Oil Leak Fix

[BMFH]

Hello All

Resealing my 97 Monte Z34 oil pump drive.

I had the perverbial oil leak on top of the engine, pulled it apart and found that the oil pump drive housing AND the oil distributation plate gasket was also leaking.

I found a piece of Special High Temp. Red Silicone rubber rated at 700* and was .060" thick, I cut a disc out of it with an EXACTO knife using washers for marking templates, the washer used for the I.D. was 1 1/16" and the one for the O.D. was 1 1/2"

After removing the hold down, I installed the slicone washer on the drive housing, it streached easily and I worked it arround the housing like a rubber band, I raised the housing the 3/16" that it will raise and pushed the silicone washer under the lip of the housing, it snapped right into place and was flat. I then installed the hold down and torqued it just enough to compress the slicone washer about 1/2 its thickness and until it proturded about enough to see the red slicone rubber protuding form under the lip of the housing.

I then cleaned the housing and engine block with brake kleen and paint marked it with a stripe so that I can see it with a flashlight and inspect it once in a while to check for any movement or leakage. So far, after 1000 miles and a couple of trips there has been "NO LEAKAGE OR MOVEMENT"

This seems like a good easy fix, at least it was for me. The hardest part was getting to it.

I think that it is also good insurance to change the oil disturbution plate gasket while your there.

Hope this helps, at least it did for me.

John

[TheProfessor]

interesting

[SappySE107]

I have heard of a brown O ring that is high temp and lasts much longer than the black pos GM used. Haven't though about using something like you did though.

I am wondering how long the PCV in the plate lasts, as I think mine is what is causing my engine to suck oil into the intake.

[BMFH]

Oil Distriburtion Plate

Hello All

What looks like a PCV valve inside the oil distribution plate is actually an oil check valve to prevent the oil in the cam box's and lash buckets from draining back into the oil pan after shut-down, there by causing cam bearing wear and noise until the buckets fill, and pump up again, after re-starting.

The PCV and tube connects to a nipple on the oil distribution plate that is encased in a baffle assembly on the bottom side of the oil distribution plate to prevent oil from getting to the tube and PCV system, that is unless there is a lot of engine blow-by pressure to force the oil into the baffle and the tube with the vapor and into the intake plenum.

The new OEM "O" ring is rust colored, it is probably made of "Viton", which is a high tempeture high durometer rubber material. It can not be installed without a major tear down, and "NONE" of us want to do that for a simple "O" Ring, no matter how cute it is.

Hope this helps

John

[SappySE107]

I know I have oil in that vacuum line going to the oil check valve, so I am assuming its leaking somehow. The engine has total seal rings, and I guess they told the previous owner of the engine to bypass the PCV system due to extra pressure. That is not going to be how I solve the issue though as I need to relieve the pressure, more than a filter will do. I have other plates I can try, but it may end up that I need a catch can setup (want to do a vacuum pump as well).

[BMFH]

Hello All

A catch can would probably be the best and cheapest way to remove the oil from the PCV line to the plenum.

I myself would fill the catch can with some type of material that would catch the excess oil in the vapor entering the catch can from the bottom, and let the de-oiled cleaner air, exiting from the top of the catch can go to the plenum. A small drain line with no "P trap" in it could be routed from the catch can very bottom to a low point on the engine to drain the caught oil back to the pan, you would just have to figure out at what point on the engine to drill and tap a hole or make a hollow bolt get it back into the pan area, or you could just drain the catch can occasionally I guess.

I myself would probably use 1 or 2 Copper or Stainless Steel pot scrubbing balls found in the grocery store to put inside the catch can to trap and remove the oil form the PCV system vapor. (they will never rust and or deteriorate)

A vaccuum pump would completly do away with this problem because you will have to plug all the breather lines for the PCV system.

Just my thoughts.

John