1fstevo

My oil pan leaks.... This time is the fourth time I change the oil pan gasket in three weeks.
The scenerio is:

1. I can guarntee the gasket is put on correctly and torqued in spec with cross pattern. Actually I have tried honda bonding one side, both side, no bond ect ect.

2. I have noticed it happens as soon as I hit boost which right now it's set at 7 pound. Oil pressure gauge shows idle at 2.0 and max out at 6.0. As soon as I hit boost, it idle at 1.75 and max out at 6.0 but oil pressure now climb slower which indicate a leak.

3. I got rid of PCV system and I am running open loop. Regardless of what the pvc set up, oil leak out after boosting.

4. The leak is small but sprays everywhere around the area including suspension, axles ect.

5. Everytime I change the gasket and drive it slow and check i get so happy because leak is gone. As soon as hit the throttle and comeback to check, it leak.
I am soooo ****.

6. The leak is approximately on the front driver side corner, all four times was in the similar area near the corner or close to it but never the same area.

I was wondering could it possible be that there is much pressure in my crankcase that even a open loop pcv cannot fully vent it out and possible squeeze through the gasket since it's the weakest spot?

A side note, I have total seal ring and I have check leak down and they are holding really good. Now since they are double sealed, could it be that the ring is not allowing venting through the breather that cause abnormal pressure resulting in my crankcase?

I really hope it's just the gasket but four times and I can assure you it's installed correctly. I am tired of changing it again and I know its going to leak again. Anyone have problems similiar to mine?

niedejb

You arent running the boost into the valve cover are you? The hose that used to connect the valve cover to the intake isnt plumbed so it sees boost is it?

1fstevo

no, nothing connect to the breather except a filter.

sutrusu

does your blow off valve point at the breather filter? i bet it does, and i bet i solved your problem.

if it doesnt, and i didnt, well then i feel like an *******.

1fstevo

No, it doesn't even come close...Hold up, you are an ******* LOL J/K.


[Modified by [Evo]Hybrid, 2:46 AM 8/28/2002]

1fstevo

Not to sound like an *** but you guys makes me sound like an idiot or something....

Some spec of the car:

- JE/Crower internal with total seal rings
- Stock honda head gasket
- ARP head studs
- Stock oil pan
- Earl stainless lines
- Greddy oil pressure warning gauge
- Stage 5 port and polished head w/ Ferrea valvetrain
- Fluidyne radiator

The motor runs extremely hot and currently dynoed at 289HP on 7psi with 12.3 A/F across the board all the way to 9000K rpm. I have stopped at this time to up the boost hense teh oil problem still exist. Above specs are for those whose might ask what oiling/internal I have so they can give me some ideas. Thanks for those who tried.

CovertFI

hummm total seal rings? alot of people have been saying how they never seat, and they end up getting more blowby. maybe you are getting blow by and busting the seal on your oilpan gasket. do a compression check to see what happens.

edit: i just saw you check your compression. still i think it has some thing to do with the rings


[Modified by CovertFI, 8:50 PM 8/27/2002]

turbologist

Nice pic!!! That thing looks really fast!!! The only thing I can think of since ur leakdown is ok is that it has something to do with ur PCV system. Make sure that its all plumbed correctly. Question all u have going into ur oil pan is the oil retun line correct? Hurry up and fix this so I can whip u!!!

1fstevo

I had this total seal ring for 1.5 years, just did a leak down test and come up 7 precent every single cylinders. I don't use PCV valve at all, it's open loop. I have heard that there should be alittle leak through the rings so the motor can breath better. If it's true, then my total seal must trapped the crank vapors completely in the block, I don't know, so many theories.
I havn't run it yet, almost ran it at Virginia motorsport park two weeks ago but I had to set it at Toyo booth.

1fstevo

Only thing going in the oil pan is the oil return line and it's not leaking.

1fastdc2

It also depends on how tight u built the motor. U should know . Isnt that the point of Total Seal rings to seal the pistons tighter than usual therefore decrease blowby? Do u know what the usual leakdown is for a built B motor? Then again there may not be just one answer to that because of the different tolerances that motors can and are built to depending on what their intended use is.

HybridKOOP

Dude... SAAAAAAAME problem here on a del Sol I did a DRAG 3 recently on...

The oil will NOT leak until I get the car into boost... when it does leak, it seems to be coming from the back of the oil pan, and it spreads evvverywhere on the car underneath. It only does this after boost, and smokes because it drips onto the exhaust (very annoying). After parking the car after boosting it.. it leaves the same 4-5 drips on the ground.... VERY frustrating because I've redone the oil pan gasket 3 times perfectly.

On his car.. I have a filter on the valve cover breather... with the canister on the back of the block just open into the atmosphere...

If you come up with a solution, please PM me...

TurboITR

umm...
j/k - just sounds like rings arent sealing...


[Modified by TurboITR, 10:52 PM 8/27/2002]

1fstevo

I have to say that over the year, the ring must of weared off little, compared to the past 4 percent leakdown. I understand the ring is to decrease blowby but for some reason, I kept been told that alittle gap like JEs or stock one are better then total seal. I know just about everyone hating on total seal on here but it worked for me.
I don't think it's the rings, come on, it's oil pan gasket. Closest I can think of is the crankcase pressure not vent well enough. Thou I have no pvc and Crank pressure is vented in the atmosphere but I think some odd reason it's not venting right. Just imaging the little black box behind every GSR motor. Two holes on top. One is hollow pvc lookalike that plugs in and connect to top section of the block. The other is pvc which there is nothing plugged in it. Actually I made a barb that replaced the pvc and connect a hose straight to a catch can with filter on the top. So, anyone have trouble like this one before????


[Modified by [Evo]Hybrid, 3:56 AM 8/28/2002]

1fstevo

Not seating for the past 1 and a half years??? Oh, it's just leaked recently which I finish building the turbo kit. The block has never been modified again since.
NO, the turbo kit is not leaking oil.


[Modified by [Evo]Hybrid, 3:58 AM 8/28/2002]

true

did you weld a drain fitting onto the pan? If you heat it up to much your pan lip can warp. Are you sure the pan surface is 100% flat?

91CivicSi

A warped oil pan is what I was thinking, also.

BTW, the car looks incredible.

CovertFI

that is an idea. do you have an extra one around that you can swap it with?

1fstevo

the first two times I changed the gasket was on a moroso oil pan. It leaked so I thought what a POS. So I went and bought new stock oil pan, pickup and gasket and welded a bung which not even close to the lip and now it leaked again.
Someone told me you have to tight the bolts on the pan in a clockwise rotation. Just wondering why clockwise?? I just did that today see if it still leak. It's a very small leak but it's still a leak.

Evil DOHC

You Need A Catch Can
EVIL

dustin

This is going to sound funny, but the exact same thing happened to jeremy...

When he removed an old pan gasket, one of the little metal washers in the gasket ripped out and stuck to the bottom of the block on one of the studs.

When he put the new gasket in, it effectively 'doubled up' the washer, and it would slowly leak out of there when the car was in motion... Took him a few gaskets and a month or so of effort to figure it out.....

Just an idea..

Dustin

1fstevo

Little washer??? There is washer???? The gasket is rubber completely. ???
It's a GSR pan and gasket.

I do have catch can, moroso one.

Sleeper

Are you sure its leaking from the oilpan? After going through 2 oil pan gaskets, I finally figured out it was a cam seal leaking, behind the rear plastic cover, eventually trickling down to the pan, on the front drivers side corner.

CovertFI

when i put my gasket back on i snuged them all then tighted in a cross pattern. might help

1fstevo

I have STR cam seal and NO OIL ANY where except the gasket liner see oil sipping out from past runs. Everywhere else on top is dry. It's front driver side corner. very little sipping.