Oil leak?

[easycreeper]

Well, I officially have my first problem... Looks like there is a small oil leak somewhere on the engine or turbos. Nothing major, just a few drops after having driven the car and brought it up to running temperature. The oil level has been checked before and after and there was no fluctuation. The leak stops after the car has cooled down. Oil pressure at cruising speeds is 80psi.

Now, I took the driver's side intercooler off earlier this afternoon to do a little polishing. Upon inspection, I found it had a slight film of oil inside of it. Is this normal or has the leak been traced back to the turbos? If this is normal, what could possibly be the culprit? There is no smoke coming from the tail pipes.

Also, what temperatures do your cars run on really warm days? Mine doesn't overheat, but I really don't like to see 220* coolant and oil temps. Guess it's time to do a radiator upgrade as per Josh's suggestion.

Note: This post is by no means meant to reflect poorly on Josh. The car had been at Norris Performance in Orlando, Fl. for almost two months before leaving directly from there and arriving here, not giving Josh a chance to drive the car. The oil leak is minor enough to have escaped the eyes of the talented crew at Norris as well, because they surely would have notified Josh or myself of the problem. As a matter of fact, Josh has been more than helpful when answering my questions and even went above and beyond the call of duty with the new intake install, having things done at his expense just so I could have a better car.

Thanks for a great car, Josh!

Take care,
Justin

 

[callaway4fun]

Ok the first place I would check for the oil leak is the oil sump tank by the turbos they have clamps that might have loosened up on the two hoses that are about 2.5 inches long other wise I would check the turbo oil lines for a leak Mine leaked at the sump tank when I bought it and was able to get a muck better deal . Oil pressure seems right . As far as tempature my car would run in that area as well when I first got it. I have since had the chip changed and aux fan switch changed and a new Ron Davis radiator and it runs very cool around 190 195 on an 95 degree day on the highway. I hope this helps you out any other question feel free to ask ...

Well, I officially have my first problem... Looks like there is a small oil leak somewhere on the engine or turbos. Nothing major, just a few drops after having driven the car and brought it up to running temperature. The oil level has been checked before and after and there was no fluctuation. The leak stops after the car has cooled down. Oil pressure at cruising speeds is 80psi.

Now, I took the driver's side intercooler off earlier this afternoon to do a little polishing. Upon inspection, I found it had a slight film of oil inside of it. Is this normal or has the leak been traced back to the turbos? If this is normal, what could possibly be the culprit? There is no smoke coming from the tail pipes.

Also, what temperatures do your cars run on really warm days? Mine doesn't overheat, but I really don't like to see 220* coolant and oil temps. Guess it's time to do a radiator upgrade as per Josh's suggestion.

Note: This post is by no means meant to reflect poorly on Josh. The car had been at Norris Performance in Orlando, Fl. for almost two months before leaving directly from there and arriving here, not giving Josh a chance to drive the car. The oil leak is minor enough to have escaped the eyes of the talented crew at Norris as well, because they surely would have notified Josh or myself of the problem. As a matter of fact, Josh has been more than helpful when answering my questions and even went above and beyond the call of duty with the new intake install, having things done at his expense just so I could have a better car.

Thanks for a great car, Josh!

Take care,
Justin

 

[easycreeper]

Callaway4fun, Thanks for the reply.

Unfortunately, mine doesn't seem to be the sump tank or related lines. Seems it is a bit further back and obscured from view by the exhaust (sucks not having a lift at home... jack stands would do in a pinch, but haven't had the opportunity to pick any of those up either :eyerole )

Will give a call to a reputable area shop tomorrow in hopes that they will take a look at it. All signs still seem to point to a turbo oil line. Still open to suggestions though.

BTW, are there manuals that can be purchased regarding Callaway Twin Turbo Corvettes? Something along the lines of the Haynes manuals and the like.

Take care and thanks again,
Justin

 

[callaway4fun]

No Manuals available. But you can call the folks there and they will gladly help you out or your mechanic can call also.I would check the valve cover gasket because if it leaks in the rear it will drop done by the turbos. Good Luck Pete

Callaway4fun, Thanks for the reply.

Unfortunately, mine doesn't seem to be the sump tank or related lines. Seems it is a bit further back and obscured from view by the exhaust (sucks not having a lift at home... jack stands would do in a pinch, but haven't had the opportunity to pick any of those up either :eyerole )

Will give a call to a reputable area shop tomorrow in hopes that they will take a look at it. All signs still seem to point to a turbo oil line. Still open to suggestions though.

BTW, are there manuals that can be purchased regarding Callaway Twin Turbo Corvettes? Something along the lines of the Haynes manuals and the like.

Take care and thanks again,
Justin

 

[easycreeper]

Too bad about the manuals... Guess it's for the best to reduce the likelyhood of one of these beasts being reproduced even further.

Valve cover gaskets seem to be fine. Looks like it's off to the shop next week sometime. Let's keep our fingers crossed it's something minor.

Thanks again for your help.

Justin

 

[easycreeper]

My apologies in advance for a long post...

Had someone a little more knowledgeable take a look at the car this weekend. At least he was willing to admit that the problem might be more than he could handle at the moment... Unfortunately, I still have an oil leak and it seems to be getting worse. It's bad enough now to dampen the underside of the car pretty well, but has yet to register low on the dipstick which is checked quite often.

It appears the leak is originating from the back of the engine on the driver's side somewhere between the intake (which seems to be leaking slightly) and about mid way down the engine. Has anyone encountered an oil leak in this area? Are there some common problem areas to keep an eye out for?

The oil pressure sending unit was the likely guess having spoken over the phone to the gentleman who looked at the car. It doesn't seem to be leaking, but may be on it's way out as pressure readings seem a little high for warm idle (68-80psi). Any other sensors in this area, or turbo oil lines to be on the lookout for?

Other than the oil leak, the car is very reliable. I am however, afraid to spool the turbos though, as there may be a risk of fire due to the excess heat they produce. Please, someone help me... I'm going through boost withdrawals:W.

Thanks for looking,
Justin

 

[TurboLuigi]

Justin,

Most mechanics have a safe additive that is added to the oil which when they shine a black light (I believe) they can spot exactly where its coming from. I had some minor oil leaks (by comparison) a few years ago and my mechanic did that - turned out to be the turbo oil lines.

If its coming from the rear of the engine - it sounds like the rear main seal. I hope thats not the case.

Best of Luck!

-Luigi

 

[EricVonHa]

The oil pressure sending unit was the likely guess having spoken over the phone to the gentleman who looked at the car. It doesn't seem to be leaking, but may be on it's way out as pressure readings seem a little high for warm idle (68-80psi). Any other sensors in this area, or turbo oil lines to be on the lookout for?


Thanks for looking,
Justin

The upper part of the manifold on that car was removed and if the lower portion was also removed, the followiong is highly likely. Your description indicates that the leak could possibly be in the area where the rear of the intake manifold meets the engine valley. It's difficult to get that portion of the manifold seated and sealed properly. It kinda sounds like the oil is coming from up high and appearing down low towards the rear of the motor (and the oil pressure sender is up high right in that same rear valley area). The best thing to do is remove the whole TPI intake and re-seat it. In order to check the oil pressure sender and distributor seals, you'll need to pull the manifold anyway. So, goop it up well! And, if you set it back in place and you don't get it right the first time you drop it onto the motor-- clean it up, and do it again. It's a pita for sure but once you get it right it'll last a long time!

 

[SurfnSun]

The oil pressure is supposed to be that high per the Callaway manual if i recall correctly. So I don't think its the sending unit. I would do what Luigi suggested. Sorry youre having the trouble.

 

[easycreeper]

Thanks for your help guys! Guess the only thing to do is take the car to a reputable shop (who isn't afraid to work on it... Why oh why don't I move to Atlanta??) and have them use the additive Luigi and Josh recommended.

The oil leak does indeed seem to be coming from somewhere up high and leaking down as stated by Eric. Looking at the underside of the car, it seems the car has lost quite a bit of oil, but the dipstick has not registered low as of yet. Of course, it doesn't take much oil to make a mess...

Can't wait to have this taken care of so I can get back to terrorizing the streets of Macon.

Take care guys,
Justin

BTW, Eric, how do you like your 87 as compared to the later cars with the larger turbos? I bet your car is pretty fun on the low end.

 

[Redmanf1]

Justin,
A few things, do you have the electric sending unit or the mechanical? If it is electric look around the porcelain for a leak. If mechanical and the ferial is just a little of whack when it was tighten it will leak there and be hard to find because it will spray and not always at idle. You can get the dye for the oil and use a black light to see the ultra violet dye. I would also spray off the back of the motor so it will be easier found. Cover the appropriate items. Another place is the distributor gasket; if it is not tight it will make its way between the intake and distributor. If the heads or intake have been milled you may need a shim for the distributor gasket to fight tight. Just some things to think about. Also if you get it clean, check it first by hand take it out for a quick burst and sometimes you can feel where the oil is coming from better then seeing it. Back on intake as others have mentioned, distributor and so on. I have found ones this way that were not visible. Do you have the remote oil cooler? If so check those lines, all it has to be is a pin hole. Sometimes the inner lining lets go and it pops a hole through the outer. They will also leak at the compression fittings. My ZR-1 did this and it was a recall. Hope this helps a little, Best of luck


Nelson

 

[easycreeper]

Justin,
A few things, do you have the electric sending unit or the mechanical? If it is electric look around the porcelain for a leak. If mechanical and the ferial is just a little of whack when it was tighten it will leak there and be hard to find because it will spray and not always at idle. You can get the dye for the oil and use a black light to see the ultra violet dye. I would also spray off the back of the motor so it will be easier found. Cover the appropriate items. Another place is the distributor gasket; if it is not tight it will make its way between the intake and distributor. If the heads or intake have been milled you may need a shim for the distributor gasket to fight tight. Just some things to think about. Also if you get it clean, check it first by hand take it out for a quick burst and sometimes you can feel where the oil is coming from better then seeing it. Back on intake as others have mentioned, distributor and so on. I have found ones this way that were not visible. Do you have the remote oil cooler? If so check those lines, all it has to be is a pin hole. Sometimes the inner lining lets go and it pops a hole through the outer. They will also leak at the compression fittings. My ZR-1 did this and it was a recall. Hope this helps a little, Best of luck


Nelson

Nelson,

Thank you for your response!

Not sure what kind of sending unit it is, but am leaning towards it being electric, because just about everything else on the car is.

The distributor gasket is a possible culprit that has not been mentioned before. The intake base has been replaced with one that will work with the new larger runners. The base has indeed been machined to fit the heads, but the distributor gasket seems to be dry. However, as cramped as things are back there, there's no telling whats leaking until I or a shop gets things back there cleaned up a little.

The car does have an oil cooler at the very bottom of the engine, just forward of the oil pan. No leaks are visible from anywhere around it from a glance, but further inspection may yield results.

Thanks again for your suggestions! I would be in some serious trouble if you guys weren't out there to help me... Now all I gotta do is get some tools:eyerole.

Take care,
Justin

 

[Redmanf1]

Justin,
If it is a factory cooler it will be attached at the block where the oil filter screws on to. You might check your valve covers at the rear. The gasket may have slipped when being installed and that will create a leak when the oil starts to flow to the heads under power. If you hose that thing off I bet you will find it a lot easier. Just don't wait too long before checking it. Don't be intimated it is just another motor with power additives, now tuning it is another matter. I have faith, don't give up keep at it and you will find it. I had one of my BB convertibles out about two weeks ago and when I looked at the rear it was covered with oil. I immediately checked the oil and I was in a panic until I found out it was only a 1/2 qt low. The whole under side was covered, anyhow it was the mechanical gauge oil line. I had to wash it down to find it. A lot of these guys on here know quite a bit about these cars and will give you some more ideas. You might even check all your oil lines to make sure that they are tight. Sorry about the long post.

Nelson

 

[Aurora40]

The car does have an oil cooler at the very bottom of the engine, just forward of the oil pan. No leaks are visible from anywhere around it from a glance, but further inspection may yield results.

Just FYI, and to echo some of what RedmanF1 said. My '87 Z51 had an oil-to-air cooler too, but it's for the power steering. The oil cooler was a coolant-to-oil cooler that looks like a fat block stuck on where the oil filter attaches, which it basically is. The lines that go to it have coolant in them, not oil, the oil transfers heat to the coolant as it passes to and from the oil filter.

 

[*89x2*]

Nelson,

Thank you for your response!

Not sure what kind of sending unit it is, but am leaning towards it being electric, because just about everything else on the car is.

The distributor gasket is a possible culprit that has not been mentioned before. The intake base has been replaced with one that will work with the new larger runners. The base has indeed been machined to fit the heads, but the distributor gasket seems to be dry. However, as cramped as things are back there, there's no telling whats leaking until I or a shop gets things back there cleaned up a little.

The car does have an oil cooler at the very bottom of the engine, just forward of the oil pan. No leaks are visible from anywhere around it from a glance, but further inspection may yield results.

Thanks again for your suggestions! I would be in some serious trouble if you guys weren't out there to help me... Now all I gotta do is get some tools:eyerole.

Take care,
Justin

Justin, are you looking at the turbo sump pan at the front- bottom of the engine? The oil cooler should be more forward, up near the radiator and lok like a thick (9 row?) transmisson coolor w/ AN fittings for the lines

Wherever you have oil, we used brake clean to clense when inspecting and were able to find the pinhole that caused it - in a brand new hose :eek

The dye is an excellent idea if it not obvious where it is coming from: http://www.popularmechanics.com/automotive/sub_care_sat/1272471.html?page=2&c=y

 

[easycreeper]

If you guys can't tell by now, I am probably in over my head with my purchase of such an "exotic" car. Heck, I didn't even know where the oil cooler was...:ugh Should have done a little more homework before purchasing a Callaway or at least taken an automotive repair shop class in school instead of learning how to network computers. Are there any recommended reads covering the complexities of Callaway cars (something like Callaways for Dummies) or is it one of those learn as you go kind of things?

Thanks so much for your help, everyone! If I can convince a shop to tackle the problem, I will be sure to send them here to read the suggestions in this post. If not, I will most definitely have many more questions as I begin to tackle this problem myself.

Thanks again,
Justin

 

[easycreeper]

Hey guys,

It appears the oil leak issue has been resolved. After an intake pull, reseal and new valve cover gaskets, the burning oil smell is almost non-existant. No oil on the floor, but can still smell a little burning oil, but that is probably just residue finding its way onto something hot and burning off. Only time will tell...

I do have a new set of problems though:ugh. The car searches for idle even at warm temperatures now. Watching the boost guage reveals the needle floating between 15" and 20" Hg at idle. The car runs fine whilst driving around and still pulls hard with the turbos spooled. Anyone have experience with this kind of problem? I doubt it has anything to do with it, but the distributor was pulled and reinstalled.

Also, when I pulled the car in the garage and opened the hood, I found the radiator peeing fluid on the rams horn and driver's side intercooler:eyerole. Lucky for me the new radiator came in Friday (talk about a quality piece...) and will be installed Wednesday with any luck.

Thanks for all of your help,
Justin

 

[EricVonHa]

There are a ton of vacuum lines that are disturbed in the intake removal/installation process. Definitely a good place to start.

Timing? Gotta be sure it's at or near factory spec. Don't forget to disconnect the single brown wire connector when attempting to adjust it.

Also, there is a specific TPS adjustment. It's unlikely that it changed during the manifold R&R, but it's worth checking this voltage (in conjunction with the IAC control)

Any one of these things can cause some different idle characteristics.

 

[*89x2*]

I am leaning towards either a vacuum line or the manifold seal not being "right" - although you did mention it doesn't leak oil now :confused


from www.cartalk.com


RAY: Hi, we're back. You're listening to Car Talk with us, Click and Clack, the Tappet Brothers, and we're here to discuss cars, car repair and the new Puzzler. Now, I thought, it being this early in the Puzzler season, that I ought to use an automotive Puzzler of one kind or another.
TOM: Ah!
RAY: Because I haven't had one yet.
TOM: I hadn't even noticed that.
RAY: I didn't think you would have. And here it is, if I can remember it.
TOM: Yes.
RAY: A few months or weeks ago, one of my guys was under the hood of an old...I don't remember what it was. It was an old Chevy pickup truck...trying to find a vacuum leak. Now, what a vacuum leak is, is it's a leak which allows air to get into the engine when it shouldn't be getting in through that spot.
TOM: Specifically, into the combustion chamber.
RAY: Into the combustion chamber. All the air that enters an engine should come either through the carburetor, if the car has one, or through the throttle body, and any air that comes in through any other source is called a vacuum leak, and it affects the way the thing runs. If the leak is sufficiently large, the thing won't run at all, or it certainly won't run at idle, and it'll stall out every time you take your foot off the gas, and that's exactly the problem that this thing had.
TOM: Mm-hmm.
RAY: So, there he is. And the way you find vacuum leaks is, either you get lucky and you hear the hissing, and you say, "Ah, there it is!" And you put your finger on a hose that's broken or a pipe that's gotten disconnected, or we use a little wand that shoots propane, and you go around with this thing attached to, the other end of which is attached to a propane tank, and you squirt this propane all over the place. And when the vacuum leak and the propane meet, you'll suck the propane in and the engine will begin to run smoothly, and, in fact, it will even idle, because now you're making the fuel-air mixture correct. Are you with me so far?
TOM: Right. And as soon as you take the propane wand away, all of a sudden, you've got far more air compared to the fuel than you're supposed to have, and it runs lousy again.
RAY: Exactly. So there he is with the wand, and he's having lousy luck.
TOM: He's underneath the vehicle?
RAY: No. He's under the hood.
TOM: Under the hood. OK.
RAY: Under the hood, and the engine is running, but the leak is so big...the leak is so pervasive and yet so evasive, that he can't seem to find it.
TOM: Wow.
RAY: Plus the fact that, on a pickup truck, you feel a dangling in the ears. Stuff is falling out of your pockets. It's a pain. So in desperation he throws the stuff down, and he shuts off the engine. And a few minutes later, I walk by, and I see him doing something very interesting. He's pulling off the spark-plug wires and he's putting them back on, but on the wrong plugs.
TOM: Mmm.
RAY: I say...
TOM: "What do I care? None of my business."
RAY: None of my business! Why should I care?
TOM: Maybe it'll work better.
RAY: And I walk away.
TOM: Yeah.
RAY: Two minutes later, I hear him on the phone ordering the part that he needs to correct the vacuum leak. How did he do it? Now, if you think you know the answer, write it on the back of a $20 bill or a piece of...

 

[easycreeper]

Thanks for the help!

Guess I should rephrase my description of the problem... It does search for idle for the first couple of minutes and then settles down into a "stumbling" idle, which it does both warm and cold.

I have fired the car up this afternoon, but cannot hear anything out of the ordinary. Will go and try again in a few minutes.

Justin