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need a second opinion

Jus

Jus

New member
Hey guys!
I noticed a couple weeks ago while changing my oil that the entire bottom of my engine and my oil pan was wet. After looking into it the top of the block under my heads and supercharger is also wet. The other thing is that the rear head is also wet. I'm assuming that my LIM gasket is the problem.
What is confusing me is that when I wipe it off it looks like oil.
I haven't noticed any significant coolant loss either. I checked it tonight and it hasn't changed since the weekend. I also checked the oil and I have lost a little but only a little more than what I would use in a few months.

I took some pics last weekend and will post them up soon.

Thanks
 


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i would start out with 2 maybe 3 cans of gunk engine cleaner, put on some of the oldest cloths you own, and a hat, get the car up on ramps or jack stands, get under it and and spray every thing down and spray the top as well, and then as per the directions on the can, wait the allotted time and hose it down. do get under it and hose it off too. start hosing from the bottom so you can avoid being dripped on, the cleaner stinks like kerosene and will stay with you for some time.

the only thing you really should wrap up is the coils, unless you had a cone air filter on it, remove the filter and bag up the the throttle body opening, other wise hose the whole engine down its all pretty much water proof.

and if you don't have grass or a dirt spot to do this on, you may opt for the street or lay some, well a lot of cardboard down to protect your driveway, theres going to be a mess under your car.

i had the same looking oiled up engine when i got my car, my friend has a gravel driveway so i asked him if i could clean my sh1t there, he sad yes and his niceness resulted in a huge oiled up grease stain in the gravel to this day, and that was 9 months ago. like 10x10 area.

then after its all cleaned up drive it and keep on checking where the leak may be coming from.

im thinking its the rear valve cover leaking, not the lim gaskets.
 
It's rare that I stop long enough to like a post. Scott nailed it. Clean that mess up and get a real understanding of what's leaking. Same thing with the top of the motor.

I pressure washed mine twice when I got it. Maybe three times. Either way if your wires are good, the only thing you don't want to do is directly spray the alternator. Everything else should be able to get wet (assuming you aren't open cone filter).

Then look it over every couple of days and identify the true leak areas. Fix only the problems. :th_thumb-up:
 


OP- I know you should know this, but if you plan on spraying anything w/ engine degreaser PLEASE remember to wear proper eye protection. I don't know how many times I've had people try this w/o glasses or goggles on (especially if doing the underside of the pan/block) just to come back and say that "this s**t burns if you get it in your eyes!" No duh. It's designed to remove grease/oil from steel. You really think it will be nice to your eyes?

And as BillBoost said, wear eye protection again when you spray it off w/ the pressure wash.
 
I have a full face shield that I wear when doing that stuff. I will also be wearing my respirator.
 
Jus said:
I have a full face shield that I wear when doing that stuff. I will also be wearing my respirator .
Click to expand...


the respirator is total over kill, the face shield will do, or goggles or safety glasses.

you wont believe how clean it is when you are done, well worth the time.
 
I have the same issue with mine, except mine is power steering fluid. My car has all the same wetness as your photos show. We washed it off and checked it 2 days later and it was covered again. SO we are having a hard time telling where my leak is coming from. I thought it was oil at first but its too clear to be oil, and of course does not smell like oil.
 


Ok so I finally got the engine cleaned (I bought another GTP for parts and had to get a bike ready for yesterday) It looks awesome. I have noticed that my coolant level has dropped a little in the rad since the weekend.
 
It's not a LIM gasket leaking like that. Only a total newb to the motor would suggest that. Most likely your valve covers are leaking, and they would be right on schedule...lol they are one of the most common leaks we have.
 
My friend looked at it right before I washed the engine and the first thing he said was valve cover gasket
 
Easy way to check a VC gasket is to run your finger in the middle of the cover right below it's lip. If it comes back wet (not just dirty, but wet) then it's almost 100% a VC gasket
 
Ok so I finally got to go check for leaks after almost a solid week of rain since cleaning my engine. I checked my valve covers and nothing was wet where I could get my hand. It was wet on the side of the block in a couple places and had formed small puddles. It wasn't oil.
Looking at the fluids my oil hasn't changed but my coolant has dropped a bit.
 


Re: need a second opinion EDIT* problem solved

So I thought I would update this post even thought it has been a couple months, but I finally had time to investigate and solve the problem.
On the drivers side of the engine I found the cover on the LIM under the EGR was the culprit. The gasket had pretty much been eaten away. Billboost's How To Mod a LIM gave me the idea to check it. Thanks Bill!! I also changed my TB gasket. It was done too. I also found that my water pump had let go, which would explain the squealing I have been hearing and the extreme coolant loss. So I changed it. What a pita that was. I'm going to finish putting the engine back together tomorrow hopefully all goes well.
 
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