Oil pan leaking

tsupranami · 02-12-2009, 07:21 AM

Are you sure it's the pan leaking? It's pretty rare unless it's been messed up or worked on. Cam covers can leak and drip down to the pan seal surface, travel along for a while till it finds the lowest point, then drips down off the pan. Cam position sensor o-ring fails commonly, too.
Depending on the condition of the hoses at the back of the engine, rear main seal, clutch, etc., it might be better to pull the engine/tranny combo all at once and go through the hard to reach parts for good measure.

Removing the lower crossmember will be no easier than pulling the motor, and in fact could be more complicated as the suspension mounts to it. That means hanging brakes (to avoid disconnecting/reconnecting and bleeding), steering fluid will have to be drained (rack is mounted to xmember), alignment checked, etc. After all this, you could still have a leak from the rear main, old and failing hoses that are nearly impossible to change at the back of the head, etc.

Pulling the motor isn't easy, but it is the best way to eliminate future problems.

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02-12-2009, 07:21 AM	#4
tsupranami Intake Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Washington Posts: 32	Are you sure it's the pan leaking? It's pretty rare unless it's been messed up or worked on. Cam covers can leak and drip down to the pan seal surface, travel along for a while till it finds the lowest point, then drips down off the pan. Cam position sensor o-ring fails commonly, too. Depending on the condition of the hoses at the back of the engine, rear main seal, clutch, etc., it might be better to pull the engine/tranny combo all at once and go through the hard to reach parts for good measure. Removing the lower crossmember will be no easier than pulling the motor, and in fact could be more complicated as the suspension mounts to it. That means hanging brakes (to avoid disconnecting/reconnecting and bleeding), steering fluid will have to be drained (rack is mounted to xmember), alignment checked, etc. After all this, you could still have a leak from the rear main, old and failing hoses that are nearly impossible to change at the back of the head, etc. Pulling the motor isn't easy, but it is the best way to eliminate future problems.