where else can my oil go?

[LETZRIDE]

I have an oil leak...Its NOT the rear main seal (flywheel is dry)...I have to add oil every 3 weeks or so because the low oil light comes on. I know I am burning some, because when i start the car up I get a puff of greyish, whitish smoke come out of the tail pipes (every time it starts)

I have oil leaking on the y pipe...I was told it is the oil pan, which I just ordered...but this is the thing...for the amount of oil that I am loosing, I only know I am burning a little, and it is leaking onto the Y pipe...I never have any puddle of oil under the car...where else could all this oil go?

[Shodown]

Re: where else can my oil go?

How are you so sure that its not the rear main seal? I had to replace mine twice. I would have also guessed the oil pan gasket. It could also be the rear cover gasket.

[LETZRIDE]

Re: where else can my oil go?

Which one is the rear cover gasket again? We did the rear main when I did the tranny work...then I noticed my loosing oil problem wasn't going away...we pulled off the inspection cover and everything is dry back there. 99% of the time if it is the rear main, you flywheel will be coated in oil.

I know the pan is leaking...everything looks coated around the bolts and crap...but what really gets me is the amount of oil that I am loosing, and the fact that you won't find a drop under the car if you park it for the night...but if you look underneath while its running you can see a black spot on the Y pipe, and smoke comming off of it...But still, I would think if the leak was this big, it would continue to drop down onto the Y-pipe and eventually onto the driveway.

I'm gathering the gaskets and parts now...the cars gunna go off to the mechanics maybe next week. (I dont have the means to lift the engine, nor do I trust myself supporting it from underneath so it doesnt fall, not many places you can jack it up by.)

You mentioned that rear cover gasket...where is that, and how would I know if thats the culprit? and, how accessible is that when doing the oil pan?

[nascar24jd]

Re: where else can my oil go?

If you are positive that it is not leaking on to the ground somewhere then you must be burning it.

[LETZRIDE]

Re: where else can my oil go?

If you are positive that it is not leaking on to the ground somewhere then you must be burning it.

Well, Im sure a little bit probably goes through the valve seals, my coolant looks ok...where else could it seep through to be burnt? I think I have a bent valve on the very back cylinder drivers side (It was leaking alot of air when we hooked up air compressor while doing cam swap)...could that cause me to be burning this much oil then?

[El_Diablo]

Re: where else can my oil go?

if you still have a cat it will burn off any left over oil once it gets hot enough, you could be burning more than you think


and if you had bent a valve... you would know it, the car would idle incredibly rough and make a bit of noise... most likely you have bad rings and or your seats are worn badly

the rings would cause increased consumption but the valves would not, now the seals on the other hand, they deffinetly will and usually give a bit of smoke on startup... thats the problem im having with my jeep right now

[Opontee]

Re: where else can my oil go?

If it's a 3.4, check the rear of the intake mainfold. That's where mine was leaking from. i thought it was the oil pan, but to it to a shop and they said the intake, so I paid them and no more leak. I could have done it myself, but had the money and another vehicle to drive.

[LETZRIDE]

Re: where else can my oil go?

It's a 3.8L...intake manifold Upper and lowers were just done with the cam during the winter...there all ok and not leaking as far as I can tell, both around the manifolds, and the coolant is clean.

the idle is ok... I guess I won't know if it is the valve seat until I get the head off...I'm going to assume that there is also no way to test the rings to see if there ok...and they can't be replaced unless I take apart the bottom block right?

[dafirebird]

Re: where else can my oil go?

If you are positive that it is not leaking on to the ground somewhere then you must be burning it.

^^Agreed - you may not realize how much your actually burning. Another way to check for blow-by is to pull the oil dipstick out while it's running. If it puffs out exhaust through the dipstick tube like it does your exhaust tailpipe, you're rings are bad; leaking exhaust past the rings, and allowing oil up the cylinder to be burned. Kind of an old-school thing and may not apply these days, just my $0.02c

[Opontee]

Re: where else can my oil go?

YOu can buy a leak down tester from Harbor Freight to check the rings. Normally $40, got one last week for $30. It also checks the valves. But not the guides or seals. You need an air compressor that will pump aabout 80 psi.

[LETZRIDE]

Re: where else can my oil go?

ok, so I pulled the oil cap, and the oil dipstick...turned the car on, and didnt feel any air at all come through those holes...didnt see any exhaust either. The only time I see whitish smoke come from the tail pipes is when I first start the car, even after it has sat for maybe 20-30 mins or so...I get a nice puff of smoke...I also will spew a little when I get on the gas, but only within the first 5-6 mins of the car warming up...after that, I don't see nothing. If it idles for awhile it does start to get a smell to it, but I think that could just be the 91 octane, or the oil dripping onto the Y-pipe maybe.

Would burning a little bit of oil like this effect the smog test? I got to get mine done by the end of october...Gotta figure out what I am going to have to do, and fast....

[dafirebird]

Re: where else can my oil go?

Ok - no exhaust from the dipstick tube - good news!

If your getting a whitish puff of smoke on first start-up, that may just be condensation in the pipes - not to worry if thats the case. A little burning oil shouldn't have too much effect on smog test - alot might.

The only thing I can guess at this point is that the leak you have on the Y-pipe is probly alot more while driving than it is parked, or idling.

[LETZRIDE]

Re: where else can my oil go?

I guess that could be true, especially because the car has to rev higher with the stall... Im assuming that reving a little higher increases the oil pressure which would cause it to seep through the bad gasket that much more?

[dafirebird]

Re: where else can my oil go?

yeah, higher revs = higher oil pressure...

[Pewter02Camaro]

Re: where else can my oil go?

The symptoms you descibe sound like when my rings went bad. I would puff smoke on start up and also when i was accelerating from a stop. Had good compression on all my cylinders, wet and dry, but in the end i had glazed the cyl walls and wasted the rings.