oil leak question '95 LT1
 

I have a front end oil leak as best I can tell. I have repaired the intake manifold oil leak, that's not where it's coming from. I have replaced the timing cover, oil pan gaskets, and water pump and optispark o-ring seals. I've also replaced the oil level sensor, retightened oil pan bolts and I have even installed a sleeve on the harmonic balancer shaft and re-replaced the front main seal.

I get a puddle when I park the car at the front of the engine. I've been under the car when it's running and I can't determine where the leak is from even after wiping everything down. Matter of fact while idling and me under it I see no drips.

It seems as if it leaks while hwy driving, it will lose a quart every 300-400 miles, and just after stopping but then the leak stops. I have no indication of it burning oil and as I said it is leaving a puddle. Any ideas? Don't mean to post an impossible question but I have applied a lot of solutions but I still have a leak.

I would also look at the seal behind the opti unit. It leaking can look a lot like a front seal.

Re: oil leak question '95 LT1
 

The water pump seal is usually the main offender that can leak a lot of oil at a time. It is also the hardest seal to put on correctly. Any damage to the seal will cause it to leak.

Re: oil leak question '95 LT1
 

I'm on vacation next week and am going to replace the water pump shaft seal. Any tips so I get it right?

Re: oil leak question '95 LT1
 

Sure. There has been this tutorial around for a long time.

Re: oil leak question '95 LT1
 

Another vote for the water pump shaft seal. As Shoebox stated, it's easy to damage this seal when installing.

Re: oil leak question '95 LT1
 

No, it doesn't. It has water lines hooked to the filter adapter. The oil flows throught the adapter on the way to and from the filter. It doesn't go to the radiator. Those lines are not a potential source of a front-of-the-engine oil leak....

Re: oil leak question '95 LT1
 

Thanks for the tutorial but the picture showing the "tool" had a bad link and wouldn't show. I did find another tutorial on www.camaroforums.com that shows how to make a magic marker pen cap into a "tool" for the installation.

I got confused about whether to lube the seal or not. The comment is made in the tutorial that it is a teflon seal and made to be installed dry but also suggested lubing it a bit with oil. Which is best? I was planning and lubing the seal a bit.

Are there opinions regarding the seal manufacturer? Is the Chicago rawhide seal better and if so who sells it? How much is just the seal and o-rings from the chevy dealer? AutoZone sells a gasket set for $9 and I get a 20% employee discount. I was planning on getting a gasket set from AutoZone. Any opinions on their seal? (which is a dangerous question as some disdain all things AutoZone but I've had good luck).

I'm also having trouble understanding how this tool or the Kent Moore one mentioned, helps the seal get installed correctly. Wouldn't it still pull the seal outward? I've read in the camaroforums post that the rubber part of the seal is meant to go inward so that the pressure of the oil pressing against it helps the seal to do its job. Is there anything to this.

I don't mean to be a Doubting Thomas. I just want to stop the oil leak. In the end I am going to do this using a tool but I do wonder how it works.

Re: oil leak question '95 LT1
 

I have had the white flour trick suggested to me but don't know how to get the area where the seal is located clean and dusted with everything bolted up. Sounds like a good idea otherwise.

Re: oil leak question '95 LT1
 

Buy a Felpro timing cover set. Much cheaper than anything else you will find. Install dry. The seal has two lips the inner one point inward and the outer one points outward. The You slide it on the "tool" this way and keep it from getting caught on the front edge of the water pump drive. I just use a socket as a "tool".

Re: oil leak question '95 LT1
 

Cool, I understand those directions and the rationale. Thanks Shoebox!

Re: oil leak question '95 LT1
 

Nope, I mean install dry. Some are made of materials that don't require lube and some are actually prelubed. I did not lube mine and no leaks.

Re: oil leak question '95 LT1
 

I actually lubed my water pump seal prior to installation, but that was primarily to make it slide onto the socket I used for the install more easily. Mine did not leak after it was installed.

It's pretty easy to determine if that seal is leaking by laying under the front of your car while it's running. You'll be able to see it, or at least I could.

Re: oil leak question '95 LT1
 

Well, I did the water pump oil seal replacement today. It took about four hours but that was really taking my time and taking care of some other things along the way. So far it looks good. I couldn't see any oil seepage after I got everything together. Having trouble now with the car running hot but I've got to go through getting the coolant back in it and the air out.

I used a Magic Marker top as demonstrated in the link I posted previously. I think it did a good job. I couldn't find a socket that worked,

Thanks for all the tips and suggestions. Keep your fingers crossed.