# 1968 GTO oil pan leak???



## rob40999 (May 18, 2018)

Hello All: I got a very small oil pan leak on my 68 GTO. About 3 drops over night. 

First: Would it be wise to put in a Oil Leak stop leak??
Second: Does the engine have to jacked up to change the Oil Pan
Gasket?? 

Engine has headers on her, and the engine is a 400 4 barrell.

Thank you, Bob


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## BearGFR (Aug 25, 2008)

First, are you sure it's coming from the oil pan and not the rear main seal? Perhaps running down from higher up and just dripping from the pan because that's the lowest point?

The oil "stop leak" products I'm aware of work by softening rubber gaskets and causing them to swell. I'm not sure I'd feel comfortable putting that in an engine myself. I'd stay with a reputable company, like Lucas, if you want to try it. If a seal is marginal it might help, might not.

If you want to try pulling the pan, yes the engine has to be raised - significantly. By the time you get everything disconnected enough so that you can raise it enough to pull the pan, you're not too far away from being able to pull the engine. It's MUCH easier to replace a pan gasket with the engine out.

Bear


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## Goat Roper (Oct 28, 2014)

Hi Rob

Bear pretty much nailed it, you can also try going over the pan bolts and retorquing them. Also you posted in the 2004-2006 GTO section of the site, I have moved your post to the proper forum page.


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## rob40999 (May 18, 2018)

*1968 gto oil leak*

Hello All: Let me explain better...

First oil leak: Oil leak in front of engine under timing cover. Oil just drops off the timing cover on right side of engine. Looks like it's coming out of the front off the oil pan running down under the timing marks.

Second oil leak: Oil dropping from back of engine on left side. Oil is seen
behind the carburator by distributor shaft. I've cleaned this area, and it takes a few miles for it to return. My dumb mechanic says it's coming from the Manifold gasket????

Thank you for any advice. Bobby


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## BearGFR (Aug 25, 2008)

For the one in the front, before you start tearing into things first try tightening the oil pan bolts around that area, including the ones that go into the back side of the timing cover. Don't go crazy with them, just make sure they're nice and snug. I'm assuming it's not leaking from the front timing cover seal around the balancer, so try to make sure of that. If you're getting oil around the distributor it's got to be coming from one of 4 places: the gasket around the distributor shaft itself (not very likely), the lifter cover/valley pan gasket (most likely, especially in the joints where the heads meet the block), the valve cover gasket(s), MAYBE the intake manifold gasket (if you have stock cast iron heads) - If its leaking there it will be coming from an area between the rear most intake port and the passage for the heater hose connection (or the plug that corresponds to it on the other head). None of these jobs is anywhere NEAR as involved as trying to work on the underside of the engine - pan gasket or rear seal.

Bear


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## geeteeohguy (Feb 2, 2008)

Again, what Bear said. Take it to the bank. Valley pan and valve cover most likely cause of topside oil leakage....many valley pans get tweaked from over-tightening. Could also be a hard PCV grommet, if it is in the rear. To reseal an oil pan or rear main on a Pontiac, always pull the engine and do a complete and neat job. The lure of an in-car repair of an oil pan leak is deceptive. You can get the engine jacked way up, and the pan free of the engine, but that pesky oil pump pickup tube will stop you dead every time. Try eliminating the topside leaks and go from there. Also, check your oil sending unit at the filter housing.


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## PontiacJim (Dec 29, 2012)

Your stupid mechanic could not fix the brakes and now you are letting him at the engine? Hmmm. I'm starting to smell a rat within these posts. Maybe no mechanic at all? :icon_bs:

https://www.gtoforum.com/f154/1968-gto-front-disc-brakes-dont-work-after-new-pads-installed-131427/


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## Goat Roper (Oct 28, 2014)

Oil always creates a path for oil.
When replacing valve cover gaskets clean all surfaces with a solvent or brake cleaner on a rag.
I use Ultra Blue to adhere cork gaskets to the valve covers and clean the mating surfaces on the heads.
I have removed the covers several times, wipe the cork and heads and still no leaks.
If you leave oil on either surface that is a guaranteed leak.
Same thing applies to the oil pan and all gasket surfaces.


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## rob40999 (May 18, 2018)

*1968 oil leak*

Hello All: Like to reply to PontiacJim Post. I really had a dumb mechanic. Now I got a smart mechanic he fixed the dumb mechanic bad brake job. As for me doing any work I wish I could. Disable Vet. I won't be doing any heavy work. I just do a lot of reading and buy parts. LOL

Like to Thank you all for your great advice.
Have a Happy 4th of July.. Let's make Bobby's GTO great AGAIN.... LOL


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## PontiacJim (Dec 29, 2012)

rob40999 said:


> Hello All: Like to reply to PontiacJim Post. I really had a dumb mechanic. Now I got a smart mechanic he fixed the dumb mechanic bad brake job. As for me doing any work I wish I could. Disable Vet. I won't be doing any heavy work. I just do a lot of reading and buy parts. LOL
> 
> Like to Thank you all for your great advice.
> Have a Happy 4th of July.. Let's make Bobby's GTO great AGAIN.... LOL



OK, glad to hear you really had a dumb mechanic, but finally found a good one. People are sometimes embarrassed to be forthright when they feel they don't know something but should, screwed up, or are asking a dumb question - so they use a "third party" voice or person. There are some forums, and I am a member of one of these, which are controlled by arrogant people who make you feel like an idiot or really don't know anymore than you do but have the money to own the cars and pay others to fix them.

Most of us here are more than willing to help and do our best to answer any problem if we have had the experience or can direct you into solving the problem. However, sometimes the question just isn't that simple to answer or it is an honest "unknown."

It is always best to equip yourself with knowledge about your car and or its mechanics. So many questions posed on the forum can be answered by referring to your vehicles Service Manual. Seems many don't want to invest in these and you can get them quite inexpensively on CD if you don't want a hard copy. If you at least have the manual, you can get an idea of what you might be speaking of and then it can sometimes make it easier to follow along with your request as many of us may know exactly what you now mean.

It is also good to be versed on your car's mechanical items and how it all goes together in order to protect yourself from the unscrupulous mechanics out there just looking to prey on the "unknowing" who just want to fix their car and will swallow the bill without question. People today don't seem to have much of a conscious anymore and guilt or shame doesn't seem to enter the picture. There are Chilton manuals out there (like on Ebay) that are flat rate manuals used by service shops of the day that tell you the amount of time given to fix, repair, or replace mechanical and body parts. It may take some "clown" 2 hours to change the points in the distributor when in fact it is probably a 1/2 hour job. BUT, because you have no understanding of point type distributors or how to change or set them, you are grateful that the "clown" who knows how and accept his $250 bill graciously in replacing them. I think all these TV shows feed into that so you expect to get raped and think it is the going price of old car ownership.

My point is, educate yourself as much as possible. Buy the material needed specifically for your car and how to maintain it. Read them. Expand out with books on rebuilding engines, carbs, ignitions, transmissions, rear ends, etc. if you think you are going to be keeping the car long term. Visit a local machine shop a time or 2 to watch and learn. Join an organization - local or national. Visit car shows and cruise-ins and mingle - lot of us old geezers who enjoy explaining or telling stories. BS'ing with one of my customers from work and he was complaining about his girlfriend and working on his GTO. I stopped him right there and asked what year? He has an original '69 Judge RA III 4-speed he bought as a kid, '71 Judge with built RA IV engine, '65 GTO convert, a 1700HP turbo 1970 Trans-Am drag car, RA IV stuff, RA V heads, GM experimental blocks, and more. Showed me a collection of photos to back it all up and he invited me to his house to see it all. Would have never known if we had not gotten into conversation. 

The more knowledge you have, the less chance you get the "dumb" mechanic and when you do, you recognize it quickly and pull him off your pride & joy and go looking for the "good" mechanic. These are our cars and you have to take charge of them as such or you will get raked over the coals and the person doing the raking will sleep easy at night because his pockets are lined with your money.


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## rob40999 (May 18, 2018)

*1968 gto oil leak*

To: PontiacJim

Thank you for the good advice. Be reading more manuals, and learning all about my 1968 GTO. Very fun ride to the golf course, and a evening meal on the beach. You all keep up the good work. 

I did take it to a car show here in Safety Harbor, FL. when they closed off
the main street. Learned a lot from all the other GTO owners. Lots of fun.
Got about 4 offers to sell it. I was really shocked. I guess I got a very rare matching numbers, and very clean car. I'm 66 years old, and looking to buy a big lot when I go. I'll be riding around in Heaven. LOL
Thank you all for the great advice Jim.
Bobby


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