Engine Leaking!!!!!!!!!!

[kingman]

Hi

Is it normal for LT1's to leak. It appears to be a gasket problem from underneath. I do not see any puddles on my garage floor but looking under the front of my car it looks wet.

I mentioned this to my dealership and they said it was common and would cost around $800 to fix. They said something about removing the water pump even though the previous owner said he just replaced it.

Now, it doesn't appear serious yet and they said that l can wait until it gets worse.

What would you do and is the price steep? When the service advisor called me, l was in an office with alot of noise and really didn't hear him, except the price rang a bell.

Thanks

Alan

p.s. When somebody said that the vette was a money pit, l laughed. lt almost seems that the newer vettes are more prone to problems then the C3's, but that is for another thread.

[Edmond]

I remember reading about this on the forums. Sorry I can't help you out, but at least I've bumped you up! LOL.

I also remember something about it being with a gasket. Hope someone comes along to give you an actual answer.

[Rabbit]

Lt-1's are noted for intake manifold leaks.
Check where the intake mounts to the block, especially front & rear. Both my 95 & my 95 Z-28 had the symptoms you described, fortunately they were repaired under warranty prior to it expiring.

[Edmond]

Originally posted by Rabbit
Lt-1's are noted for intake manifold leaks.
Check where the intake mounts to the block, especially front & rear. Both my 95 & my 95 Z-28 had the symptoms you described, fortunately they were repaired under warranty prior to it expiring.

Is it the intake manifold itself for a gasket? A gasket shouldn't be too expensive to replace right? I'm sure the $800 he was quoted had more labor cost than anything in it.

[CFour]

Ha Ha Ha My 1996 with only 30k miles has turned into a sive as well. I have both oil and tranny fluid leaks. Its very disappointing indeed. My Dealer service guy said this is a common problem in late model C4s. Even Corvette Fever in a used Corvette buyers guide said about C4s LOOK OUT for fluid leaks when buying a late model C4!

[Tuna]

There are 3 places that LT1/LT4's develop leaks.

First is usually the intake - the front and/or rear seal starts leaking. Makes the engine messy and can get pretty bad. These seals are not gaskets but glu that comes from a tube. It needs to set up properly before the intake is bolted on and then it should have 24 hours more before the engine is started.

Second is the OptiSpark shaft seal. Annoying also. Must pull the water pump and Opti to replace the seal and then the mech has to be careful not to hurt the new seal or he'll be doing it again.

Last is the rear cam seal. Too much work and money.

I seem to have or had all three. It took several trips to several dealers to get the intake sealed properly. The Opti seal was another issue as my Opti was replaced twice before the car was 6 months old. Seal leaked afterward - more trips to the dealer to get that fixed. Now I'm seeing spotting from the rear of the engine. I'm betting it is the cam seal. I'm going to let that go for awhile and fix it when I had the engine rebuild in a year or so - unless it gets a whole lot worse. Then again it could be the rear intake seal again. I really haven't looked that close yet.

Later,

hey there,
not trying to be a smart-a**here,but do it your self,do it right the first time,no more trips to dealer,and you know its fixed correctly.good luck,leaks do suck!later,Todd.

[RedRagTop]

Kingman; Don't want to sound daft here but I can assume it is definitely engine oil that is leaking, right? My L98 has so far sprung two leaks; one at the power-steering reservoir which made a bit of a mess at the front of the car underneath and one at the dipstick grommet on top of the left front side of the tranny pan. Both left little puddles and were easily repaired.

[Edmond]

Originally posted by RJSROCKET
Kingman; Don't want to sound daft here but I can assume it is definitely engine oil that is leaking, right? My L98 has so far sprung two leaks; one at the power-steering reservoir which made a bit of a mess at the front of the car underneath and one at the dipstick grommet on top of the left front side of the tranny pan. Both left little puddles and were easily repaired.

I had the same problem on my L98's power steering. I started using this Valvoline synthetic fluid that said it would stop the leaking and sure enough, it did! I thought I would have to dig in there and find out what was leaking but I'm fortunate.

[sumoboy]

What is it leaking, oil or water?

[kingman]

I will check tomorrow when l get home from work. Whatever is leaking, it doesn't show up on the floor, but the under carriage seems wet in places.

It probably isn't the water pump because it was recently replaced.

So far l've only driven the vette approx 200 miles since l picked it up the end of Feb.

lf the bleeding doesn't stop, l will be forced to sell it and move up in years, but again why give up a good vette.

Alan

Frustrated!

hey there,you sure its not a/c condensation.just trying to help. i had a nice 89 with 50.000 miles,it leaked everywhere.i tore it all down,painted and polished everything,used fel-pro gaskets and never had another leak for 2 1/2 years until i sold the car good luck,Todd.

[RubyDropTop]

What you are experiencing is, unfortunately, a common trait in LT1 and LT4 cars. My car is in the "weeping" stage. I have the infamous intake manifold issue, and possibly the front and rear main seals as well. There are no puddles or drops on the ground under the car, but the underside will get a thin film on it after driving from the weeping. The motor stays pretty clean.

I monitor my oil level and have never had to add to it (only driven about 2x per month). I keep the underside cleaned up and keep an eye on the situation. At some point in the future when the weeping becomes a leak, I will have all of the motor seals replaced.

No tranny leaks yet, but the car is up on ramps right now, so I will investigate that area too.

Sorry to hear about your situation, but rest assured, you are not alone.

[kingman]

I forgot to call me dealer today to speak to my service advisor, he used to be in my Corvette Club. I'll have him explain it to me in layman's terms in the morning.

Alan