Nasty leak. Help?

[shohio5491]

I bought a 1993 SHO recently, the previous owner made me aware of all issues beforehand but for $700 I couldn't really pass it up. It has a pretty nasty oil leak, about a quart every 50-or-so miles. It leaks onto the exhaust, which causes it to smoke pretty bad when sitting still. Car doesn't show that it's running hot, so I'm assuming it's just the oil burning off. I put the car up on ramps today and crawled underneath, its a mess like I figured it would be. I'm not car-savvy mechanically so I don't really know what I'm looking at. What I can say for sure is that the oil is dripping from a metal pan on the undercarriage with the words AXOD SHO stamped on it. Could this be my leak or is it leaking from somewhere above this pan? Any help would be greatly appreciated and I'll help however I can by answering questions. Thank you.

 

[zoomlater]

Welcome. The metal pan with AXOD SHO on it is the bottom of your tranny pan. So if you are leaking motor oil, it is probably coming from somewhere above tranny pan or the rear seal. I would try and clean up the entire area the best you can and see if you can see where the oil is coming from. You can also try and use a mirror and flashlight to see if there is oil coming from the rear valve cover. Did the previous owner say if there was any work done on the engine?

 

[kevinspann]

It's probably leaking from the cam seals onto the exhaust (and everywhere else). More than likely the crank seal too. The pan with AXOD SHO on it is your transmission pan, so while it may be covered in oil, it shouldn't be the source of your oil leak.

 

[shohio5491]

Thanks for the welcome. I'll put the car back on ramps in the morning and try my best to clean everything up. Whatever it is that's leaking has turned the undercarriage into a mechanical crime scene. I'm hoping it isn't a rear main that's leaking, heard that's quite an expensive and time consuming job. Is there any way for me to check out the cam and crank seals without having to tear my engine or transmission apart? As for the rear valve cover, any advice on where I should maneuver this mirror at to take a look at it?

 

[luigisho]

Look at the front valve cover and how it seals to the head. the back one is pretty much the same. Might have to remove the intake to get a half decent look. you can see where the cam sensor is located http://www.shoforum.com/index.php?threads/c-i-d-removal-w-pics-mtx-atx-cars.81540/. Lots of oil can get out there. Any good oil trails backtracking from under the car?

 

[zoomlater]

"As for the rear valve cover, any advice on where I should maneuver this mirror at to take a look at it?[/QUOTE]

http://www.shoforum.com/index.php?t...ne-tranny-subframe-assembly-56k-no-way.78299/

Take a look at the pictures of the engine in the link above. There are several pictures showing the top of the valve covers (the big silver cover where the spark plug wires go to the engine). You want to check if the bottom side of the valve cover is leaking oil between the engine and bottom of the cover.

 

[rubydist]

as a starting point, you should plan to do full 60k service - valve cover gaskets, spark plugs, plug wires, cam seals, front crank seal, timing belt, water pump, crankshaft sensor and camshaft sensor (and maybe an idler or two if you find dry bearings). that will set you back about $400 or so in parts, plus a day or two of your time depending on how mechanically competent you are (or $800 in labor if you pay someone). that will almost certainly solve your huge oil leak problem, keep you from being stranded on the side of the road, and keep you from getting shot by some guy driving behind you who doesn't like oil all over his windshield.

 

[sperold]

Find someone in your area to help you, use this forum to seek them out.
These cars are somewhat complicated to the unfamiliar, but experienced people make short work of them, especially when it comes to diagnosing a problem.

An oil leak of this magnitude is probably your rear valve cover, which is a bear to install.

Take a bag full of rags under the engine and mop it down till it is clean. Pay special attention the highest areas you can reach and mop them down well. Go for a spin, return to you ramps, let it cool down, and see what is wet. The point the oil drips down is never where the leak originates, so look for the highest point of the wet spot.

 

[shohio5491]

I appreciate everyone's answers, you've all been a big help. I'm going to try to hunt down a fellow SHO owner for assistance, not just with the leak but with a full tune-up like rubydist suggested. Hopefully I can get it taken care of so I can continue on with the rest of the work I plan on getting done to it.