Ems Posted September 13, 2015 Share Posted September 13, 2015 The engine has been rebuilt and I left it idle today to find the oil leak. Oil is pouring (not dripping) out of the front left corner from the sump gasket. Initially I thought it might be the oil pressure sender or oil filter but everything above the gasket seems dry. It currently has 2 cork gaskets and a baffle between them. Is there an easy way of changing the sump gasket - had thought of holding the engine in place with a engine hoist and dropping the crossmember. Any suggestions will be welcome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Abbott Posted September 13, 2015 Share Posted September 13, 2015 You may be able to release the engine from the mounts and raise it slightly to give space to remove the sump. The pickup pipe can be a pain to work around. Some people bin the baffle plate on rwd conversions as it's only useful in fwd applications. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
®evo03 Posted September 13, 2015 Share Posted September 13, 2015 Before you start, make sure it aint the front crank seak, it will also show at left corner. If ur sure its the sump, not sure which is worse! Ive used two gaskets, and sealant. Coat both sides of each gasket, and sump.I used gm sealant, only £6. Also done as u described, dropped the cradle, u can bolt of calipers, i will lucky, as i had all bolts undone, and greased before hand. Completely removed cradle. Its alot cleaner, and l think the pickup pipe would cause problems, if you try just dropping and not completely remove crossmember. Let us know how you get on. Anyone even thinking if fitting one of these engines should at the least replace front and back oil seals, and replace both gaskets but use sealant on them too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyc Posted September 13, 2015 Share Posted September 13, 2015 Use the later baffle which has a rubber gasket bonded to either side of the metal, as Kev has said cut the centre of the baffle out. Last time I dropped a sump I did drop the axel, its a pain to work found but to bad of a job. Cheers Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wayne ingham Posted September 13, 2015 Share Posted September 13, 2015 When I worked for a Vauxhall garage.I fitted a new engine and found a very bad oil leak on the front of engine ,found to be a cracked oil pump.Also the oil light come on when on test drive Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ems Posted September 13, 2015 Author Share Posted September 13, 2015 Thanks for the replies, if it was the crank seal would the area above the sump gasket be wet? I've got a payen gasket set in the shed which has 2 gaskets, I'll probably bin the baffle and use one of these gaskets keeping the other as a spare. I haven't seen anything like it before - never had this problem with the 1.8! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Autocrosser Posted September 13, 2015 Share Posted September 13, 2015 As Andy has id recommend the later gasket with the rubber seal that fits over the baffle plate and the metal spacers also make sure the sump and/or oil pumps not cracked due to over enthusiastic tightening by previous owners in an attempt to stop leaks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ems Posted September 14, 2015 Author Share Posted September 14, 2015 If the front crank seal was leaking would the cambelt and housing be covered in oil, as it's clean in there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
®evo03 Posted September 15, 2015 Share Posted September 15, 2015 (edited) If your still mobile, i usually clean area really well, start her up and watch and see! There is a aluminium lip, above sump at front of engine, you should get oil collecting here, also clean all aluminium surfaces, as autocrosser said, could be a hairline crack in oil pump or housing I use muckoff detergent wash, bike stuff. Moves oil, grease, and brakedust with ease, and is great value, and safe, etc! also the front crank seal is recessed back quite a bit, so may take a while to show......., cover may not get oily, unless oil hits the belt. but i think your safe to bet on the sump seal, this time. I used two solid rubber gaskets, for the last fix, first time success, as the other double sided gasket that goes on lip of baffle plate, mentioned above tended to move out away from baffle plate when tightening sump. Therefore creating leaks. Method: Clean sump, baffle plate, block. Needs to be spotless. Smear Sealant on top of baffle plate, gasket, smear gasket. Fit this to block using two shorter bolts. Sump, smear sealant, gasket, smear gasket. Remove two short bolts, hold baffle plate in place, fit sump. Speed is king here! Removing complete crossmember makes sense here! I had body of car supported on axle stands, and used engine crane to support engine. 4 sump bolts, tighen slightly. Make sure everything is sitting sweet. Tighen each bolt equally, should you go round sump a few times! So essentially its a sandwich. Sump, sealant, gasket, sealant, baffle, sealant, gasket, sealant, block. Now get out the the garage and most importantly let us know how you get on. Edited September 15, 2015 by brady 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ems Posted September 15, 2015 Author Share Posted September 15, 2015 Thanks for all the information. I'll have to give the area a good clean and see where it's coming from. Car's not mobile as it has no MOT, etc. As I previously said the oil is pouring out, just need to find where it's coming from! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
®evo03 Posted September 15, 2015 Share Posted September 15, 2015 If it is the crank seal, first step is eat loads of weetabix, that bolt at the front of the crank is mega tight, and it loosings with a bang!!! Mega pressure needed. But get her clean first, no need for mot, should leak just a much ticking over! I've a method to gettin that bolt loosened if needed! Second bet, is either oul pump or crank seal! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manta again Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 Interesting my c20xe also leaks and its only done a few hundred miles after the rebuild. Don't think its the sump as the oil is on top of the sump flange, had considered it to be front oil seal never thought of the oil pump! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
®evo03 Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 Even vauxhall said the used gasket sealant on all gaskets for these engines, both sides of the gasket. Vauxhall has its own part no for sealant, black stuff! Good job the dont run these xes in cruise ships, environmental disasters! Exxon vaddez wouldnt have a look in! Someone once said, the got it too oil tight, kept blowing out, pressurising the dipstick, weird! Think the key is good oilseals, and gaskets, not ebay specials! And plenty of sealant 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ems Posted October 1, 2015 Author Share Posted October 1, 2015 I held the engine in place with a engine crane and dropped the whole crossmember assembly. Got the sump off and changed the gasket. Re assembled everything and left it for 48 hours before filling it with oil and testing it again. The sump has stopped leaking, but the oil pump gasket was weeping - tightened the bolts and all looks ok. Went to put the timing belt cover on to notice that there's a small leak from the exhaust cam seal, I'll sort that out another time. Also wired up a light and switch for the engine diagnosis to find that the hall sensor on the distributor has failed. This car is determined to stay in hibernation! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sutty2006 Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 ive been told to use EcoTec gasket for the sump. Never really see many issues with leaky sumps on ecotecs. My sump gasket leaked when I first built it up and put the engine in. So i had to lift the engine out slightly and drop the front axle all at the same time to re do it. (luckily the garage i worked for at the time has pits, an over head gantry and some 12ton pit jacks) I used bond and seal black mastic, on both sides, with new gasket. It still leaks.............. And so does the crank seal, 2 new seals and its still leaking. Maybe the cranks gone oval Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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