FNDRB58

Just had my opti and water pump replaced. I now have an oil leak that appears to be coming from behind the opti. What did the mechanic do or forget to do that might cause an oil leak? Is there a seal problem?

Thanks

AHARTZ28

did he replace the opti seal? thats where they leak after an opti is replaced and not the seal, or it has got pinched while it was installed.

mrmint69

More than likely they did the mininum on the replacement and didn't replace or do more than they had to.

11secgen

you have to rtv or glue that lil seal in place.i bet you a dollar that its spinning around with the shaft and will deff have to be glued after wallowing out the seat for the seal.i had one of these that i finally two part epoxied in place to get it to act right!

mrmint69

When i replaced mine i did both the seals. The rubber one was a new part and it was tighter than the old one and the other seal had a metal outer shell and i had to put it in the freezer and then tap it on. It was hard to remove the old seal and if it was torn it could cause issues. I would make them figure out where the leak is and make them do all the work.

FNDRB58

After a closer look it appears that the leak is coming from a couple other areas instead of the optispark. How difficult and expensive is it to fix a rear main seal oil leak?

Thanks

ss.slp.ls1

Post from another thread:

Greg88

If its coming from the front, its called a front main seal, not the rear, and its not that difficult to do, I did mine about a month ago, the kit cost around 50 bucks or so from summit, and what has to be done is removing your front balancer and hub (hardest part), then water pump and opti, then remove the opti, take off the timin cover and clean all up and but in new gasket, but MAKE SURE you put some grease on the three seals (opti, water pump, and crank), if not this wil cause a dry start up, wrecking your seals. This could be your problem, your mechanic did not put grease on the seals, which then will lead to burning your seals on the initial start up, good luck. Also, removing your rad would give you alot of room, have fun

FNDRB58

I have a leak in the front and the back. And I will have to have a mechanic do the work.

If I said it once, I will say it again....HATING THE LT1 - Nothing but problems.


Thanks

ss.slp.ls1

You can't get mad at normal wear and tear on a 13 year old car. Water pumps and distributors don't last forever. You should have done both repairs at the same time, lesson learned.

If you keep on on routine maintenance, the LT1 can be just as dependable as any SBC.

FNDRB58

You think this was the only thing that ever went wrong? lol I wish. Fact is, four water pumps and three optis is not NORMAL wear and tear. Not to mention two header gasket leaks, three transmissions and a bunch of other crap that I won't bother typing. And I don't even race the thing. By the way, the oil leak was not discovered until AFTER the opti replacement.

Routine maintenance has been followed to a T...thanks.
After fixing these leaks, I will have spent more than this car in the last two months than the car is worth.

The LT1 is a money pit...lesson learned.

ss.slp.ls1

I take back what I said about repairing both things at once.

You cannot generalize that for all LT1's...something is seriously wrong with either the manufacturing of the parts, the installation of the parts, or conditions surrounding the parts. A properly installed and sealed OEM opti and water pump should last ~100K.

sbs

You are correct. It is indicative of incompetence in maintenance and/or repair.

True of any machinery in the wrong hands.

FNDRB58

I have never heard of any car or engine that has as many issues as this.

My dad had a Chevy Chevette which is one of the worst built cars in history and it had fewer problems than this thing.

FNDRB58

I find it hard to believe that every mechanic who has worked on my car has been incompetent. If this engine needs someone more highly qualified than the usual ACE certified mechanic in order to get this thing in working condition then that is definitely a problem.

And you even took the time to dig up my other thread. lol