hi

i have a slow cascade of oil leaking somewhere under the intake manifold between cylinders 2 and 3. there are a couple sensors there tapped into the block i think a knock sensor and a coolant sensor ... any chance this could be the source of it ? or is it likely a weak spot in the head gasket that is leaking up from wind etc and coating the highest of these two sensors ? it of course also leaks down and after i wipe it, fresh oil is there anew all the way to the oil pan. can someone suggest places to test or look? ... i'm trying to dry the engine bay of oil before switching to synthetic.

front 3 seals are done and valve cover gasket done, everything front and top and exhaust side is tight and dry, just need to deal with the firewall backside and this drivers side now.

Hi there,

Sorry to say I had a leak like this above the knock sensor that went away when I changed the head gasket later as part of an unrelated valve problem. It wasn't a bad leak - good light and a few cotton swabs gave me the "bad" news.
--
Art Benstein near Baltimore

Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live.

Sure that this is not coming from the breather box?

Oil from there can get all over that side of the engine.

Just a thought,

Paul

that breather box is definately on my to do list ...

can you tell me if i need to buy O-rings or gasket or something to make the job go well on re-assembly ?

I didn't catch what year your car is.

I had a problem with a leak that kept bugging me just like that on my '86. I thought for a long time it might be a head gasket from the way it stayed under the manifold. Guess oil hit the edge that stuck out and ran from the corner of the head forward.

It turned out to be the rear valve cover seal was creeping out from shrinkage or excessive crankcase pressure. The seal is larger on I think '85 and up cars. IPD sells a plate to help retain them. I bought one then copied it for my '91 when I got it.

The o-ring on the flame trap can get very hard with age. It is on the housing that fits down inside the engine. The oil from there vapors all around it, but mostly down. That is all I've ever seen the flame trap do.

Just my two cents,
Phil