Yummybud924

anyway I used a can of degreaser to get it a little bit clean but I need to make it squeeky clean so that when I run it I I can spot the oil leaks hopefully.

I checked teh oil pan gasket all around again and it looks fine in all spots except that one part on the exhaust side where it is bulging out, I can pull it out a bit with my finger but I dont' see oil around there so it could still there.

what else is likely to leak oil around there?

the oil cooler housing seems to be obove where I saw some wet oil spots so it's possilbe that the oil cooler is leaking and getting oil on the pan.

the driver side of the oil pan is completely dry.

the stering rack, stabalizer etc are wet with oil so that could also be from the oil cooler I guess or the oil pan.

but if hte oil leak is not from the oil pan should I still replace the oil pan gasket because one spot is bulging out?



also what is the best way to get the engine clean enough to find the leak? I think I'd need many cans of the degreaser to get it really clean.

Hoss Ghoul

I would use a steam cleaner, avoid direct long-term pressure/contact. It works well.

Yummybud924

don't want to spend a lot of money though lol. I want to use some good chemical cleaner.

I was worried that the chem cleaners might wreck the seals like the oil pan seal.

I guess I'll clan it as best as I can then run it for like 10-20 minutes. shut it off and wait a few days to find the leaks?

I think it was leaking without the motor running also.

finding oil leaks are a pain in the *** hard to find the source. Don't want to replace teh oil pan gasket and find out it's still leaking because the oil cooler is leaking.

I swear I saw a spot that looked like oil with a bit of green coolant mixed in the oil, under the oil cooler area so maybe it's the oil cooler?

oil cooler would be much easier to replace than the oil pan but it wouldn't hurt replacing the oil pan too as it is bulging out it one spot and my mechanic told me I need new motor mounts (when I went to tension my t-belt.

Yummybud924

also one more question, my t-belt was replaced last summer and I got it tensioned then but I haven't driven the car more thean 400-500 kms since last year as it needed some more repairs (also replacing the inteior carpet and sound deadning right now due to a quarter window leak, you can see the plastic covering the window in the first picture).

so I'm wondering if the t-belt tension should still be fine. My mechanic told me that the belt tension is strictly a milliage thing and not time.

V2Rocket

Simple Green works

lollll...BANG!

Hoss Ghoul

Your timing belt is fine, age can be an issue, especially if a car is sitting for a long time, but not for the duration you're talking about.

FWIW, a cheap hand held steam cleaner can be picked up for $10 or $15 at Wal-Mart or the like.

Yummybud924

here are some pics after degreasing with one can of the degreaser stuff a little better than before.

I work 6 days a week 9-6 so this will take me all summer to fix hopefully before september as I'm going back to school then.

Hoss Ghoul

Have you checked the oil filter housing?

Do you have oil on your front suspension/sway bar?

Yummybud924

^ in the pic I posted above you can see where the oil pan gasket is bulging out, I can pull out the oil pan gasket at tat part but I didn't see a lot of oil dripping from there. Also because only this one spot is leaksing would it be possilbe to seal it with some good silicone like permatex the right stuff?

I fixed the rear balance shaft seals by cleaning them and covering them with permatex the right stuff and they have not leaked since last year and the sealant it holding up fine.

yes I did the sway bar had oil all over it so did the power steering rack and I did see a drop or two of oil above the oil pan gasket.

but this wouldn't rule out that the oil pan doesn't leak at all.

Yummybud924

isn't simple green car wash soap?

Yummybud924

so is it common for the oil cooler to leak externally? yes I do have oil on my sway bars crossmember area so it could be the oil cooler.

I thought that the oil cooler only leaks internally and you get oil / coolatn mix, I don't have any oil in my coolant and my oil looks clean.

Hoss Ghoul

Not sure from your posts above, but just to clarify, the oil filter housing is not the oil cooler. Look for leaks around where you mount your oil filter.

Simple Green is a brand/manufacturer, they make a lot of different cleaners, etc.

Yummybud924

ok thanks. So the oil filter housing can leak without the oil cooler leaking?

I thought the oil cooler was behind the oil filter housing. I guess just replacing the oil filter housing gasket would be really easy way to fix the leak.

but my oil pan gasket is bulging a bit in the part in that pic so eventually it will need to be replaced even if it doesn't leak right now. Also I'll need to replace motor mounts eventually (engien vibrates at idle). But if the engine only leaks slightly from the pan I can leave it for now maybe do it next year.

I"m pretty lazy I don't want to get into a big repair project unless it's absolutely necessary

Yummybud924

that's the only spot that the oil pan looks bad. It can be pulled out by hand where it's bulging but I'm not sure if it's the whole seal.

however like I said I doubt this part leaking would get oil on the stabalizer, crossmember etc.

V2Rocket

You may have a worn out cam gasket...

my dad's Q45 has the -slightest- of leaks off the left-bank valve cover, yet yesterday the entire crossmember under the engine and some other parts were SOAKED in oil.