Have an off wall question.
Have an 88TA with 350, has a oil leak. I looked today to see where it's coming from and odly enough it's like it's come from the pan behind the exhaust and km ember...
It's so tight though with the exhaust, I can't see it physically leak there... Anyone have any ideas or experience with pan leaking?!
It's a little rusty but nothing major enough to of "rotten" threw.

But I check valve covers and plugs...
Nothing dry. Also checked the gasket area as well... For as much as I can see (3ins not in view) bone dry...


Any ideas be great.

 

I've had one leak kinda like that; not a GM, but sheet metal is sheet metal...

Drop the Y-pipe and take a look at it. Sterilize the area the best you can at the car wash with engine degreaser beforehand.

 

Yeah I'll have to do that... Except the y pipe is all welded together.
To make it weirder. I sware its a steady drip, but dead center of pan...
Right out of the darkness...

Just weird.

 

Oil can flow, run, and drip off all kinds of things and trick you on where it is coming from.

On driver's side you have the main oil pressure port up top of engine next to the dizzy. That is where the oil sending unit goes. If that leaks it can run down back of engine, onto flange and around bottom of pan.

You also have the oil filter and a galley plug next to the filter

Pass side it can leak from valve cover and run down, or oil dipstick.

Heck I even seen a timing chain cover leak and the owner swore it was the rear main seal cause the oil was only dripping from the very rear of pan sump..

Strange trick but it can work... If you can get to the parts good enough.. Throw hand fulls of baby powder on the underside of engine... That will show you the leak path pretty quick.

 

Thanks for the trick, I will attempt to look for it a second time. I would love for it "not" to be the pan itself. And I'll try to put some powder down there to see if it's coming from somewhere else.
Maybe the sending unit, as I have spent most of my time look at the bottom.