better. Anyone have a "magic" fix? Hell, I'll settle for a non-magic fix. Help me out please.

 

[blackGSX2g]

For the BS tensioner pulley hole, put the bolt back in it to block it off. Did you put JB Weld around the block-off plug so it would seal properly? Take the timing belt cover off and start it up and watch for where it leaks from. It will become very clear exactly where the oil is dripping once the system gets some pressure. Wipe everything down and trace it to the source.

Is it coming from where the oil filter housing meets the front case, or is it from something else on the oil filter housing?

 

[iamtall77]

I have pulled the timing cover to visualy see the leak. It is leaking from the bolt that is in place of the BS tension pulley. That is the only "visual" leak that I have found. There is so much oil that it is difficult to find any specific area that it leaks from. I am assuming that the oil filter housing, where it bolts to the front case, is leaking by the way the oil spread about. I will likely take it one leak at a time to trace them all down. How do I fix the bolt leak? Over tighten? Silicone around the head of the bolt? Help please.

 

[Big Woo]

Using a little silicone around the head of the bolt may help, I would not reccomend over torquing.

Try a little silicone, and allow it to dry, then leaving the t-belt cover off, start the engine again and verify if it is still leaking.

Sometimes the aluminum under the head of the bolt in question becomes damaged, or gouged from the use of lock washers, tightening, etc. This can make it more difficult to seal, since the surface is not entirely flat.

 

[iamtall77]

I plan on tracing down most of the leak deamons in the next day or two. Somone also mentioned using an oil additive that has a flourecent element in it. It shows up under a black light to help determine where the leak is originating from. Anyone hear of this or know where I can get some? (the parts guys around here suck) This will wait until the major leaks are found. If I find anything out of the ordinary I'll let you know, otherwise I'll be laek free in a couple days. (hopefully)

 

[blackGSX2g]

I'd ask around at NAPA for the oil dye. Our local NAPA carries all kinds of things like that.