I just purchased a 1984 Z28 5.0 H.O. that has been garaged for 17 years. I did a basic oil change with a new filter. I've noticed a spot on the garage floor growing in size over the last few weeks. I placed a piece of clean cardboard over the spot/under the oil pan before I left for work today. When I got home, there were two spots on it about 2" in diameter. It smells and looks like oil, but I'm not sure where it is coming from. I am guessing it is the oil pan gasket but am not sure. The strange thing is the oil level was good when I bought it (although it was pitch black). Could this be due to me now driving it more regularly and the gasket loosened up? I can't tell where its coming from except it seems to be from the right side and the bottom of the pan has a film of oil on it. I don't see anything from the top, but have had smoke occasionally come from the engine bay upon a start up. I searched through 5 pages of posts, but didn't come up with much exactly. Is this an easy job to do or is it a pain because of motor mounts and other things in the way? Thanks guys.

 

You'll just have to find where its coming from. Chances are it will be something you have live with unless you want to pull the engine out of the car and replace the oil pan gasket/rear main seal or intake gasket.

 

Jack the car up, put it on stands (cinder blocks are not stands), slip a clean bit of cardboard under the car. Wait a few hours, check for spots. If spots are found, get on the ground, don't move the cardboard, look up above the spots and check for where the oil is coming from. If it's way too messy, clean the sob and repeat the cardboard check.

 

unless you've been whacking the oil pan on things rarely are they the culprit. I'm not saying that they won't leak. You are probabky looking at the rear main seal.

I'd try a bottle of " White Shepherd Rear Main Sealer" first to see if it helps. It costs about 12 bucks

search Amazon for that product, you'll find it

 

Thanks, I was wrong about it being oil. I put white card board down and the fluid is red. It's leaking somewhere near the back of the oil pan and the front of the tranny pan. I'll investigate further tomorrow

 

front seal on trans

 

Could just be the trans oil pan gasket and not the front main seal. You'll have to change the trans fluid and filter to replace that gasket though. It's not hard but it's a dirty annoying job.

 

Just took it to the shop and they said it is the front of the pan seal and the linkage seal. Thankfully they are only going to charge $150 to fix it all. Thanks for your help!