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Please Don't kill me I tried searching! Oil leak/pan question


Mark Blumer

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Okay so I have a small oil leak coming from the right side of my engine during and after driving. It goes away after the engine has cooled. I think I have narrowed it down to the oil pan gasket. I purchased the gasket tonight from the Z store. I read somewhere that in order to take the oil pan off you must lift up the engine. Is this true? I really don't think I have the right tools for this. I have a regular pump jack but how would I lift up the motor with that? Or should I just take it to a mechanic? Thanks!!

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Hey mark I've had this problem twice, both of my zx's past and current

the problem lies with the 30 year old electric oil pressure sender it leaks

where the two prongs are for the plug, because all it is metal crimped around plastic

 

the quick fix i've used both times silicone or 2 part epoxy, whatever i had at the time works like a hot damn

and if you want to buy a new one be ready to spend close to a 100 bucks, that's near what i was quoted about 4 years ago

 

and the easy way to see if this is your problem pull the boot off that protects the connector if there's oil there's your leak

 

PS, take the sender off and clean in really well if you want what ever you use to seal it to stick

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Okay thanks a lot people. I might try some of your quick fixes but I'm not sure they will work. Oil is coming from where the pan connects to the block in about a 4-5 inch horizontal spot. I think the oil has just slowly eaten away at the gasket. That is the only spot where oil is leaking and it's pretty plain to see. I will try retightening all of the bolts though. After looking at the fsm I don't think I'm up for engine removal unless someone in my area could help me out. I would take pictures but I'm away from my car until the weekend. I think my neighbor down the street had the same thing happening on his 81 ZX so maybe he can help me out. Thanks again! Oh by the way is there any way to change my screenname I think I mixed up screen name and real name when I registered haha :(

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" I think the oil has just slowly eaten away at the gasket. That is the only spot where oil is leaking and it's pretty plain to see. I will try retightening all of the bolts though."

 

Two common misconceptions. Oil will not 'eat through' the gasket. Ain't happenin'.

 

Retightening the bolts? Chances are that is what made it bad in the first place. The thing about sheet metal oil pans is they BEND. Tightening beyond almost finger tight risks deforming the pan rails which have to be DAMN straight to seal properly. Making a back up plate to sandwich the pan and gasket between would be a better idea rather than tightening already (likely) overtorqued fasteners.

 

Jack the engine up at the bellhousing, drop the pan, flatten the rails till FLAT FLAT and then use a proper gasket with some backup straps (like at the rear of a turbo engine, save they go all the way 'round!) and likely that will solve it.

 

Make sure your PCV is functioning properly, if not buildup of crankcase pressure will make the most stringently applied automotive gaskets start seeping...and once the leak path is started it's not going away (the second part of the fallacy of tightening already torqued oil pan bolts!)

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UPDATE: So after I got back home from a week of being away from the car I realized that in fact it wasn't the oil pan gasket at all but actually oil leaking from the head. Unfortunately I had already purchased the oil pan gasket :huh:. So Obviously a leaking head gasket. Well I don't have $800-$1200 lying around so I looked around for other fixes. Turns out there is ths stuff called Blue Devil. I found it on youtube and there were a bunch of videos confirming it actually works. So I tried it today and low and behold so far it is holding up fine. No longer is oil leaking from the block and there is no more white smoke coming from my exhaust. We'll see how it holds up. I know most additives are BS but there was enough evidence backing this I thought I would at least give it a shot. It's $60 a bottle but that's a lot less than a replacement. I'm not expecting it to hold up forever but there are reports of it completely fixing the problem. Even the sales guy at autozone was kind of skeptical which I kind of actually appreciated since most of the people who work in parts stores are willing to sell whatever snake oil they can. Anyways I'm not giving an ad for the product but hey if it actually holds up overtime then I would say it is fully worth the money.

Edited by Mark Blumer
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