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Ran my new setup for the first time tonight...sprung a leak but where?

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Old May 30, 2003 | 08:49 PM
  #1  
Paul Riccioli Jr's Avatar
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From: Bound Brook, NJ USA
Car: 89 IROC-Z
Engine: 383
Transmission: 700R4
Ran my new setup for the first time tonight...sprung a leak but where?

Ok so here is my only timeslip from the night tonight:

R/T .024
60 2.305
330 5.987
1/8 9.099
MPH 78.27
1000 11.830
1/4 14.152
MPH 96.98

I think I could have hit 13's with another run but I found an oil leak. Here's the problem though I don't know where it's coming from....there was oil directly in back of the distributor all the way up to the top of the firewall. Also on the driver side valve cover from the filler cap back. There was a small puddle under the car also....we're talking less than 1/8 of a quart. So I checked the oil level and it was just at the bottom of the dipstick. I'll have to admit I didn't check it before I went racing today but it hasn't been leaking because I always check under the car.
Here's the funny part though. I filled the oil back up and drove 35 miles home checking it periodically. I didn't lose any oil the whole way home!! I don't get it??
The only spots I thought it could be leaking from were the distributor gasket, the rear china wall for the intake, or the pipe plug that blocks the oil pressure sender hole off. But why would it not be leaking now??
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Old May 30, 2003 | 09:23 PM
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Mark A Shields's Avatar
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Car: 99 Formula
Engine: LS1
Transmission: T56
Axle/Gears: 342
About 1/2 way thru I was thinking dist gasket, but it is odd it's not leaking oil now. Then again, you said you didn't check it before you left, maybe it was leaking slowly over time and has either gotten worse or just not noticable again yet.
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Old May 30, 2003 | 09:37 PM
  #3  
Paul Riccioli Jr's Avatar
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From: Bound Brook, NJ USA
Car: 89 IROC-Z
Engine: 383
Transmission: 700R4
Yeah but why the big splatter when I was running? And how did it get onto the valve cover? Also don't you think it would have been back there before too since I do some occasional WOT driving on the highway and such?
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Old May 31, 2003 | 01:10 AM
  #4  
pat12spe's Avatar
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From: Washington Twp, NJ
You can buy those leak detector sets. They have a special dye that won't harm anything at all. The set comes with dyes for AC, oil, transmission, and a couple others. Also there is a blacklight which makes the dye glow, and a pair of goggles which magnifies the glow even more so you can spot your leak. Interdynamics, Inc. UV-Leak Detector Kit.
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Old May 31, 2003 | 07:40 AM
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From: St. Augustine, FL
Car: 89 GTA
Engine: 383
Transmission: 4L80E
Axle/Gears: 12 bolt-3.73
It could be those AFR heads. The oil rail is not machined correctly, so you either have to use gobs of rtv sealer on the rubber valve cover gasket or chop off some of the threads on each valve cover bolt to get the valve cover to sit lower.

I had a misterious oil leak for months and could never find it, but it turned out to be the valve covers/head seal.

At rpm, you are slinging more oil everywhere, plus the intake and valve covers are pressurized somewhat.
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Old May 31, 2003 | 08:50 AM
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Paul Riccioli Jr's Avatar
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From: Bound Brook, NJ USA
Car: 89 IROC-Z
Engine: 383
Transmission: 700R4
Yeah my valve cover bolts are already cut down pretty far, but I'll definately give it a look. I really think it's one of the three I mentioned above though because the majority of the oil was directly in back of the distributor. If it came from the covers at all I think there would atleast be a little on the firewall in back of the cover then.
I'm going to clean the whole back of the engine up with foamy engine bright today or tomorrow and then drive it for a while and take a look back there. I might even pull the distributor so I can get a better look.
If anyone has any other ideas please feel free to let me know.
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