on typical oil leaks

[SofaKingWeToddDid]

the best way to fix the oil pump drive seal is to take the rear head off, hey, do your timing belt at the same time! but you can get to it without doing that

[solows10]

you guys have been a big help i just got to buy a couple more things then im doin it, whilr i was down ther i found that both of my head gaskets r bad so i got a whole tear down to do over the winter yea for right

[SofaKingWeToddDid]

well, atleast when youre done, you know its going to be good, solid and reliable. dont use shit parts or youre gonna do it again. and make sure you set that timing belt right, theres a crazyy procedure on how to do it, and its not exactly the easiest thing in the world to do.

[LT1 FUN]

I tried the small block dist. gasket/rtv fix on my 96 grand prix 3.4 with the LIM off- it made the leak worse. i'msure that i didn't get all the oil off the underside of the plug but i couldn't raise it up off the block more than 1/16''. Considering taking the rear head off, is there a good write up on this anyone could reccommend? Any help would be greatly appreciated

[SofaKingWeToddDid]

i used a pipe cleaner (one of those metal wires with all the bristles, but i have a daughter who does lots of crafts and stuff) lol so with one of those DOUSED in brake cleaner i just kinda chain sawed it back and forth, also i covered that little paper gasket with ALOT of gasket maker. and you have to make sure the ends are touching. (since you have to cut it to get it in) also, while you have it apart check that rectangle plate the PCV connects to as well as the PCV hose for cracks or damage.

[LT1 FUN]

thanks sofaking, i tore it apart again and i could raise the oil pump drive plug up alot farther this time. I suppose the old o-ring could of been sticking the first time and i didn't want to force it. Anyhow i used a strip of paper towel soaked in brake cleaner-stuck it under the cap and twisted it like cubby checker on crack. It cleaned it very well and then i cut the small block dist. gasket at an angle on the bottom of the circle and coated it in the RTV gasket maker (right stuff) seems to be holding (knock on wood)

[60dgrzbelow0]

SofaKing...

I can't contribute but two things to this thread:

(1) There is a perfect, FreeWare "Bulk Photo-Resizer" called "Fastone" that can be used to dynamically and flexibly reduce those "Jyant Jaypegz" to manageable images with ease. If you are interested... Here is the link to this application:

http://www.faststone.org/

(2) We all know that you often display your off-the-wall sense of humor in many of your thread comments...and it might leave the uninformed readers here thinking that you are too fun-loving at times to be taken seriously. But having read this uncommonly well-written and informative article that gives so much help to those in need... I pay you homage... and feel the need to say so. This is a Perfect Technical Write-Up. We should all aspire to do as you well as you have done it here. I promise you... I will try to do as well with my own.... Cheers!

--==Bob==--

[SofaKingWeToddDid]

thanks and thanks!! i like the big pictures, and it IS downsized from the 10.1MP it was before! lol

thanks again though i appreciate the pat on the back! haha
-somtimes a guy needs to just sit down, relax with a bong and type up a write up.

[Yokotaashi]

Well I have read through this and every other oil leak thread here (as if they were salvation itself lol) I happen to have this very same problem and it sounds like those here have had some of the very same results. The first thing is the RPM bouncing off the limiter after I put it back together (keep in mind this was a full top end rebuild including stem seals, t-belt, e-flange, bla bla). I had also smashed the front injector wires between the UIM and LIM. Fixed those, but wasn't sure about the reving problem til I saw what pocket rocket said about the FPR vac...what exactly is that and how could I have messed it up?
The other half of my problem is, of course, the oil pump drive seal. Well I tried taking the flat rubber gasket (from the fel-pro kit) and cutting it and drenching it in gasket glue and installing it. Of course this didn't work, but I feel more educated now that I'm ready for round 2. I was thinking that using a paper gasket with RTV sealant seems to be a well accepted solution. I am a little timid about jerry-rigging as I usually try to do things how they're supposed to be done, but this may be an exception. I am a little lost at the cutting a v-notch into the top of the cap on that thing step...that simply makes more room to work? Also, after I cut out the paper gasket (I assume from bulk material which I have a roll of) do I then cover both sides with a "liberal amount" of RTV sealant? What type of sealant? Do I work it into the gasket material? Do I let it dry or become tacky at all before installing?
Sorry for reviving this post, I would just love to have this car ready for some summer road trips with the bros since this car is so bad-ass and SOOOO close to problem-less. Thanks in advance!

[project 92z]

I just found a really odd leak on mine. It seems to be coming from the end of the upper intake near the dog bone mount. Any suggestions there? I just cleaned it today to be sure that's where its coming from. I recently did my intake gaskets cause I thought it was coming from the valve cover gasket but its still leaking quite a bit

[Yokotaashi]

I just found a really odd leak on mine. It seems to be coming from the end of the upper intake near the dog bone mount. Any suggestions there? I just cleaned it today to be sure that's where its coming from. I recently did my intake gaskets cause I thought it was coming from the valve cover gasket but its still leaking quite a bit

You have described a spot where many others have a problem, specifically at the cap of the oil pump drive (upper access). Go back through this thread and look at the pictures to be sure this is your problem and what kind of adventure you're in for to fix it! I just finished doing mine, so if that is indeed your issue, I can post my pictures for reference. The other common leaker on this closer to the valve cover like you thought is the pvc valve, I would check that because its pretty easy to get to.

[Schurkey]

Well I tried taking the flat rubber gasket (from the fel-pro kit) and cutting it and drenching it in gasket glue and installing it. Of course this didn't work, but I feel more educated now that I'm ready for round 2.

I don't remember a flat rubber gasket in the Fel-Pro kit.

I was thinking that using a paper gasket with RTV sealant seems to be a well accepted solution.

DO NOT use RTV silicone.

Repeat:

DO NOT use RTV silicone.

RTV is approximately the WORST product you could select. Silicone in aerosol form is a lubricant. The LAST thing you want is to encourage the gasket to slide out-of-position.

Practically any other gasket adhesive would be an improvement over RTV silicone: Gasgacinch, Hylomar, High Tack, Copper Coat, Permatex non-hardening or Permatex Aviation gasket sealers--and plenty of others. Last one I did (where I split the gasket rather than remove the rear head) was with non-hardening Permatex brown goo--but I can never remember if that's #1 or #2. #3 is the Aviation stuff.



Don't make a gasket for this. Walk into any parts store in North America, and ask for a Fel-Pro #70194 or equivalent. Distributor gasket for Chevrolet V-8 from The Beginning Of Time until now (still use 'em on the crate engines.)

[pocket-rocket]

I just found a really odd leak on mine. It seems to be coming from the end of the upper intake near the dog bone mount. Any suggestions there? I just cleaned it today to be sure that's where its coming from. I recently did my intake gaskets cause I thought it was coming from the valve cover gasket but its still leaking quite a bit

It could also be a cam carrier gasket. The on on the 91 let go after I switched to synthetic years ago. The only way I know how to get that gasket is buy a head gasket set, at least the last time I had to get them.

Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2

[Yokotaashi]

I don't remember a flat rubber gasket in the Fel-Pro kit.

DO NOT use RTV silicone.

Don't make a gasket for this. Walk into any parts store in North America, and ask for a Fel-Pro #70194 or equivalent. Distributor gasket for Chevrolet V-8 from The Beginning Of Time until now (still use 'em on the crate engines.)

Well good to know, luckily the mechanic across the street told me about "the right stuff" and gave me a blue paper gasket (looks equivalent to what you mentioned). We'll see if it holds, I think I did a pretty thorough job. As far as the rubber gasket I found...I can't be 100% positive it was from the kit. Seemed like mana from heaven at the time though and was exactly that size...