so my car now has a big leak and leaks oil bad. i poured two quarts in it and after about a week last time i checked it's just above the lower dot on the dip stick. not sure how to find the leak what's the best way. but i do know i want to do the work to fix it, even if it means changing out the rear main seal. i know there is oil drip on the oil pan when i look under it but haven't been underneath the car to look thoroughly. what's the best method to find the leak? i would rather do this myself than take it to a shop and be charged like 600 bux or more just to change out two $30 gaskets but i'm not sure how to find the leak in the first place. i want to know the best way to clean off the oil and then i'm thinking of using the ultra violet dye to find the leak, do they sell the light at auto parts stores? this is really frustrating me, i know it isn't too big of a deal but there is a lot of oil on the street, a lot.

 

Go to a halloween store for the light
Go to parts store for dye
Follow instrutions for use
Raise vehicle as high as possile and level (optional)
Find that leak and get back to us with the results (pics helpful)
Sounds like your in the right direction to me, maybe the head and itger gaskets are leaking all at once. When was the last time you changed your pcv a clogged or defective one will push oil out seals and gaskets.

 

haven't checked the pcv valve, is it supposed to rattle if it's good and blow air through the bottom? it looks like the leaks are coming from the bottom of the motor. not from under the head, not sure about the other gasket you mentioned. i'll get the supplies and check back on this post. for now i just gotta keep pouring oil in it which sucks cause it seems as if there is a hole in the oil pan with how much oil it's leaking.

 

It can still rattle and be bad, the spring becomes old. Hold a 3x5 card over oil fill spot should feel a slight tug on paper, if it doesnt changed it. It should be cganged every other oil change by industry standards.

 

step 1: shampoo engine
step 2: run vehicle for short period. 10 minutes or so
step 3: look for oil leak at highest point.
step 4: fix leak

after the leak has been confirmed and fixed, clean the area and make sure there are no other leaks

 

I'd suspect the oil pan gasket, it's common for that gasket to leak.

 

After cleaning engine you can use baby powder to help trace leaks as well.

If it is pan gasket make sure not to over torque bolts with new gasket installed also alternate bolts when tightening

 

is there a write up on changing the oil pan gasket here on ht for a b20? i'm sure there is but i'll do a search right after i post. got the manual for my car but it's for the stock motor, and i want to know the torque specs and number to tighten the bolts for the oil pan, and also what areas to put the gasket or rtv if needed.

also how do i shampoo the engine? lol i know someone told me to pressure wash it but how do i get to it if most of the grease/oil is underneath the car? i don't have a lift.

 

use a jack and stands.
also, the oil will always appear to be coming from the pan gasket, as it will seep down and run along the pan seam. shampoo the engine. dry it off with compressed air. run it for 10 minutes and look for the highest point of leakage

 

what exactly do you mean by "shampoo" the engine? clean it with a brush? i was just gonna clean it off underneath with brake cleaner. also i think that most of the oil now is on the ground and it is parked on the street. just to get it to my drive way i would have to put some oil in it and i been using mobile 1 syntech 10 30, would it be okay to pour some penzoil 5 30 in it if i'm just gonna drain the oil anyways? will that mess up my motor? i'm gonna order the oil pan gasket real soon.

 

Penzoil is crap IMO, 5w30 is recomended oil unless your in a area where it gets really cold. A pressure washer would be the best to use just cover the alternator with a bag and try to not spray on electrical connectors as much as possible. Ive heard you can do it while engine is running but Ive never done it that way. A good engine degreaser should be sparyed on before the pressure washer is used.

Good luck

 

^^i was just gonna put the penzoil in there so i can move it to the driveway because all the oil is on the street. i haven't looked at the car yet just started raining here in CA. i can't get a pressure washer under the car and that's where most the oil is dripping from, gonna have to do what el crapitan said with jack stands, but i'll probably take it to a car wash and pressure wash the motor first.

 

yes. degreaser and pressure washer.
and yes. it's going to "come from" the bottom of the car. that's the way gravity works.
it sounds like it's leaking like a seive. you can't see any oil from up top? around the valve cover? or distributor?
i wouldn't be ordering parts until i found the culprit

 

so this post has been a while but i wanted to post what i found out today. looks like the front camshaft seal is where the oil is coming from. i put dye in my motor and found oil all the way up to the alternator and splashed around other parts near and behind the crankshaft pulley. also looks like the oil pan gasket is leaking because there is a lot of dye appearing around the gasket.

question, would the oil be splashing from the oil pan gasket to the crankshaft pulley and the pulley spreading it around? how hard is it to change the front crankshaft seal? is it as easy as pulling the crankshaft pulley and popping out the seal for a new one? is there any special tools needed?

 

My bros B20 was leaking from the crank seal very bad and everything was bathed in oil. Its not hard but will take some time to do it. The timing belt will have to come off in order to replace the crank seal. theres plenty of write ups on removing and installing the timing belt. the crank seal can just be pulled out with a small pick or hook. once you get it out use brake clean to clean the bore where the seal sat in. Apply grease on the inner lip of the new seal...this will prevent it from being ruined by crank spinning on the rubber that is dry. to drive it in i used a small wooden block taking turns on each side to assure it went in EVENLY. There are special tools to do it but i didnt have one at the time. After all said and done the big *** leak was gone from my bros B20. I think he was putting almost a quart a week before we changed it. Hoped this helped you

 

yeah i'm about a quart or more a week, depending how much i drive it. so the timing belt needs to be pulled off? i'm a little weary because i never done the timing belt before. so that means i have to take off the valve cover and upper timing belt cover? i was under the impression that the seal is just behind the crankshaft pulley, but if you said it's pretty easy than i'll give it a try anyways. i also heard the pulley bolt is a pain to take off too. but the have the tool at the local o'reily's.