[Matt02]

Hi, could anyone help me with a problem i have with my 86 Deville. I bought the car a few months ago but it has a bad oil leak which leaves a patch of oil on the floor after being parked for 10 mins. Iv`e done the sump gasket but it still leaks. Ive took the inspection cover off from the bell housing and it seems to be coming from in there, it runs off the fly wheel and also down the front of the gearbox, i assume it`s the rear main oil seal, its 100% engine oil so i know its not a transmission leak. The main question is , does the engine and transmission need to come out on these 4.1 v8`s or can it be done in situ? cheers! Matt

 

[fj12]

The oil gallery runs outside the motor right there and is sealed with an o-ring. Take off the oil filter housing and pull out that gallery tubing. If the o-ring is broken or not there replace it with a floating caliper pin seal from any RWD caddy disk brake kit, it looks too small but it can really stretch. Those o-rings are useless.

 

[Matt02]

Great thanks!! i`ll check that out, i really hope it is that, i does seem like a very heavy leak for a main oil seal. Leaves a patch the size of a small saucer.
Thanks , fingers crossed

 

[Matt02]

P. S . just had a look at the oilfilter housing , the 2 pipes run straight to the main radiator, would the problem you mentioned cause the transmission bell housing to fill with oil? the top of the gearbox is reasonably dry, are they the 2 pipes ( oil galleries ) you ment?

 

[fj12]

No. The gallery tube is inside the bellhousing. Take off the thermostat housing and bend the rad hose out of the way, then undo the bolts attaching the oil filter housing to the engine and lift it off. There are 2 rubber gaskets there sealing the oil lines going to the rad, you might as well replace those as they dry up and leak. Grab the gallery tube with needle nose pliers and pull straight up. The tube is angled so you have to turn it as you pull to get it out. You might have to file down your thermostat housing a bit to get it out. At the bottom of the tube is the o-ring. Good luck.

 

[Matt02]

Iv`e changed the o ring but i still have an oil leak, not sure if the o ring has seated properly when the tube was re-inserted, no way of checking either. I had had to tap the tube down with a small hammer as it wouldn`t push down by hand, thinking the o ring might have rode up the tube and got trapped

 

[fj12]

I told you not to use an o-ring. Buy a caliper pin seal from a 1984 RWD cadillac and stretch it onto the tube. Change those gaskets too. If it still leaks, your crank could be loose from bad main bearings or a bad thrust bearing, causing your seal to leak. Changing a leaking crank-seal doesn't guarantee that your leak will stop. Try some seal-sweller in your engine oil. If you really can't live with the leak, drop in a 4.5 from a scrap yard, keeping your old intake manifold, throttle body, and thermostat housing.

 

[Matt02]

I wish i could drop a 4.5 in, but living here in Britain theres not to many kicking around, have to order a caliper pin seal in from the US. thanks.

 

[fj12]

Give me your address, I'll mail you one.

 

[Matt02]

Cool, sorry i havn`t replied , been away. I tried to PM you but the forum won`t let me for some reason. Here`s my address anyway, thanks very much for sending me one. Do you apply the seal dry or with some grease or gasket sealer?

30 Erewash Grove,
Toton ,
Nottingham ,
England ,
Great Britain.
NG9 6EY.
Many thanks.

 

[fj12-]

I had browser problems and was no longer registered. I had some caliper seals, so I mailed you one. I am not sure if it is the right one, so I am going to check with GM today. You should always lubricate rubber with brake fluid or synthetic oil as petroleum can swell rubber. I will PM you back. My PM link should work now.

 

[Matt02]

Thanks, really good of you to send one, let me know what i owe you and i`ll post it!
Next problem is that damn noisy pump infront of the drivers side front wheel, keeps running and won`t turn off, really noisy too :/

 

[fj12]

I guess I just can't PM. Thanks for the offer, you don't owe me anything. I did send the wrong seal. The proper seal is the smaller seal from the 1984 cadillac "caliper hardware kit", also called "caliper pin bushing". It looks too small but stretches on no-problem. Once that seal is on the tube it can't come off like the o-ring can, and makes a great seal. I mailed one off to you. If you're talking about your air compressor for the rear air shocks, you probably have a small tear in the air bladder on top of one of the shocks. It can be patched with a tube repair kit if the tear is low enough or high enough, (not where the bladder folds). You might have a leak anywhere in the system . It might also be that the compressor switch on the rear axle (swing arm) is rusted in the on position. Until you get it fixed just unplug it at the compressor. Good luck with the car.

 

[Matt02]

Nah, it`s not the shock absorber pump, its the pump thats hidden inside the front wing (fender) someone in the past has unplugged it cus of the noise it makes, but everything seems to work ok, cruise control, powerbrakes etc :hmm: