Thread: Major oil leak!

So after changing out my oil pan gasket, and doing the timing chain, everything ran excellent for a little while, but low and behold I look under the car and there is some nice oil leaking...I checked the oil pan and there was hardly any oil on it, but where the crank is there was a good amount...im thinking its the crank seal, but it could be the timing cover gasket...when I put on the metal gasket I just put it on bare without any rtv...in the manuals it didnt say to add any so i just let it be. Should I have put anything on other than the gasket?

what type of rtv do you recommend for the gasket and seal?

thanks man

Ahh...that could be it! I would have thought they would have put a note in the manual or on the gasket instructions about that. With the LIM gasket they included the black rtv and told you exactly where it goes. Also with the oil pan they say not to use rtv specifically...Ill get the rtv on the gasket! Should i pull the seal out and coat the inside of the seal with rtv or anything? I just want to make sure this is done right this time!

No - don't put any RTV on the inside of the seal.

RTV on the pan gasket? The gasket I had has the pre-done gasket material on the gasket...On the instructions it says specifically not to use RTV. I changed it once before about 5 years ago and it never leaked.

So i found the problem...The crankshaft seal that I just bought is totally torn to shreads! So im guessing the way I installed it is totally wrong...Can you put up a brief write up on the correct way to install the seal? I remember looking on the forum a while back and didnt find anything...

I've seen it installed with a big up socket.

Didn't leak, but the car did die four hours later from something unrelated.

actually another thought too...when pulling the harmonic balancer off, it just came off without any give...i didnt even need the puller...so im thinking the balancer wasnt in all the way (even though the bolt was on tight). When reinstalling the balancer should I give it a few blows with a socket and hammer to get it on farther on to the crank?

Alright...Attempt 2...Still leaking like a mother right at the seal...I can see it pouring down right into the cradle...its also looking like the balancer is moving back and forth quite a bit, but I got it torqued down like a mother...help?

how are you installing the seal? I lucked out once beating one in but the second time I wasn't so lucky. I ended up having a friend make me a tool that uses the crank bolt to draw the seal in --- works great.

Also, hows the snout on your balancer? if there's a groove on it it'll tear the seal in no time flat.

Your balancer should not be able to move at all. You're doing something wrong. The balancer bolt is also torque to yield. Are you torqueing it to the proper spec and rotating it the proper degree? It requires replacement every time you have it off

Also, bio is incorrect about the pan gasket. The gm pan gasket has viton rubber embedded in it all around, the only part that requires rtv is on the corner where the block, pan, and front cover all meet. I've installed several like this with no leaks at all.

I looked at the hb and there is some minor scoring on it...I will get a new hb and bolt (gotta wait until monday). also do you guys have the seal number? i read all the numbers on the one from the felpro box and no one seems to be able to find it...I just dont feel like paying for my third timing cover gasket kit when i just need the one seal.