Chevy 350 leaking oil

Nissan11

Nissan11

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 29, 2005
Location
Marston, NC
My dad has a 91 chevy beauville van with a 350. It has 150k mikes on it. It has recently started puking oil from above the oil filter. Here are some pictures. It drips down the fuel filter and also down the pan. It looks as I'd there is a cylinder the oil filter attaches to, and the leak is coming from where that cylinder attaches to the motor. What could be the cause of the leak?



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That is the oil cooler adapter, pretty common high mileage failure.

find a good Chevy parts guy, and get the correct gaskets/seals to repair it. not that tough.

I don't suggest driving it much at all until it is repaired, as it gets worse, and can quickly pump the engine dry if left unchecked.

there is also the possibility ( not likely ) the oil filter is double gasketed ( old gasket stayed on during last oil change ) and is just now blowing out. either way, you'll be replacing the oil filter too.

EDIT rock auto, oil cooler gasket kit, $6.23 pix ----> http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/moreinfo.php?pk=123517

http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/x,carcode,1044368,parttype,10227
 
remove the oil filter, let the adapter drain, with a flash light, you'll see 2 allen head bolts, ( I forget the size, probably metric, use the correct hex bit size )

disconnect the oil hoses fittings, then loosen and remove the adapter block ( careful, more oil coming out into your face ) clean off the gasket surfaces with a scraper, replace with new, reassemble, DO NOT USE SEALER (RTV)

it's gonna be tight, and messy, have fun !!
 
It's awful. Get a 7/8" line wrench for the cooler lines. I made one out of a closed-end wrench. Count on being under there for a while. It's really not hard to do the removal or reassembly, but pulling and replacing the linse sucks, and scraping the gasket material from the recess in the engine block is absolutely painful. Get a razor blade and get comfortable. Be careful not to gouge the block. I got the kit at O'Reilly, but you should be able to get it about anywhere.
 
catfishblues said:
It's awful. Get a 7/8" line wrench for the cooler lines. I made one out of a closed-end wrench. Count on being under there for a while. It's really not hard to do the removal or reassembly, but pulling and replacing the linse sucks, and scraping the gasket material from the recess in the engine block is absolutely painful. Get a razor blade and get comfortable. Be careful not to gouge the block. I got the kit at O'Reilly, but you should be able to get it about anywhere.
Click to expand...

You can actually pull the plastic back if it has it and under it is a little wire E clip that retains the lines.. also I thought I remembered on some they are Torx bolts that hold the adapter (if they are under the filter, filter straight down), others are plain old hex bolts external (filter faces forward).. if you can pull the E clips it'll be easy.. if you undo the adapters, be extremely careful not to cross thread, that adapter is aluminum and the tap is not cheap.

**didnt look at pics first, you need to undo the line nuts, there isn't quick connects on it.. you may could skip the line removal and scrape it real good with it out of the way and put it back.. i've done that.. don't miss any gasket material or it will leak (don't need to ask how I found that out)

good luck, been there before. :beer:
 
I got the kit but looking up with the oil cooler adapter off, I only see one gasket. I don't see where the three o-rings and the other gasket go.


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I changed the o ring and the gasket, put it back together and it's still leaking. I cleaned all the gasket material off with a scraper but I can clearly see it leaking from the top of the adapter.
 
you could do away with the oil cooler all together and go to a junk yard or to an engine rebuilders place and get the piece that bolts onto the block to use the old style filter.
 
I pulled the adapter off again, cleaned the surfaces again and put it back together. There is still a slow leak. It's not near as bad as it was but it is still a leak.
 
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