I have a 87 IROC 350ci that I just recently purchased. Whole host of minor problems...but it is rather fun to work on.

I have a rather nasty oil leak. If it was minor, I wouldn't really worry about it...but this needs to be fixed. I'm pretty sure it is the oil pan, but I want to be sure before I go about ripping stuff out.

Here are some pics...what do you guys think?

 

I haven't the vaguest clue what's in those pics; something at the bottom of your minnow pond maybe?

Put a SHORT (like, ½" long) bolt in the upper one of the 2 holes in the front pass side of your block, where you hacked the smog pump bracket off; with a drop of silicone on the threads.

 

Yea, leave the cell phone for talking, don't even waste your time using it as a camera phone. I think we're still another 3 years away from having a phone that'll take useful pictures.
Or if that's a normal camera, get familiar with the macro function, the little button with a picture of a flower on it.

I also have no idea what those pictures are of. Blurs ?

If your leak is from the front bottom passenger side area of the motor, sofa might be on to something.
The oil pan is flat out nasty to remove and replace, at least you have an auto and not a manual tranny, that would be even worse!
I still have to re/re my oil pan to get rid of a leak at the front seal there, I tried to just clean it up and gob silicone caulking on it, but that didn't work

 

Sorry about that...lol. Yes the leak is on the passenger side, appears to be around one of the middle bolts for the oil pan. The leak is coming right through that "crack". That oil line in the first pic is coming straight down from that bolt and curving around the bottom of the pan.

 

I can't tell anything about "crack".

If the pan is cracked, replace it. You can rig it by spooging it with silicone, and mostly stifle it maybe, but it will be a maintenance item until fixed properly.

People will tell you that you can do this without pulling the motor. Take this with a grain of salt, even though it's what you want to hear, because the odds of getting the seal perfect the first time aren't particularly good. If you care about leaks and don't want to be diving back into it again, I'd recommend using a cherry picker, and not trying to half-a$$ it "in the car". You have to lift the engine several inches, regardless; and it's a WHOLE LOT easier to work on a pan and successfully seal it, when you can actually GET TO IT, instead of having to fight a bunch of jacks and 2x4s and whatnot all around it.

 

Man my poor choice of words.What I mean to say...a small area on the passenger side of the pan is leaking. The rest of the pan is good. Oil appears to be seaping around a certain bolt...coming down in a stream. It almost appeared to be coming down through the bolt itself...the bolt is tight. I didn't see any oil coming down above the pan itself. I'm not worried about sealing the leak perfectly at the moment...I just don't want to be adding a quart every week or two.

 

Are you certain that the leak is coming from around and in-between the block and oil pan? Have you had it up on a car rack to inspect? If you absolutley determine that the gasket has failed, the gasket can be replaced with a new one piece with the engine in the car. You just need to decide if you want to hire the job out or try to perform the task yourself. When I once faced this same problem, I chose to hire the job out while it was on the rack. Start to finish the new gasket was installed in about three hours and I was back on the road leak free.

Good luck

 

If it's leaking around the bolt, take the bolt out; clean the threads of both the bolt and the hole with spray can carb cleaner; and put the bolt back in with some silicone on the threads.

 

That may mean the bolt was overtightened, warping the oil pan flange. You might have to beat the hole in the oil pan back to being flat. Not sure how you'd be able to do that with the engine in the car though

 

I put the sealant on this morning before work. Looks like it fixed the problem. Test fired the engine this evening after some curing, didn't see a drop. Even if the pan leaks a drop or two...huge progress from the oil stream. I'll let everything cure more overnight, then take my IROC for a spin tomorrow.

Thanks alot guys!