Newb Oil Question...

[80Grand_LeMans]

I was driving today when my oil started pouring out. It got towed to my house and sat there for a while without leaking at all. It only leaks when the engine is on. It is coming from the rear of the engine close to the firewall and is coming out in a slow but steady trickle close to the top of the engine and looks like its in the middle. I can't give a very good description because I can only see where it is trickling, not where its actually coming from. I know its not the valve covers because they were replaced and I can see its not from there. Just kinda looking for a small list of what it could be. Its a 3.8 229 Chevy.

Thanks.

 

[80montecarlo]

intake manifold most likely

 

[slim69]

intake or oil pressurer sending unit its beside the distributor

 

[80Grand_LeMans]

Thanks for the responses. If its an intake gasket I was thinking of replacing the head gaskets too so they dont go on me later on. What would I need to know when putting everything back together (my friend mentioned something about needing to know about spacing or something). I'll check the sending unit first though, thanks.

 

[80Grand_LeMans]

Also, if it is the intake manifold, could that be the reason why my car wants to stall on me during accelerating?

 

[Doober]

That would probably be a fuel issue, or a carb issue. The oil could also be coming from an oil galley plug, though coming loose while driving down the road is highly unlikely. How fast is it "pouring" out? If it's a slow, steady run take a flashlight and see if you can track it down. The oil pressure switch/sending unit is the first/easiest place to look as well, also take a look at the oil filter, see if something happened there.

 

[80Grand_LeMans]

I was thinking the intake would be causing a vaccuum leak or something, maybe. I'm not home now so I can't look at it so I will have to double check when I get some time. I took a quick look and saw the stream coming out from near the distributor. It was slow and got faster when I pushed the throttle. I couldn't get a good look though because of limited space.

If it is the oil sending unit what would be needed to be replaced or how would I go about repairing it?

 

[slim69]

the intake could cause a vacum leak does it have a mis at all at idle

 

[80Grand_LeMans]

It is very picky and chooses to do different things everyday. Sometimes it doesnt want to start, and when that happens it sounds like its on 5 cylinders then kicks back into 6. Only when it kicks back will it stay on at idle, if not it dies. That happens every now and then. Mostly, it bogs down when I press of the gas from a stop and also it never wants to accelerate fast but then randomly kicks into high rpms. I'm thinking that is the accelorater pump but if its the intake that would make me very happy, haha.

 

[mhamilton]

If it's oil streaming out, (as others have said) the likely culprit is the oil pressure switch at the rear of the block. You won't really get a stream that varies with throttle out of the intake seal or a dist gasket. Not bad to change, but I've learned to buy the best switch the store sells (Napa has a cheap $3, and one for $20... there *is* a difference!)

Not the easiest job, kind of cramped with the carb, EGR, and dist. I'd suggest marking and removing the dist, it will make things a lot easier. If you can get the correct size deep socket (I think it's about 1") that would really speed things up.

The 229 has issues of its own with idle vibrations, so I wouldn't lump that in with this problem. Also the acceleration bogging and hard starting won't be oil related.