1972 Cutlass Supreme 350 CI 4BBL
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 30
1972 Cutlass Supreme 350 CI 4BBL
Hello Folks,
I have two oil stains on my garage floor. One under the engine, one under the transmission. My Q is, what gaskets or parts could be the source of these leaks? Could somebody summarize the parts that could be responsible for the leaks, so I can figure where I'm going with repair costs. I'm thinking oil pan and transmission filter ( even though I've had it changed 2 times at tire kingdom ) ....
I have two oil stains on my garage floor. One under the engine, one under the transmission. My Q is, what gaskets or parts could be the source of these leaks? Could somebody summarize the parts that could be responsible for the leaks, so I can figure where I'm going with repair costs. I'm thinking oil pan and transmission filter ( even though I've had it changed 2 times at tire kingdom ) ....
72 Olds CS
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 6,657
Summary of parts = engine and transmission
idk what tire kingdom is but I will guess most of their employees don't take as much pride in their work as you do in your car. I.e. They may not be the best place to bring it for repairs.
the engine may likely leak from several sources like the valve covers, intake, rear main seal and oil pan. If you clean the engine you may be able to then narrow down the source of the leak.
the trans could leak at the pan, the dipstick seal, or could be converter drain back that causes an overfull condition leading to leaking. Cleaning the trans and then inspecting may also give you some insight into the source of the leak.
if the leaks are just drips from being an old car as opposed to adding quarts of fluid a week I would just keep an old piece of cardboard under the car when parked this will prevent driveway/garage floor staining and save you plenty of aggravation.
idk what tire kingdom is but I will guess most of their employees don't take as much pride in their work as you do in your car. I.e. They may not be the best place to bring it for repairs.
the engine may likely leak from several sources like the valve covers, intake, rear main seal and oil pan. If you clean the engine you may be able to then narrow down the source of the leak.
the trans could leak at the pan, the dipstick seal, or could be converter drain back that causes an overfull condition leading to leaking. Cleaning the trans and then inspecting may also give you some insight into the source of the leak.
if the leaks are just drips from being an old car as opposed to adding quarts of fluid a week I would just keep an old piece of cardboard under the car when parked this will prevent driveway/garage floor staining and save you plenty of aggravation.
Registered User
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 3,442
From: eastern MA
Much like Retro said, could be leaking from numerous places. Another common leak is front and rear seal on trans if its an automatic? Replacement of the front seal requires removal of trans. Clean floor underneath and place a big piece of heavy white poster board or paper. You will then be able to maybe see color of fluid: Oil=brown to black, Trans fluid=red, anti freeze=green, power steering fluid= starts fairly clear but ends dirty usually around steering box or pitman arm and hoses.
Registered User
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 15,310
From: Phoenix, AZ
Agree with the others. I can't remember a time in the past 30 years that I didn't have some type of drip on the car. Presently the trans leaks after having it rebuilt a couple years ago - one of the cooler line fittings seeps, but there has been a piece of cardboard under the car since forever to keep the garage floor clean.
Registered User
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 6,061
From: central Indiana
Your going to have to do some detective work to determine where the fluid is coming from. Anyplacewith a machined surface with fluid and a gasket to contain it is a potential leak. You probably have several small leaks, I don’t think your going to find old iron of any kind that doesn’t mark it’s territory. The most likely culprits are valve covers, oil pan, timing cover, rear main seal, the trans could be oil pan, pump gasket and/or the o-ring, speedo housing, speedo cable seal, etc. One way to find out exactly where the oil is coming from is to add just a little of the fluorescent dye used to find leaks in A/C systems, add a little to the engine and trans. Take it for a long test drive, the dye will be easy to see with a black light. The dye is available at most parts stores for a few bucks.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
