oil leak HELP
 

I could sure use some experienced knowledge with this oil leak. it appears to be coming from the rear seal or cam cap because it comes out of the hole at the bottom of the torque converter cover. It also wets the starter & wires. I took it to the trans shop to check it & they say definately not rear seal or cam end. the inside & the torque conv. area are dry. it is not the valve covers, or the base of the distributor, I cannot see the oil pressure sender. I can't see any obvious place for this oil to be coming from. has anybody run into this problem before? thanks for the help..

RE: oil leak HELP
 

Have you checked the rear of the intake manifold. That is where mine leaked.. I R&R'ed my intake manifold this weekend with great results. I is not easy but, doable if you are fairly mechanically inclined. Hope this helps

RE: oil leak HELP
 

Definitely check the oil pressure sender before you take off the intake. Although it's probably something bigger, never overlook the easy solution. I'd hate to have my engine torn down over an external part.

RE: oil leak HELP
 

Most auto parts sell a flexible telescoping mirror that you can use to tell if it is comming from the sender. I'll have to agree with Streak. I think it is your sending unit, but to replace it, you will have to pull the distributor, just toomuch stuff jammed in there on top of it. [8D]

RE: oil leak HELP
 

thanks for the input guys. I will try the mirror trick, it is very tight back there. if it is the sender can it leak the amount of oil i am seeing? this must be the problem because it is the only spot I cannot see. how does the sender fail? do you replace or repair it? thanks again for all the help

RE: oil leak HELP
 

It doesn't take much of an oil leak to appear extreme. If it is the sender then you will be replacing it. It's an inexpensive fix. Just kinda time consuming.

RE: oil leak HELP
 

Remember the sender is under 50 to 60 lbs of oil pressure. Sender are made of plastic bonded to metal and over time with the combination of heat, oil, and pressure, they break down. I have seen tremendous leaks caused by sending units on all variety of cars and trucks. [8D]

RE: oil leak HELP
 

thanks mech259 could you tell me exactly where the sender is? my manuel shows it above the oil filter which I cant see nor is the oil coming from there. is it on the back of the block?

RE: oil leak HELP
 

The sender is underneath the distributor.

RE: oil leak HELP
 

ok then thanks for all the input . I think i will tackle this problem this weekend. it sure will be nice to have a non leaking car again. wish me luck.

RE: oil leak HELP
 

Good luck. ;)

RE: oil leak HELP
 

I've also got an oil leak on my 1990 Corvette. The oil pressure sending unit was leaking as well as the speedometer transducer on the transmission and both were repaired. I had to have the transmission rebuilt (152K miles) so I had the real main oil seal replaced while the transmission was out (I'd recommend this whether it's leaking or not).I had lots of oil in the vicinity of the oil filter (both not on the filter itself) so I had the seal between the oil cooler and the block replaced. Unfortunately, it's still leaking oil from somewhere (a 4" diameter stain on the concrete in half a day) so I'm still looking.

With all the wind turbulence under the car, it's really hard to tell exactly where a leak is as the oil will literally go everywhere.

I'm contemplating simply removing the oil cooler (I use Mobil 1) but am not sure if the filter will mate properly directly to the engine block. Does anyone have any thoughts or know for sure if this will work?

RE: oil leak HELP
 

I actually replaced the oil pressure sender/switch in my car tonight and after alot of swearing, cuts, cigarettes and irratation I finally got it replaced. If you are good at timing I would recommend removing the distributor, I did not. It was a the worst thing yet I have had to replace on the car. Appearantly mine was leaking a bit as well as it was a bit wet back there. Mech suggested that sender was the cause of my starting issues and sure enough it made a huge difference. It is redundant power switch to the fuel pump as well. Good luck, Gods speed and I hope to hell you are a patient person, this is not an easy task.

RE: oil leak HELP
 

Your starting problem? Was it taking too long to fire? my '87 does that most of the time....maybe I should do the same thing. Thanks for posting that tidbit. Cheers

RE: oil leak HELP
 

:) well I finally took it apart last week end. it was the manifold that was leaking. after cleaning everything up we put it back together & used ultra black rtv sealant on the front & rear surfaces. I let it set for 3 days before I started it, & to my delight no leak. one thing though it takes a second or two to start now when it used to start immediatly. I did replace the O rings on the fuel lines. does anybody have any thoughts on this starting issue? one more thing this job took almost 7 hrs to do, I hope it lasts.:)