Oil Hemmorage

[Pastor Larry Roques]

My 96 Firebird has been pretty much mothballed since the latter part of 2005 when Hurricane Katrina blew through here. We have been so busy rebuilding our lives down here, I drove my chevy truck and have had no time for the F-body. A couple of months back, I took it in for an oil change and the guy at the Five minute oil change place refused to change my oil based on the fact that my engine was losing oil at a pretty rapid rate. I drove her home and sure enough I left a trail of oil into the driveway and down the street. Thankfully, I got home with no other consequence. The oil seems to only come out when the engine is running and appears to be coming from the front of the engine, I would guess by looking, drivers side. Anybody got any ideas on what I could be dealing with here? I would like to get the old girl running again cause she sure is fun. My economic picture is such that if possible, I would like to find a car savvy friend and tackle it in the driveway if possible. Could this be an oil pump or blown hose?

[tkoforpresident]

Re: Oil Hemmorage

Probably not the case, but I had a stripped bolt in the oil pan of my 80 Monte Carlo with a Pontiac 400 in it, didn't even know I was losing oil til I got the knock in my engine. Have you tried just jumping under the car while it's running and just looking for the oil leak?

yeah go with this :tup:

[Pastor Larry Roques]

Re: Oil Hemmorage

Thanks TKOforpresident, appreciate your reply. No, actually, this is something I am just now getting around to addressing and wanted some kind of idea of what I may be facing before I do. I do not think it is a stripped or cross threaded oil plug because it looks like its coming more off the front of the engine. That is why I, in my novice opinion, was kind of thinking about an oil pump if it is not internal to the engine or some kind of connection. I may take your advice though and just start the car and see what I see. I am not really sure I know what I would be looking at.
Thanks again for your help! I really do appreciate it.

[Pastor Larry Roques]

Re: Oil Hemmorage

brianc869 I neglected to thank you as well, the way I read the thread, I did not see at first that you sent the suggestion. sorry for the flub and thanks again for helping.
PLR

[tkoforpresident]

Re: Oil Hemmorage

Thanks TKOforpresident, appreciate your reply. No, actually, this is something I am just now getting around to addressing and wanted some kind of idea of what I may be facing before I do. I do not think it is a stripped or cross threaded oil plug because it looks like its coming more off the front of the engine. That is why I, in my novice opinion, was kind of thinking about an oil pump if it is not internal to the engine or some kind of connection. I may take your advice though and just start the car and see what I see. I am not really sure I know what I would be looking at.
Thanks again for your help! I really do appreciate it.

i think the oil pump is in the back of the motor, so its unlikely the culprit if you said it was the front of the motor leaking, but either way, i'd say drain plug or your oil sending unit is broken/cracked.

[Pastor Larry Roques]

Re: Oil Hemmorage

If the oil sending unit is on the front drivers side of the engine, I would bet that is going to be the joker right there. I will check an online schematic of the location of the oil sending unit and see if there is oil coming from that region. From the intense volume of oil I am losing...and I am talking a pretty steady stream...then something is definitely breached. Thanks again for all the help.

[onspeed]

Re: Oil Hemmorage

Oil pressure sensor? Black plastic thing ontop the filter. Is your oil pressure reading normal?

Here is a picture back when my oil filter adapter cracked...

[Pastor Larry Roques]

Re: Oil Hemmorage

I have not fired it up to check the oil pressure as of yet. The oil filter adapter, is that a part available at one of the auto parts chains or will I have to go through GM to score one of those?
Also, from the looks of the photograph, the sending unit is around or below the idler pulley. Is that the case? Thanks for your help.

[Rob Bell]

Re: Oil Hemmorage

It's way at the bottom, right by the oil filter. It will be the only thing down there with wires coming off it. Sometimes they do crack or spring a leak since they are just plastic.

[onspeed]

Re: Oil Hemmorage

that was a ****ty picture from my phone. The oil pressure sensor is the black plastic thing that's in the middle of the picture. Its right by your oil filter. The oil filter adapter is a piece of iron that the oil pressure sensor and oil filter connects to. Most common oil leak/pressure drop is usually due to a faulty oil pressure sensor (25$ from autozone/napa/etc).

In my case, my oil filter adapter was cracked somehow, $37 from the dealer + $3 for the gasket.

[Pastor Larry Roques]

Re: Oil Hemmorage

I started the car up yesterday and climbed under it with a flashlight and tried to speck out where the leak was coming from...guess what...no leak?!?!?! I checked to see if there was any oil in the engine and the dipstick said yes. Now the last time that happened, it was in April/May or so and we were still having cool temperatures here. Could the whole thing be a gasket that is expanding and shrinking with the climate. I mean, last time I ran this thing there was a steady stream of oil going down the street..and now...nothing??? I checked around the valve covers, the oil sending unit, the oil pan, even the oil filter and pan plug...nothing. I will re-address this if and when it shows up again. If it is temp sensitive...I am sure it will. Thanks again for all the help and ideas.

[Rob Bell]

Re: Oil Hemmorage

If you have to, there is dye you can get and put in the oil. Then when it leaks, you shine a blacklight on it and trace the leak back to the highest point, and that should be where it's actually leaking from.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/how_...71.html?page=1

[onspeed]

Re: Oil Hemmorage

or you could just use your eyes to see where its leaking from...

If there was a steady stream, its highly unlikely its just a gasket. Keep an eye on your oil level/oil pressure.