need help identifying this oil leak
05-08-2017, 01:00 AM
#1
2nd Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: california
Posts: 377
need help identifying this oil leak
i was doing an oil change and i noticed this part of my car is covered in oil.
so i go and clean it but after a few months when i needed to do an oil change again it was back again..i follow to where it was possibly coming from and i couldn't figure it out...until i found these.
all of them seen to be leaking...so i figure maybe i should re torque them...and when i did they were really easy to tighten but i wasn't sure if it was supposed to be like that. and as i tighten them some rubber of some sort started to come out
so i stopped...what is the meaning of this? my questions are
are these bolts supposed to be this loose?
is that rubber like material a sealant of some sort?
should i keep tightening them to the point that it can't be turned anymore?
is my head gasket leaking?
how screwed am i?
if its a head gasket issue does anyone have a DYI to replace them?
thank you guys im still learning.
so i go and clean it but after a few months when i needed to do an oil change again it was back again..i follow to where it was possibly coming from and i couldn't figure it out...until i found these.
all of them seen to be leaking...so i figure maybe i should re torque them...and when i did they were really easy to tighten but i wasn't sure if it was supposed to be like that. and as i tighten them some rubber of some sort started to come out
so i stopped...what is the meaning of this? my questions are
are these bolts supposed to be this loose?
is that rubber like material a sealant of some sort?
should i keep tightening them to the point that it can't be turned anymore?
is my head gasket leaking?
how screwed am i?
if its a head gasket issue does anyone have a DYI to replace them?
thank you guys im still learning.
05-08-2017, 02:01 PM
#2
Gentleman's Relish
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: AZ
Posts: 13,090
i was doing an oil change and i noticed this part of my car is covered in oil.
so i go and clean it but after a few months when i needed to do an oil change again it was back again..i follow to where it was possibly coming from and i couldn't figure it out...until i found these.
all of them seen to be leaking...so i figure maybe i should re torque them...and when i did they were really easy to tighten but i wasn't sure if it was supposed to be like that. and as i tighten them some rubber of some sort started to come out
so i stopped...what is the meaning of this? my questions are
are these bolts supposed to be this loose?
is that rubber like material a sealant of some sort?
should i keep tightening them to the point that it can't be turned anymore?
is my head gasket leaking?
how screwed am i?
if its a head gasket issue does anyone have a DYI to replace them?
thank you guys im still learning.
so i go and clean it but after a few months when i needed to do an oil change again it was back again..i follow to where it was possibly coming from and i couldn't figure it out...until i found these.
all of them seen to be leaking...so i figure maybe i should re torque them...and when i did they were really easy to tighten but i wasn't sure if it was supposed to be like that. and as i tighten them some rubber of some sort started to come out
so i stopped...what is the meaning of this? my questions are
are these bolts supposed to be this loose?
is that rubber like material a sealant of some sort?
should i keep tightening them to the point that it can't be turned anymore?
is my head gasket leaking?
how screwed am i?
if its a head gasket issue does anyone have a DYI to replace them?
thank you guys im still learning.
05-08-2017, 02:26 PM
#3
3rd Gear Member
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Posts: 920
take the car for a good steam cleaning of the engine bay, then keep looking every few days and you'll see where the oil is coming from, but my guess is valve cover gaskets.
If you do steam the engine don't put any armor all or other protectant, they just atract dust and make it hard to pin point leaks.
Also, make sure it's dry steam, not pressure wash. Dry steam is less than 5% water so it dries on contact. No need to worry about water getting where it shouldn't
If you do steam the engine don't put any armor all or other protectant, they just atract dust and make it hard to pin point leaks.
Also, make sure it's dry steam, not pressure wash. Dry steam is less than 5% water so it dries on contact. No need to worry about water getting where it shouldn't
05-09-2017, 02:19 AM
#4
2nd Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: california
Posts: 377
yes the bolts are on the valve cover. how hard is it to replace the vavle cover gasket?
05-09-2017, 02:20 AM
#5
2nd Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: california
Posts: 377
take the car for a good steam cleaning of the engine bay, then keep looking every few days and you'll see where the oil is coming from, but my guess is valve cover gaskets.
If you do steam the engine don't put any armor all or other protectant, they just atract dust and make it hard to pin point leaks.
Also, make sure it's dry steam, not pressure wash. Dry steam is less than 5% water so it dries on contact. No need to worry about water getting where it shouldn't
If you do steam the engine don't put any armor all or other protectant, they just atract dust and make it hard to pin point leaks.
Also, make sure it's dry steam, not pressure wash. Dry steam is less than 5% water so it dries on contact. No need to worry about water getting where it shouldn't
05-10-2017, 01:32 PM
#6
Gentleman's Relish
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: AZ
Posts: 13,090
Haven't done a set as of yet on my 08 and definitely not on the GT500. Can't be any harder than a ford Escape V6 though which has the right valve cover buried under the intake.