bad oil leak

**ponyslayer** · 12-07-2010, 08:09 AM

Ok so while I had the car in the air (installed headers and tsp x pipes) I noticed a heavy oil leak around the top of the filter and its not coming from the sending unit or anywhere above the filter housing. I did start to remove the pan a while back to replace the gasket, only a minor leak then, before I realized I would need an engine hoist.
The leak only happes when the engine starts to warm up then it becomes a steady drip.
Oh yeah I also replaced the rear main seal not to long ago

**pajeff02** · 12-07-2010, 08:12 AM

Any chance the old oil filter gasket stuck to the mounting surface and you ended up doubling your gasket when you changed the oil? When this happens they will almost always leak.

**ponyslayer** · 12-07-2010, 08:21 AM

No thats what I was hoping for but I aready checked didnt get lucky

**pajeff02** · 12-07-2010, 08:24 AM

Possible alignment issue with the rear cover and/or main seal upon re-assembly?

**bluehawk2000** · 12-07-2010, 12:58 PM

Originally Posted by pajeff02

Any chance the old oil filter gasket stuck to the mounting surface and you ended up doubling your gasket when you changed the oil? When this happens they will almost always leak.

I did this one time on my old firebird, and when I went and started it the oil went gushing out lol.

**Fearls1** · 12-07-2010, 03:32 PM

Hmm, to me it sounds like you didn't press the rear main seal far enough into the rear cover. I had the same issue and had to take the trans out two times to get it right. I had a felpro gasket (round) and didn't relize that pressing it in flush to the cover wouldn't do the trick. It MUST be pressed in until it stops in the cover. It left like a 1-2 cm lip in the rear main. Good luck!

**ponyslayer** · 12-08-2010, 06:43 AM

Originally Posted by Fearls1

Hmm, to me it sounds like you didn't press the rear main seal far enough into the rear cover. I had the same issue and had to take the trans out two times to get it right. I had a felpro gasket (round) and didn't relize that pressing it in flush to the cover wouldn't do the trick. It MUST be pressed in until it stops in the cover. It left like a 1-2 cm lip in the rear main. Good luck!

I replaced the rear seals about six months ago and I have even taken the trans out again since then and it was clean. The leak didnt start untill a couple of weeks ago...

**Fearls1** · 12-08-2010, 03:26 PM

Could it be a freeze plug that popped?

**pajeff02** · 12-08-2010, 06:47 PM

Originally Posted by Fearls1

Could it be a freeze plug that popped?

Freeze plugs only go into the coolant passages as far as I know.

**ponyslayer** · 12-09-2010, 11:10 AM

Originally Posted by pajeff02

Freeze plugs only go into the coolant passages as far as I know.

Yeah thats what I was thinking too.

**ponyslayer** · 01-07-2011, 06:19 AM

I just got back under the car and noticed the long bolt at the back of oil pan on the drivers side was loose and it would not tighten. I switched the bolt with the one on the other side and it wouldnt go past hand tight either so it seems to be stripped in the block but Im not sure if that one bolt only being hand tight could cause such a leak.