[DeTomaso] oil leak questions

[Christopher Kimball]

What I'll probably do is live with it--at least for a while.  This is mainly because when I first got the new engine in the car the rear main seal starting leaking almost immediately.  That's when I had the engine builder give the car to his mechanic to pull the engine so the engine builder could replace all the seals, which he did.  Three months later I finally got the car back, trashed by the mechanic with $4K worth of body damage.

 

And the motor still leaks.

 

After having all the seals replaced once already--on a new engine--I don't really want to face the huge hassle of taking everything apart again, unless it's absolutely necessary.  If the drive to Reno makes it absolutely necessary, I guess I'll find out then!

 

Sincerely,

 

Chris
 


Date: Fri, 30 Apr 2010 13:09:24 -0700
From: teampantera at yahoo.com
Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] oil leak questions
To: JDeRyke at aol.com; chrisvkimball at msn.com; detomaso at realbig.com






Cheap fast fixes work allot of the time but in this case I think you may be wrong...You just told Junior how to seal it but you left out Doc and my comments about finding the reason (s) 'why' the main seal is leaking!  The true fix as you put it 'may' be a complete gasket change...... but finding out  'why' it leaked might ensure it doesn't start leaking again in 2 weeks.  ;-)
 
Doc wrote;
"While you might be able to seal it up with externally applied RTV, I think the chances are low. Dropping the pan and applying a gob of RTV goop might work but you're applying it to two surfaces already oil covered and there is a small risk of some of the goop getting loose and then into the oil pump and thence....possibly onward. I suspect that you'll likely come to a persistent and frustrating leak and your three options would be live with it, pull the engine and fix things completely or raise the car, drop the pan and change the rear main seal and oil pan gasket and inspect from below. I think you may well end up with option number three, IMHO."
 
jack wrote;
Just running a bead on the outside likely won't work well. Seeping oil 
keeps anything from bonding even if you solvent-wash the outside of the corner. 
If you loosen the bolts slowly & progressively front-to-back (only a few 
turns in front and almost none in back), the pan will sag down a little in 
front, hopefully without tearing the gasket. Sinnce your engine was recently 
worked on, the pan gasket should still be resilent enough to resist tearing. 
But it does happen.... Once there's a small gap between pan and block you can 
clean out the oil in the gap and work some Permatex #2 non-hardening sealant 
in with a knife blade. IMHO Permatex #2 works better than RTV in such 
areas, and you're not as likely to use too much. 



 
Mad Dawg Antenucci 
Team Pantera Racing 
"The Worlds Fastest Street Pantera"
www.teampanteraracing.com






From: "JDeRyke at aol.com" <JDeRyke at aol.com>
To: chrisvkimball at msn.com; detomaso at realbig.com
Sent: Fri, April 30, 2010 12:40:07 PM
Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] oil leak questions

If it doesn't work right away, be patient; the leak may stop spontaneously 
after a while. The true fix is a complete gasket change and this is very 
difficult in-the-car. Good luck- J Deryke
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