so I had a bit of time today. yesterday I went to the power wash place and really cleaned the back of the engine good. Even took my floor jack and took the two front wheels off to get everything cleaned out Then this morning put the car up on jack stands and took the upper left motor mount wishbone off so I could see.
What is happening is that under the tensioner, on top of the timing cover and in front of the block I'm getting a small pool of oil that eventually fills up that little "reservoir" and spills over onto the front of the timing cover then runs down the engine just in front of the belt tensioner and to the pan. While Driving it blows all over the place. This is not a small leak
here's a video of the engine running and the oil coming out
Shared with Dropbox
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And a photo that show the "puddle"
Shared with Dropbox
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since I did the head gasket I can only think of two reasons this would leak here:
- The head was not flat and doing the gasket didn't help me at all. I did put the anerobic sealant on the deck across the joint between the timing cover and the block under the head gasket
- the timing cover to block joint itself is leaking there. as you can see in the photo the timing cover is "shorter" than the block so the block sticks up just where the oil is pooling. IF the timing cover joint has failed enough splashing around will push oil "up" through that joint.
Whatever it is, the reality is that the timing cover is going to have to come off, the head checked for flatness and the whole thing done again.
Interesting and grateful.
Yesterday my 03 144k black 95 wagon jumped the serpentine belt just off the hiway.
I pulled over into the parking lot and took a deep breath.
The very black and nasty oily slippery serpentine belt was in one piece with a notch out on the edge, but wtf.
A guy pulled up behind me a few minutes later and offered me and my partner a ride. Turned out he had been sponsored as a kid in autocross and made a career of it. Ray somebody.
We chatted and I showed him around my sorta reclaimed offgrid rainforest pali 3 acres lot here in Puna. After some oregon weed and praying I had all the tools I needed, he then took me back to the parking lot, did his shopping, and 10 minutes later checked in with me and left.
By that time I had the car jacked, wheel off and yoke removed. Then the slippery serpentine fun began threading in a old but dry belt that I had spare.
The steering pump pulley grooves were filling up with black rubber and there was a small stone about 1/16 dia wedged in one of the groves. It's was a power wash job before I go in there again!
I knew I had a leak there, I had bought, months ago, the new tensioner seal and washer. But my car fix time was consumed by issues changing the auto tranny on my $400 08 72k red wagon and I had forgotten. Done, new tranny is perfect,
but the national rear seal leaks and I have to recheck the compression on #1 it was 125 lbs vs 160 for the others..
Any of these a better rear seal solution?
https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/saab,2008,9-5,2.3l+l4+turbocharged,1441699,engine,crankshaft+seal,5604
SIDE NOTE:
Also I had neglected to change the hot water controller on my black wagon that blew out at 11,000 feet up Mauna Loa scouting to hike to the top at 13,674' (which I've now hiked a few times)
Fun driving down to around 6k' in 10 miles with no power brakes or steering on a single lane road. I borrowed a screwdriver from the Hawaiian protectors encampment provisions tent (they're organized) right there at saddle road junction up to Mauna Kea. They only had one screwdriver but with a long tip and exactly what I needed because they were crocodile clamps - and by chance I had the heater controller in the car. Well it took a couple of hours in the strong winds and my partner gripping onto the bonet as I learned how to dive deep to switch out the controller at the back of the engine.
Like I said, grateful, and to you unclemiltie for all the suggestions you've shared with me personally and on this forum. TY
- So' that's were I need to check too after I get out the power washer. Great.