Help me find out where i'v got an oil leak

[02_Legacy]

OK so I'm pulling my engine over winter break to put in a new clutch and while its out I want to fix an oil leak. But I don't know where it is and I need to order the gasket now. It is comming from the back of the engine. It often finds itself on the y in the stock headers making my car smell hot . Its also on the back of the oil pan and all over either the cv axle or the steering boot on the drivers side. (I forgot which I will take a look tomorrow if I remember)
So i'm thinking its either the rear main seal or drivers side valve cover gasket. Can anyone figure it out from the info i have?

[chuckthefuk]

Rear main seal.. In between the motor and transmission

Separator plate / Rear Main Seal.. for a EJ22 but very similar to the EJ25

http://beergarage.com/SubySeparator.aspx

--



"With the clutch and flywheel gone here is the proper back of the motor showing the rear-main seal (#2). The rear-main seal often leaks oil and in my mind should be changed with every new clutch. They're a cheap part but are fiddly to fit as you need to tap it into the housing perfectly square-on otherwise it'll pinch and then you'll have to rip it out, get a new seal & start again.

#1 & #3 are inspection covers that also leak over time & need plenty of Three Bond sealant to seal them up when you fit them. "
Source --> http://www.carandimage.com/forums/showt ... of-an-EJ20


Source --> http://www.rs25.com/forums/f8/t129061-r ... -else.html

-Chuck

[1996Battlewagon]

It's either the seperator plate or (of all things) the oil pump sealant. If the oil pump needs to be resealed, the oil will drip and get flung all over the place, making it seem like oil is coming from everywhere. It's also a common leaking point. No gasket, just sealant.

[02_Legacy]

OK i think I'm gonna replace the rear main seal no matter what and I'll order that tomorrow. And if I take the clutch off and i can tell its comming from somewhere else I'll put some of that silicone gasket material in there.
And is the oil pump seal or whatever you are talking about the thing that is number 1 in the first pic chuck put up? If its not what is it?
Thanks

[1996Battlewagon]

No, the oil pump is actually on the front of the engine, smack-dab in the middle. I know, it may seem silly at first to suggest this being the source of your problem, but I ran into a similar issue, thought it was my rear main but it was the oil pump. The combo of the fan, accessory belt and wind disturbance can throw the oil all over place and make it seem like it's coming from someplace else.

[02_Legacy]

well I didn't get a chance to look under my car cause its snowing outside and someone else got the hoist at school.
I wanted to add that I can especially smell the oil on the exhaust when i have reved up the engine a bit. This could be
cause the exhause gets hotter, but would more oil come out at higher rpm's if it was the rear main seal? What if it is
the oil pump? And what would I need if I find out it is the oil pump? Is that a gasket or is it just gasket material?

Thanks

[chuckthefuk]

There are so many variables associated with your leak...

All it take is a front cam/crank seal to leak and you car be on a slope and the oil will leak to the back of the motor and sit on the manifold.

Or your car has a RMS/Oil Pump/Cam or Crank seals/ leak and if its a slow leak then when you start you car in the morning the manifold is soaked and will start to smell/burn when it gets hot.

Some leaks are pressure related some are not.. You can have a power steering line pissing fluid on to your manifold or you could just have a seal allowing a small amount of oil to gradually drip.

Get the car up on the hoist
Clean the bottom with some brake cleaner and some rags..
Wait...
Check if the leak is caused by sweating of a seal or a failed seal..
Check the pump like 1996Battlewagon" said and then inspect your cam / crank seals..

Change them for good measure if your going to do this.. seals are cheap from the dealer... certain ones at least..


Example:
I have a 96' EJ22E with a bad RMS... i drip oil every second of every day.. its not a large amount but it does add up eventually. I loss about 1 liter between oil changes.. and every morning / after a few hours of the car sitting, my car starts to burn off all the oil from the exhaust manifold.. theres no smoke just a burning oil smell.. heavy odor. not like coolant.

This is normal until you fix it and it goes away... plain and simple.

Also "1996Battlewagon" stated that the oil pump uses "sealer" not a gasket...

-Chuck

[02_Legacy]

I guess I'm just gonna have to pull the engine and trace the leak than.
Engine pulling starts thursday and I was hoping to put it back in on monday but I will probably be ordering gaskets on monday then
waiting till tuesday to get them in and put the engine in wed. O well thats life
And thanks to both Chuck and Battlewagon for answering my questions

[chuckthefuk]

Why does everyone keep pulling the engine.. if you have a hoist and tools just pull the transmission... all the seals on the front can be changed just by removing the rad.

Anyways good luck with your maintenance.. it gets better when it runs like a dream :-p

-Chuck

[02_Legacy]

I'm pulling the engine because I don't really have access to a hoist. Only at school and then I can only work on it for less than an hour a day and the teacher doesn't like it when someone takes the hoist for a week at a time. But I do have access to an engine hoist.

[chuckthefuk]

fair enough

[02_Legacy]

Battlewagon may have been right. There is oil from the front of the engine to the back on the bottom. I will take a closer look at it tomorrow if I have time.

[ouch1011]

If you are pulling the engine anyway, just get a master gasket kit, reseal the whole damn engine including the leak prone head gaskets, and just be done with it. Thats what I did, and now my 170k mile engine doesn't leak a drop.

[02_Legacy]

I think I may have found the leak and it is the oil pan gasket. When I bought it the guy told me that a jiffy lube place that he took it to had put a dent in the oil pan as they were driving it off the hoist. well it turns out they must have hit it pretty hard because the lip on the oil pan was bent a little. So I straightned it out and put a little extra gasket material in that corner and hopefully it will fix my leak.
I think the rear main may have been leaking a little too because when I took the flywheel off there was some oil behind it so i replaced that too.

[chuckthefuk]

*facepalm*