[ch215]

Hi guys,

About 10 days ago I changed my Opti for the first time. (PITA but definitely glad I did it myself). I noticed today that my car is leaking coolant from the oil filter area.

I searched extensively online and found some similar issues, but no solutions. Someone suggested a crossover tube or oil cooler?

Here's a video of the leak: http://youtu.be/7drGykd8mqQ
When the car is running, it leaks more heavily from the same area.

Any ideas?

Thank you so much in advance

------------------------------------
1993 Auto 5.7 LT1 Trans Am

 

[donzilla69]

Either the coolant crossover on back of head or .. I do believe there's a freeze plug just above the oil filter on side of block . Might check that out .

 

[Racy Roadmaster]

ITS possible its leaking from one of the steam tubes that is attached to the back of the cylinder heads. Yes you do have the optional oil cooler on your car,but the oil cooler is not plumbed into the cooling system in any way. Get under the car with a good flashlight and see whats happening.Be sure to have it jacked up safely. ed

 

[USMC]

First thing first...JACK STANDS! Use them or if your lucky (I was) you'll live to tell about it. Second..is that a FRAM oil filter? I wouldn't use them...they have a bad reputation. Now for the fix: reach behind your driver cylinder head and wipe your fingers all around the steam pipe or better a dry white cloth. Then work your way down and check your head gasket and the freeze plug. Lets hope it not a head gasket but if it is STOP DRIVING IT. Good luck!

 

[Workman]

Just throwin this out there bud, the steam pipe is the silver/aluminium tube on the left side valve cover that runs in between the left valve cover and intake. Easy to see.
Like USMC stated follow it to the back of the motor and wipe it and see if its leaking.

 

[ShowNoMercy]

ITS possible its leaking from one of the steam tubes that is attached to the back of the cylinder heads. Yes you do have the optional oil cooler on your car,but the oil cooler is not plumbed into the cooling system in any way. Get under the car with a good flashlight and see whats happening.Be sure to have it jacked up safely. ed

Ed,

The engine oil cooler is def plumbed into the coolant, so it could very well be leaking there.

You could easily pull that silliness off and see if it stops the leak.

 

[Racy Roadmaster]

SNM, First off you may be correct,but help me with this. One type of oil
cooler system routes the oil to an external cooler and then back to the engine,so I dont see how the oil would mix there. The other system that you show,it goes into the radiator side tank,if there was a leak in that case wouldnt you have the oil and coolent mixing into milky white stuff,in his video it appears that the coolent is leaking from the filter unmixed! Watta think,am I still missing something? ed

 

[ShowNoMercy]

SNM, First off you may be correct,but help me with this. One type of oil
cooler system routes the oil to an external cooler and then back to the engine,so I dont see how the oil would mix there. The other system that you show,it goes into the radiator side tank,if there was a leak in that case wouldnt you have the oil and coolent mixing into milky white stuff,in his video it appears that the coolent is leaking from the filter unmixed! Watta think,am I still missing something? ed

Yea, if you had a leak internal to the cooler part, you would leak oil into coolant or vice versa, which is why the stock oil cooler did not last long as an OE option.

Now it could just be leaking past externally by the oil filter from the lines etc, and you would just have a coolant leak instead of a mixing issue.

 

[shoebox]

With the stock oil cooler, oil never goes inside the lines or toward the radiator-only coolant does. The oil cooler adapter at the filter is merely a heat exchanger.

The OP may have some leaky o-rings at the cooler pipes to the heat exchanger.

 

[ch215]

Thanks a lot for the quick responses.

I found where the leak is coming from: Oil Cooler Leak - YouTube

Rather than deleting the oil cooler, I'd prefer to just fix it - as I cannot find an oil cooler bypass hose (p/n 10197675). I searched all over the country and apparently it's been discontinued.

The bolt connecting the lines to the cooler/filter assembly is being stubborn, so I'm soaking it in PB Blaster. Once I get it off, faulty O rings are the only possibility? http://shbox.com/1/oil_cooler.jpg

I appreciate all your help.

 

[guppymech]

Gates makes a oil cooler bypass hose p/n 18959, any auto parts store should have it. I have one on my car. If you want to go that route.

 

[donzilla69]

Glad you found it and it wasn't anything real bad .
Don

 

[ch215]

Gates makes a oil cooler bypass hose p/n 18959, any auto parts store should have it. I have one on my car. If you want to go that route.

This was a major help - Thank you!

@Don - Thank you sir I'm glad too