serious oil leak

[IndianaVX]

hello again family!
i have been gone for quite some time, and hope that im not thought of poorly as a "only get on when theres trouble" fact is, i still have no computer, and kinda like it.....gives time for other things, (but i do miss all of the vx info)796 unread posts))

well, the foxfire is now on 120,000. running fine, and hasnt had any leak of anything...NOT A DROP!.... i went to work yesterday, and while there, my dad came in and said that i was leaking some antifreeze. i went to look, and it was oil....about a 2' circle of oil on the street.
i check the oil, and its not even on dipstick! so i fill it up, clean, and wipe all oil off the underneath,(it was all covered, a real mess) i start it up, and see a flow of oil coming from between the ac comp bracket, and the engine block.
there is no oil on belts, pullys, or crank pully.
the oil leak must be low on the block, on drivers side, it flows over the "engine pan" on the front side, and down the pan bolts.
i will try to post a picture, but looking for any suggesstions on what this may be.
looking in the service manual, im wondering about the crankshaft position sensor. it looks to be in the area, but i cant see it to really locate it.
this is just so sudden, and such a severe leak.
it has been really cold here, but the truck starts fine, and is still running fine. i dont think that i drove it much with low oil.
so anyway, the library is about to close, trying to type fast.....hope this makes sense. please forgive my absense vx brothers and sisters, but i aint got a clue on this one.
i will hop around to friends computers ect to try to keep up on post.
hope you are all well, and that the new year brings all that you are looking for.
Thank you in advance
David
IndianaVX

[ZEUS]

Wow, that sucks... I haven't a clue what the problem might be either - just didn't want you to think we hated you. Good luck man!

[Ldub]

Wow, that sucks... I haven't a clue what the problem might be either - just didn't want you to think we hated you. Good luck man!

X 2...

Ain't never seen that one before.

Seems to be on the drivers side of the engine? (If I'm looking at the pic right)

Could it be coming from behind the timing belt cover (cam seal)

Sorry, a WAG is all I've got.

[VXorado]

If its an oil leak, I'm with these guys and have no idea

but I can say that my VX had an oil drip that looked very similar and wasn't oil...it was ATF

Mine was leaking from the transmission cooler in the radiator and would accumulate in the same places as yours from dripping+wind while driving. Its worth checking out even though it doesn't look like ATF

[Y33TREKker]

I don't know what your current PCV valve setup is, but you might check the current condition of that valve in case your crankcase pressure isn't being properly vented. Building up excess pressure would have your oil looking to escape from the pan wherever it could, including past any seals/oil pan bolts that weren't properly torqued.

If that were the case, it might look like the oil is leaking from somewhere above the pan, but could actually just be oil that's getting blown upward from the gasket area from the wind as you drive.

One simple possibility anyway.

[PK]

Seeing you guys have bits that are back the front to ours, this might be totally wrong, but -

Is it under the power steering pump - might be that.

PK

[IndianaVX]

i think im gonna start by taking the front end off, and exposing the timing belt area, that way, i can get a better idea of where the leak is coming from.
What timing.....instead of the vx in this new snow storm we got last night, im driving a 2wd chevy s10 my nerves are about shot.

wish me luck!
david

glad im not hated.....thanks guys! I do miss this forum

[nfpgasmask]

I would say that would be the best approach. Remove the pulleys from the front of the VX and pull the timing cover. You should be able to see a lot from there.

If I had to take a guess, I would say it could be a gasket somewhere leaking, or possibly the rear main seal on the back of the motor. Are you 100% sure it is oil and not tranny fluid coming from the cooler lines?

Good luck.

Bart

[IndianaVX]

well, i dont want to start trowing parts around, but i think i found the problem! i think the oil filter housing, where it bolts up to the block, is leaking......really bad! like 2 quarts in 9 miles bad.....
i took the risk driving it, but not without some calculations. i filled it up with oil, and drove the truck two miles, and checked the oil. it dropped just off the full mark about an 1/8 inch at 20mph. so i drove it to where i had a lift available, and stopped every 4 miles to top off the oil. going 40 mph i lost more oil .
so anyway, i ordered from merlin the gaskets, (actually look like O rings) and they should be here monday. 12 bucks from merlin fyi..... i guess ill install them, and see what happens.
meanwhile, we are supposed to get more snow, and i will miss the 4wd but there will be other snow im sure. it sure was nice to drive it today though, even if it was for only 9 miles.
keepin my fingers crossed!

Oh, great writeup bart on the timing belt replacement. the hosers that put me thru hell a couple of years ago sure could have used that! it took them a month and a half to set the timing!! ugh, pains me to even think about it........

better let someone else use the puter now......

[nfpgasmask]

Weird that it is the oil filter adapter...keep us posted!

Bart

[IndianaVX]

replaced the two gaskets, (o rings) on the oil filter housing, and still leaking oil, i am now thinking that it is a leak coming from the actual oil pump.....and i am not enthused about that. gonna start working on that this afternoon.
anybody have any experience in dealing with a leaking oil pump? at least that is what the manual says it is, but TOBERT mentioned it as "front seal housing".
it sounded like he was having the same leak as i am in his post "oil pump removal"
problem is he left his post hanging, and never did say what his conclusion was on what the problem was.........
well, here is go again....time to get to it!

Im going in!! Wish me luck!

[nfpgasmask]

Oil leaks can be a pain in the boot for sure. I was racking my brain trying to find the oil leak I had with my Trooper after the motor swap. I cleaned off the area really good with carb cleaner, let it dry, and then puffed baby powder all over the area. Then I could pin point the area where the oil was dripping from.

Does it leak all the time or only when the VX is running?

Bart

[IndianaVX]

Ok, first, thank you bart for your write up on the timing belt. i was able to "borrow" a laptop that i downloaded your write up onto, and kept it close to where i was working......so thanks buddy....know that your writeup will help other vx owners keep their trucks running!!!


NOW, after taking off all the timing covers off, and what not, i cleaned everything down, wiped off, ect. put the crank pully back on, and started the truck up.......watched......and waited.................and then it happened!
i started seeing my oil drip, borderline stream out of the front of the drivers side cam, right behind the cam sprocket. so i cleaned everything off again, and looked, and the WHOLE FRONT CAM SEAL was spinning, completely out of the recess that it fits into! so again, brakecleaned everything off, and cleaned as much of the recess as i could with cleaner, let it dry, and used a yellow sealant smeared on the seal, and tapped it back into where it should go. letting it cure overnight, and i think i will be able to put it all back together and be on the road tomorrow sometime!!!
Now, it got me wondering about alot of things from my issue a couple of years ago. The mechanics would have replaced this seal, i would have thought, with the correct seal, but now wonder if they just went to autozone with an ID and OD dimension they needed and matched it up that way?

OR..... it was just soooo cold, and the seal was just loose enough, that the cold shrank the seal, let it pop out, and leak like it was. and being where it leaked behind this seal, it let it run down the BACK of the timing covers, and hung up on the crank cover, and exposed itself way down by the oil filter housing. who knows??
i was supprized that oil wasnt slung all over inside the covers, but it wasnt! it actually was pretty clean.
Also, i noticed that the yahoo's that worked on it a couple of years ago left 2 of the timing cover bolts off, and all but 2 of the rubber washers on the backs of the covers. not sure what im gonna do there, maybe make it a project for this summer when its warmer, and get a new set of bolts and washers etc.
so other than time, the fix cost me about $3.00! and well, the oil filter housing O-riings, which needed replaced, they were hard as a rock, probably would have shattered if i dropped them.
so all has ended well on this repair as i type this!
but still wont know for sure till i fire it up tommorrow after the sealant is cured. so im keeping my fingers crossed.

again, thanks bart for the write up, that was very cool being able to do a step, go to the puter and look at the next step, ect......just had to clean my hands alot!

and thanks to this forum, and the friendship and info it offers! hopefully this too will help someone in the future.
i will try to take a pic in the morning of the details

David

[nfpgasmask]

David, I'm very glad you found the leak! That is half the battle! And glad my write up worked well for you.

You can probably get the rubber washers and new bolts from Merlin for pretty cheap. I would just call him and order some so you have them.

So, what you are saying is that the oil leak was coming from BEHIND one of the camshaft pulleys?

That's pretty crazy. I wonder if you should buy new camshaft pulleys and seals also. I've never heard of a leak from this area.

Bart

[IndianaVX]

On tones cd manual, if you go to search, type in "camshaft and associated parts"
Should be only one result show up.
Its an exploded view of a cylinder head.....the part #10 is the oil seal that popped out and was the cause of
My oil leak!