Leak Behind Crank Pulley - Not Oil Seal?

[BlazedGlory]

I recently finished building my S13 SR, and all is going well and running fine, but an oil leak appeared. It was very slow at first, but now it is dripping pretty good. Not enough for me to be adding oil all the time or anything, but enough for me to need to fix =P. I kept noticing oil flung up on my lower radiator hose, so realized it had to be hitting a pulley or belt. I looked behind the crank pulley, and that was clearly the source of the problem. I figured it was the front main oil seal, for that was the only part I didn't replace myself (bought a new timing cover with the seal already installed). Yesterday I pulled the pulley and replaced the seal. I noticed that there was a lot of oil on the bolt and washer, and was advised to put a little rtv on the washer and bolt before reinstalling. After putting everything back together with the new oil seal in place, I still have the same leak. I never had a problem when I ran the engine stock.

Is it probably the pulley itself? Is there anything else I should look for that may be causing the problem? Would it be ok to replace it with an UR underdrive pulley since I don't run A/C?

Thanks for the help...

[tchenku]

there's a little O ring behind the front cover that goes on the block itself. i'm pretty sure this is the problem. pull the cover back off and you'll notice a hole in the block that does nothing, but needs a O ring there to keep oil from leaking out. no matter if you've glued up your front cover, w/o this O ring, you'll still have leakage!

[1Via!]

Get a new front main seal, and make sure that you seat it properly.

[koukimonster139]

+1 tchenku
blaaaamsglength

[BlazedGlory]

there's a little O ring behind the front cover that goes on the block itself. i'm pretty sure this is the problem. pull the cover back off and you'll notice a hole in the block that does nothing, but needs a O ring there to keep oil from leaking out. no matter if you've glued up your front cover, w/o this O ring, you'll still have leakage!

Would lack of this o-ring make oil leak out around the crank? Or around the timing cover itself?

I'm pretty sure that is on there, but I can't actually remember because I worked slowly on this engine for so long... Any other ideas while I order one of these o-rings?

Thanks...

[BlazedGlory]

there's a little O ring behind the front cover that goes on the block itself. i'm pretty sure this is the problem. pull the cover back off and you'll notice a hole in the block that does nothing, but needs a O ring there to keep oil from leaking out. no matter if you've glued up your front cover, w/o this O ring, you'll still have leakage!

Well it is not the o-ring... I just spent mucho time ripping all that apart to see the o-ring staring me in the face... And that hole in the block is the main oil passage from the pump, it does more than nothing...

Anyone else have any input? I'm thinking about getting a new pulley...

[BlazedGlory]

It isn't the oil pan, for I just ripped all that apart to get the timing cover off, and still have the same leak...

Today I installed a spankin' new pulley, and I still have the same leak... It only leaks when I've driven on the freeway it seems (around 60psi) or when I drive it hard... I've also noticed that every time I pull the pulley it seems there is oil on the bolt threads. It almost seems that the oil is not coming around the front seal or between the seal and the crank, but somehow making it up through the key way or something, but not making it past the washer on the outside of the pulley because there is never oil on the front of the pulley...

Anyone at all out there? Am I building too much crankcase pressure for some reason or something? WTF?

[slider2828]

Well crank pressure is quite hard to measure. Since you changed the front main oil seal behind the crank, did you also pull the front timing chain cover off? Did you bold and rtv that? Also the front main timing chain cover is sandwich between the valve cover and the upper oil pan... Did you rtv the upper oil pan to the front main cover?

[BlazedGlory]

Well crank pressure is quite hard to measure. Since you changed the front main oil seal behind the crank, did you also pull the front timing chain cover off? Did you bold and rtv that? Also the front main timing chain cover is sandwich between the valve cover and the upper oil pan... Did you rtv the upper oil pan to the front main cover?

Yeah this is a fresh build, so everything was new (including timing cover/oil pump/pre-installed oil seal)... First I replaced the front oil seal... Then those guys above said the o-ring was gone, so I pulled both oil pans, valve cover, and timing cover to find the o-ring was sitting there... I should've known I wouldn't leave out something like that... And for what it's worth, I'm told if that o-ring was actually missing, your car would be pissing oil...

So yes, because I pulled all that and reinstalled it properly (RTV and bolts =) I know that it isn't from any of those areas... This is so frustrating and this leak makes no sense to me at all bleh...

[dopeassjackson]

is your pulley groved from the seal? if so this can make it leak

[slider2828]

That is true too because the crank has about 1 mm between the pulley and the block... Is it all the way in?