Oil Pump Gasket Leak

[grslightng02]

I need some advice and suggestions. I took my GT in and changed the oil and filter at the beginning of the month. Within a week and a half my oil light was going on. I figured my oil pump must be going bad. I checked the oil only to find out it was nearly empty. I added 3 qts of oil and the pressure went back up to 2.5 on the freeway.

I took the car back to the oil place thinking they had not tighetened the oil bolt enough. The mechanic took me under the car and showed me there was no oil from the drain bolt. The oil seems to be leaking from the oil pump (gasket?) and traveling backwards onto the oil and transmission pan while I drive.

I'm working on a limited budget right now. Is this something that can be managed by checking my oil level on a regular basis and adding oil when needed? Or is this something that is going to get worse quickly and needs attention asap?

I would like to put a new seal on the oil pan and oil pump, but what's involved? and how expensive?

[First opel 1981]

If its the gasket on the oil pump itself then its an easy repair. The gasket is (as I recall) 100% external. What could have happened, however, is you might have a cracked oil pump cover. One way to find out is to clean it very well with carb cleaner and then start the car and look.
I will say it will get worse.
Back when I was new in Opels I cracked mine. It went from a quart a week to 2 quarts a day (15 miles each way to work). It was so bad that after a couple weeks you could see the path I took to work. I thought the job was going to take a few hours to fix but I took care of it in less than a half hour.

Better to fix it before it gets too bad.

The gasket is a little over $2 from OpelGTsource Opel GT Source --- Online Store --- Engine

Thats cheaper than a quart of oil.

[bgdowski]

Yeah, I wouldnt want to mess around with having a leak at the pump, it may cause low oil pressure, thus resulting in poor component lubrication. The oil pump is easy to gain access to, and easy to work on. Whatever the price, it will be cheaper than the oil to refill it, and quite a bit cheaper then replacing internals due to excessive wear. Track down the problem and repair it for good!

Good luck!

[grslightng02]

So it is possible to remove the oil pump cover and put a new gasket on without opening up all sorts of other things?

I just pulled the differential cover a couple weeks ago and cleaned and painted it and put a new gasket on and changed the diff fluid. If it's as uncomplicated as that then I should be ok.

And the oil pan gasket... I've been warned that's a big project since you'll need an engine hoist to support the motor when you take the motor mount off to get to the oil pan?

[hrcollinsjr]

So it is possible to remove the oil pump cover and put a new gasket on without opening up all sorts of other things.

I just pulled the differential cover a couple weeks ago and cleaned and painted it and put a new gasket on and changed the diff fluid. If it's as uncomplicated as that then I should be ok.?

Yes, it as simple as the differential cover and possibly easier if you can get the car up where you can get to it.

And the oil pan gasket... I've been warned that's a big project since you'll need an engine hoist to support the motor when you take the motor mount off to get to the oil pan?

Always more difficult in the car because you're working against gravity and oil seems to be constantly coming from nowhere.

I'm not really use to pump covers leaking unless they've been damaged, usually by someone not being careful when removing the engine in a GT. Two places up front I would check for oil leaks that might look like oil pump leaks. First place would be the front seal in the timing cover and the second is fuel pumps being overtightened crushing the spacer between the fuel pump and the housing.

Do check everything up above on the front of the engine as the pump is the low point where the oil is going to drip from whether it's leaking from there or not.

HTH,
Harold

[Wolfman3002]

What I find strange is that this happened just after the oil change. Was anything done to the oil pump cover during this same time period? Could the oil possibly be leaking from a badly sealed oil filter gasket? JMTCW.
Randy

[First opel 1981]

What I find strange is that this happened just after the oil change. Was anything done to the oil pump cover during this same time period? Could the oil possibly be leaking from a badly sealed oil filter gasket? JMTCW.
Randy

The oil filter gasket could be leaking, of course, but there is another small, unlikely possibility. It happened to me once.
The oil filter ends up being close to things that could puncture it. In the interest of universal fitting some oil filters are listed that are a little longer than the engine compartment allows, especially if the motor mounts are a tiny bit squashed. Well, the oil filter ends up rubbing on the frame (or suspension, I can't remember) and will end up leaking.
Check for damage to the oil filter. It's hard to see. If that is your problem, be forewarned that one bump can damage the oil filter to a point of stranding you. Mine umped 3 quarts of oil in a matter of a couple miles. Luckily I caught it before it fried my engine completely.

It's worth a check.

[lezliewk]

You do not have to remove the pan on a 1.9. The pump is external and an easy check. I just replaced mine . Buy a new gasket from opelgtsource and they will send you instructions. very easy job.

[RallyBob]

Just a note, the oil pump cover bolts are teeny 6mm bolts (10 mm head). Tighten them nice and easy, the torque spec is something like 6-11 ft lbs!

Here's the oil pump location on the lower front of the engine (albeit this is a bit shined up!).

[Gordy]

Great looking engine Bob!

[kwilford]

Here's the oil pump location on the lower front of the engine (albeit this is a bit shined up!).

..albeit with a set of auxiliary fittings for a remote filter where the OEM spin-on filter once resided. Whatever happened to that engine Bob?

I would be looking for a leaking oil filter (missing or incorrect sealing ring), or even a leaking front engine seal, WAY before I would suspect that the oil pump cover was leaking. It is very suspicious that the leak started immediately after the oil change, likely performed by a person or persons lacking any substantial mechanical skills at the lube shop, let alone by a person familiar with Opels.

[Redskinsjbs]

Could it be something as simple as the wrong weight oil? Or they used synthetic instead of normal oil? i know that synthetic is far less viscous than normal oil, so it finds all of the places that would normally not otherwise leak. Most likely not the case, but it never hurts to check the simple things first

[RallyBob]

..albeit with a set of auxiliary fittings for a remote filter where the OEM spin-on filter once resided. Whatever happened to that engine Bob?

Project got put on hold due to the lack of a workshop some time ago. Now I have a workshop but no time to get to it! That same engine will be on display at my meet next week however. I want to get back on that car by next summer...engine, tranny, brakes, and a full coil over suspension need to be done.

Sorry for the hijacking.

Back to our regularly scheduled programming.

[trlmr]

I looked in a service manual just to be sure: The correct torque is 60 inch lbs for a 6mm bolt.

[yellaopelgt]

Just a note, the oil pump cover bolts are teeny 6mm bolts (10 mm head). Tighten them nice and easy, the torque spec is something like 6-11 ft lbs!

Here's the oil pump location on the lower front of the engine (albeit this is a bit shined up!).

The cover and threads are aluminum, might it be an overzealous mechanic tightened them and accidentally stripped them??? It doesnt take much.......If your oil pressure is good and steady when full, I'd think the gears and cover plate are good. Inspect the timing cover/oil pump housing for cracks,front seal,fuel pump,and head gasket would maybe be next. Could even be the actual oil pan......as stated, the oil pump gasket is a cheap and easy fix.(make sure its the thin green? one) Just be sure thats where its coming from. Oh, BTW dont forget to prime the oil pump before you start the engine again if you pull it apart!
I might also be suspicious of a pinched oil filter gasket or stripped oil plug since it being so recent......
HTH
Joe

[AZManta]

The best way I found to prime the oil pump is to pack it with wheel bearing grease. It also helps to hold the gears in place.

[grslightng02]

Thanks for all the advice and suggestions guys!

The previous owners of this car were less than attentive, but the car isn't a disaster. The first time I changed the oil was in the summer and I put 20/50 oil in the car, since the engine is older and has not been rebuilt and it got to the 90's and 100's here this summer. When I changed the oil the next time this December I'm sure the car had less than 1,000 miles on it, but I had run a couple cans of SEAFOAM through it, and the weather was MUCH cooler so I put in 10/30 oil along with some of the ZDDP from OGTS. The oil pressure usually runs about 2 or 2.5 at the highest. Lower than I would prefer.

When I went back to Jiffy Lube the manager was kind enough to take me down below the car in the pit and show me the drain bolt was not leaking and he said the oil looked like it was coming from near the oil pump.

I'll replace the oil pump gasket and be careful not to overtorque the bolts. My next desire would be to change the timing cover seal and see if these two things help. I didn't see oil on the filter itself so I doubt that's the problem.

I'd like to do as many minor maintenance things to keep the car running as my get around town car. Obviously doing a complete rebuild would be the best solution, but not exactly in my budget at this time.

What all is involved in changing the timing cover gasket? as in... what all else do I need to remove or tear down to get to it?

[First opel 1981]

Thanks for all the advice and suggestions guys!

The previous owners of this car were less than attentive, but the car isn't a disaster. The first time I changed the oil was in the summer and I put 20/50 oil in the car, since the engine is older and has not been rebuilt and it got to the 90's and 100's here this summer. When I changed the oil the next time this December I'm sure the car had less than 1,000 miles on it, but I had run a couple cans of SEAFOAM through it, and the weather was MUCH cooler so I put in 10/30 oil along with some of the ZDDP from OGTS. The oil pressure usually runs about 2 or 2.5 at the highest. Lower than I would prefer.

When I went back to Jiffy Lube the manager was kind enough to take me down below the car in the pit and show me the drain bolt was not leaking and he said the oil looked like it was coming from near the oil pump.

I'll replace the oil pump gasket and be careful not to overtorque the bolts. My next desire would be to change the timing cover seal and see if these two things help. I didn't see oil on the filter itself so I doubt that's the problem.

I'd like to do as many minor maintenance things to keep the car running as my get around town car. Obviously doing a complete rebuild would be the best solution, but not exactly in my budget at this time.

What all is involved in changing the timing cover gasket? as in... what all else do I need to remove or tear down to get to it?

I hate to say it but to do a timing cover gasket, you might as well regasket the entire engine.

You see, the timing cover is put on before the head and before the oil pan. It is sandwiched between the two. On top of that, you would need to pull the water pump as there is a bolt hiding under the water pump as well.

There is virtually no way to pull the timing cover without either pulling the oil pan or pulling the head.

The good news is gasket sets aren't all that expensive if you buy them at Autozone. (I bought one yesterday for $83.99)

[hrcollinsjr]

What all is involved in changing the timing cover gasket? as in... what all else do I need to remove or tear down to get to it?

The head and oil pan need to come off. Can you do it without pulling the head? Yes. Is it recommended? In my opinion no. It is just too easy to roll the little rubber gasket that is separate from the head gasket when trying to reinstall the timing cover. I would check the tightness of the timing cover bolts. If any are loose this may help enough that you can live with it for awhile. If you pull the front cover replace your timing chain while you are there, they are cheap!

Harold

[GTJIM]

If the GT did not leak/use oil before the oil change then it is surely something that was done during the oil change ...

The most likely culprit is an incorrectly fitted filter seal or a ruptured oil filter.
The cheapest and easiest thing to do is get a new oil filter, remove the one that has been recently fitted and examine it carefully.

10 to 1 odds that it is the filter seal where it contacts the front cover - or the sealing face was gouged when they removed the old filter ....

Make sure the correct filer has been used! Fram PH966B or equivalent.

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