Past oil leak

[jrd1990zr1]

Question for you experienced ZR1 folks. When I pulled the injectors, alternator, coil and starter I noticed quite a bit of dryed up oil all over the place. Don't pay attention to the starter area I was starting to clean there. Anyway the area where I have drawn the red arrow to, is this a cover with a gasket? Could this be the source of the past leak? What is under this if it is removable?

I plan to pull the injector housings and replace the oil cooler lines with a set of Jeffvette's and clean up the entire area before I put it together, since I don't see any fresh oil.

Thoughts? Thanks, John :cheers:

[phrogs]

I bet you a dollar there are loose bolts on that crankcase vent cover thats what your pointing at, Get a gasket for it and clean up your oil mess.

Its normal all of mine have been like that.

when you remove it you will see a baffle and below that is the crankshaft

http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s103/zr1salvage/chippys%20paint/lappypics15556.jpg
http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s103/zr1salvage/chippys%20paint/lappypics16886.jpg
johnny

[jrd1990zr1]

Thanks guys. Looks like another gasket order is going in to Jerry. That's a good question about the baffle, I'll check that when I pull the cover.

Are all the torque settings in the back of the Helms manual? Wondering about the baffle. Or should I look at the rebuild section?

Thanks again for the advice.

John :cheers:

[Dynomite]

Thanks guys. Looks like another gasket order is going in to Jerry. That's a good question about the baffle, I'll check that when I pull the cover.

Are all the torque settings in the back of the Helms manual? Wondering about the baffle. Or should I look at the rebuild section?

Thanks again for the advice.

John :cheers:Let me know if those baffle bolts were tight ;)

The torque on both the baffle bolts and cylinder ventilation cover bolts is 89 in-lbs. I always go a bit less torque. I use red loctite 262 on anything I do not plan on removing for some time.....maybe blue loctite 242 on plenum and anything I might remove more often.

I use the 1990-1993 Corvette, RPO LT5 Service Manual Supplement for all my torque information (Ebay) :mrgreen:

http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll142/dynomite007/ZR1/LT5Engine-1.jpg

[jrd1990zr1]

I won't know to early next week. I want to clean up the area before I pull that cover. It looks like I can leave the secondary control rails in place rather than pull them off.

I've got the Helms manual fo my Z. Never had to pull the engine apart so I had not looked for torque settings.

I'll let you know about the baffle.

Thanks, John :cheers:

[Jeffvette]

I won't know to early next week. I want to clean up the area before I pull that cover. It looks like I can leave the secondary control rails in place rather than pull them off.

I've got the Helms manual fo my Z. Never had to pull the engine apart so I had not looked for torque settings.

I'll let you know about the baffle.

Thanks, John :cheers:


John, your life will be made easier pulling the rail protectors off and the rails themselves. Leave the breather box installed and scrub the hell out of the area with a brush and some brake kleen letting it all run down the drain tube. Then after everything is dried replace the gasket.

The torque is 89 in lbs.

[flyin ryan]

John, your life will be made easier pulling the rail protectors off and the rails themselves. Leave the breather box installed and scrub the hell out of the area with a brush and some brake kleen letting it all run down the drain tube. Then after everything is dried replace the gasket.

The torque is 89 in lbs.Honestly...Jeff is right. Your life will be simpler.

[jrd1990zr1]

John, your life will be made easier pulling the rail protectors off and the rails themselves. Leave the breather box installed and scrub the hell out of the area with a brush and some brake kleen letting it all run down the drain tube. Then after everything is dried replace the gasket.

The torque is 89 in lbs.

Thanks. I was thinking of doing that but was not sure how difficult it might be to realign the secondary mechanism. Looks like I should also pull the AC compressor?

Sounds like you guys have done this before.

I better get moving on this if I am going to have it back together in time for BG.

Thanks again :cheers:

[tomtom72]

John, just unbolt the compressor and move it to the left. If I remember right it will rest naturally in front of or next to the P/S pump reservoir ....you'll see the place it wants to be as soon as you unbolt it.

Don't be wary of the secondary linkage, et al. I pulled the shields and the linkage rods that connect to the butterfly levers all off. They go back just as the book says they will. Then you test it with the mity-vac pump to see that everything is okay. It's not a tough operation, you will see as soon as you do it. It just makes it easier to clean up the mess and easier to do the r&r on the box cover & gasket.

:cheers:

[jrd1990zr1]

Thanks Tom!

Going to start this weekend unless we get buried with snow again. I'm at 1500' above sea levvel so this time of year we can get a lot of heavy wet snow.

Also want to clean up the front of the engine too. Moving the compressor should help.

Thanks, John :cheers:

[tomtom72]

:thumbsup: You're welcome John! Yea, on the linkage...I should have been more direct and clear. :redface:
I pulled the straight linkage rod that joins all the individual butterfly levers to the actuators. I left the individual levers in place as I didn't feel I wanted to mess with them.

Man I hope you don't get any more snow from this storm. We are in for 2" to 4" of rain down state....I wouldn't want to see that in snow! I'm ready for winter to be over.

:cheers:
Tom

[jrd1990zr1]

Thanks for the help Tom. First time I pulled the plenum by myself so I am easily confused.

Just got home,1" of heavy wet snow on the ground. Mix of cold rain, sleet and snow, mainly horizontal. They are saying we could get as much as 3 inches of rain if the temperature stays up.

Just picked up brake cleaner and some brushes to start cleanup. Thanks again to you and Jeffvette for the advice. You have both been super!!

John :cheers:

[jrd1990zr1]

So with advice and guidance from all the helpful posters above, this is where I am, see photo. Just hope it goes back together as easy as it came apart and I don't have any extra pieces left over!!! :-D

Found my oil leaks. Crankcase cover looks to have been leaking slightly. Biggest leak was from the oil filter housing where it attaches to the block. Bottom and inboard bolts were barely finger tight. :dancing

After using 4 cans of brake cleaner in the valley I found a gadget at Harbor Freight which uses 90 psi air and a siphon hose in which I used a solution of "simple green". Blasts that caked on oil right off into a tarp under the car. Worked pretty good. All I need to do is cleanup some of the corners.

Thanks again to all.

John :cheers:

[1990 415]

This would be the ideal time to pull those cam covers and have the top end powder coated.

[GOLDCYLON]

Suggest replacing the baffle hoses as well.

[jrd1990zr1]

Suggest replacing the baffle hoses as well.


Any thoughts on where I can find radiator and baffle hoses for my car?

Looks like the only choice is Samco?? or is there other sources?

Thanks, John :cheers:

[jrd1990zr1]

Let me know if those baffle bolts were tight ;)

The torque on both the baffle bolts and cylinder ventilation cover bolts is 89 in-lbs. I always go a bit less torque. I use red loctite 262 on anything I do not plan on removing for some time.....maybe blue loctite 242 on plenum and anything I might remove more often.

I use the 1990-1993 Corvette, RPO LT5 Service Manual Supplement for all my torque information (Ebay) :mrgreen:

http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll142/dynomite007/ZR1/LT5Engine-1.jpg

There are 13 bolts in the crankcase cover. 5 were barely finger tight, one was actually loose a turn or two. Baffle bolts were tight. I was thinking I would leave them alone.

Besides this cover leaking my biggest leak seems to be from the two lower bolts on the oil filter adapter those were only finger tight.

Going to finish cleanup tonight, start reassembly tomorrow night.

Thanks for all the advice, John :notworthy :cheers: