oil leak after changing water pump/optispark

[jaespojr]

I changed the water pump, optispark cap/rotor, plugs wires on my 96 LT4.
After reassembly found and oil leak and realized that the water pump shaft seal (engine side) wasn't there. I disassembled and put new seal in, thinking this would stop the leak.

BUT, oil is still dripping (after 20 mile drive) from cross member at front end.
Is there anything else I could have disturbed? I hit the harmonic balancer with a plastic mallet a few times trying (unsuccessfully) to loosen it before pulling it.

I'll check after it cools off, could be replaced seal failed immediately.
Any thoughts about something obvious I am not thinking of?

 

[onedef92]

Check your timing cover seal. That's a common leak location even before an Opti/water pump swap.

 

[jaespojr]

Thanks

That sounds like a good place to check. I'm also wondering if I might have whacked or disturbed the crank position sensor when I was fiddling around with the puller for the harmonic balancer.

I guess I'm going to have to tear it apart again.

 

[onedef92]

To eliminate the guesswork, I'd buy one of those oil leak detector kits from your local auto parts store. You can purchase them for around $50 or less.

http://www.sjdiscounttools.com/tratp8124cs.html

 

[CAJUN C4]

I Understand that if you don't install the water pump drive seal properly with a special tool it will leak.

 

[jaespojr]

Thanks again

Thanks for replies.
I made a tool to install seal (belt sanded a large wire nut) and it is now dry!
However the it is definitely dripping oil from somewhere's south of the water pump. I think I somehow disturbed the timing chain cover or the crank pos sensor. I should have checked the bolt torques before reassembling the last time.

 

[jaespojr]

got everything ready to tear it down again today: Bought oil-dye from GM, bought correct two jaw puller for H-balancer, new gaskets and sealer for the water pump, 4 gallons of coolant, black penlight and glasses, new inspection mirror, etc.
Put car on ramps, cleaned up oil, did close inspection found oil drops on drivers side wire-boots on optispark.
Started it up....no leak! thought that tilting it back on ramps might have effect, put it back on ground and ran it hot for a long time...no leaks!
Checked oil-level and it was mid-way, no significant loss. put in dye in case it starts again. Drove car around town, put cardboard underneath and no leak.

So what the heck is this? it dripped steadily yesterday, when I got to work, when I went to store at lunch and when I got back to work lot.

One thing I thought about was that I counter-rotated engine by 90 degrees or so when I was working on balancer. Could this have unseated the hub seal temporarily?

Hope it stays like this, maybe I should go in anyways and tighten everything...winter's coming though.

 

[onedef92]

It couldn't hurt to tighten everything down real good to torque specs. Don't forget your valve covers, too.

I had a small, dime-sized leak on my passenger side plug wires and it was from a leaking valve cover. Tightened them down and it hasn't leaked there again since.

Do you store your car during the winter months like me? If so, tiny oil leaks can occur as the various engine seals tend to dry out during winter "stasis" if the car is not driven during this time.

 

[jaespojr]

Thanks

I tore it apart again on Sunday even tho the leak had stopped. Found that the three optispark bolts were not torqued well and came out without any wrench effort. I cleaned it up carefully and pulled the optispark out, it looks like the leak was mainly from the large seal around the drive disk (part of the distributer shaft), the part of the shaft that engages the seal was burnished and I'm, betting the combination of old seal and wear caused the problem.
Everything is torqued down on the front cover now and the drip is back, hoping it will seal up again.
I will have to probably remove and replace the timing cover with new seals to stop this. Looks like a lot of work, as the pan and one cat has to come off (although someone said you can work around this).

I drive the vette until they put salt on the roads, then I cover it up in the driveway as the garage is full of machines which are in turn covered up by junk.

Thanks again for the tips. I did notice a little oil around plug 8 and will definitely tighten the valve cover, don't know why I didn't think of this.
(I'm still also puzzled why the front drip started after the opti cap and water pump replacement as I didn't touch the timing cover.)

 

[onedef92]

The LT1's main leak area is the intake gaskets. Or, mostly the sealer at the front and rear of the intake. The LS1 intakes have no oil or coolant to them, definitely an improvement.

As you noted, you'll also experience leaks on an LT1 engine if you take the front timing cover off (to change the cam or timing chain). You need a special tool to properly align it.

If you don't it'll leak like a *****.

The LT1s also have a tendency to leak PS fluid. A common area is the metal rack-to-resovoir pipe, characterized by leakage on the lower front cross member.