Intake gasket

[doberman_52]

My intake gasket is leaking again, but instead of losing antifreeze, I'm losing oil. How long will it take for a semi-knowledgeable mechanic to do one? 4 - 5 hours, maybe 6? And what gaskets would come in the kit? I forgot to ask.

[wrightz28]

oil? From the base?

Are you sure it's not a seeping valve cover?

[doberman_52]

I've been doing some mentoring (job shadowing basically) for a mechanic. When I was doing an oil change in my car I noticed a bit of oil dripping down the oil pan, I had thought maybe the oil pan gasket was leaking. When I dropped the lift, he looked up top and said it was the intake leaking. It's been leaking for a while, before it was just antifreeze, so I had put in some liquid silver, nd that worked for that. But I'm not sure if I want to do it now or just leav it because I'm getting a new car soon.

[wrightz28]

Ok, here's the thing that get's me tho; there is no oil in the intake manifold, and if there where you'd have a real problem

The only way the intake mainfold comes in contact with engine oil is underneath it, in the lifter valley, but unless you rev the everyliving heck out of your motor, and I mean alot, oil should never even touch it. I'm at a los here.

[doberman_52]

Yeah, thats what I was thinking too, but I was never answered when I asked my dad how oil gets into the intake. Im not to knowledgable when it comes the the heads, so I wasn't sure. I think I will clean up around the valve covers and see if thats it. There is so much crap around the intake, valve covers, and heads on this it's not funny. but I never seem to lose any oil, but it drips. But I also havent checked it in the last 2 weeks until wednesday when I did the oil change, I didnt check it before. But I'm losing enough to go down and drip off the bottom of the pan, and completley suround the oil pan at the gasket. This car is really agrivating, I have had so many problems with it. But yes, it does get reved a bit, not a lot, but most of my highway/interstate take offs are hard and do go till shift point round 45 mph, but it shouldnt cause it because its only for a few seconds.

[wrightz28]

Only way oil gets into a intake manifold is through a stuck open pcv valve (and engine breathers on vintage motors). There are no passages or galleys from the heads.

Truth be known, if the mechanic is older and been in the business a while, he could be testing you, trust me, I had a kid looking around for hours for a "bolt stretcher" when I said I needed one, to burst his virgin bubble (and for my own enjoyment) Either that or they paired you up with a numbnut just to keep him busy and hands off as many cars as possible.

You're on the right track by just cleaning it up and monitering for a leak. The lower manifold (valley gaskets) are inherently poor sealers over time (hell even new you should use a bead of black RTV). What usually ends up being the case is the valve covers have a leak to them and then anit-freeze gets mixed in and it all looks like oil.

[doberman_52]

He was testing me then, cuz there is only 2 mechanics there and they both know what they are doing...wouldn't be the first time. He tried telling me once tat 3 litres was 3 cylinders or something like that. He does a lot of auto tuning at another shop. He just bought an 87 supra and is going too build that up. Would it be ok to power wash it? It would be faster and I'd get more cleaned. Otherwise I need to get more carb cleaner and rags...

Edit: If the pcv valve was opened, it could just be cleaned, right? And thats the deal coming out of the valve cover? If its dirty antifreeze, would that be the intake gasket then?

[wrightz28]

cover up anything and everything elctrical, ie- alternator, coil pack etc. if you're going to power wash it

If the pcv is dirty and clogged, just replace it. I replace mine every other oil change along with the the charcoal canister and air filters.

[doberman_52]

never changed that at all, I never knew it should be changed real often. Cover up throttle body too? I'm gonna do some research onn the heads and intake so if he tries to test me when I talk to him about it, ill know, cuz Im sure he will.

[wrightz28]

It doesn't neccessarily need to be changes that often. It's just cheap and I always maintian my cars for max. efficiency.

Check ou howstuffworks.com, great place to get a mental picture on some 'stuff'.

[doberman_52]

I was plannin on howstuffworks.com...an awesome site that has a lot of info, gotten a lot of stuff for some research papers there. You can also learn some bad things there too...or was that wiki...both...

And I have never changed the pcv, and ive put just over 10k since I bought it, so I'm sure it needs to be changed.

[wrightz28]

Pull the hose, and stick you rpinky in it, that's the one way oil gets in the intake.

I'm not sure about your motor, but, on my 3.8 the pcv hose ran to a tube that connected to the air intake ducting just after the MAF and before the throttle body. When I bought the car it was severly neglected and there was oil all over inside the throttle body and gunked up the butterfly.

[doberman_52]

Hmmmmm...
I have the hose, but I have never looked at where it went to. If its not raining out when I get home, I may go out and check that, and might hose the engine down, and take a tooth brush to the valve cover seat (whatever the bottom where it connects to the head is called) and to any spots that i missed when hosing it. So it really isn't feasible to clean the valve? Cuz it wont be for another few days till I can get one.


Oh...and my MAF is in the throttle body, I have no hoses that went to the air ducting. Right now there is no air ducting cuz i have ram air, just a cone filter right on the throttle body housing.

[doberman_52]

Upon further look, it looks like it could be a head gasket. Its raining out so I'm not going to do anything today, and I need to move into my other room. Once I get it cleaned and wait, I'll know.