Oil leak from rear of crank - LS1

[savage1987]

Changing the clutch tonight after the old one started to fail pretty hard.

Removed flywheel, oil came out of the flywheel bolt holes. Is this normal? Really want this sorted out before I put the new clutch in.

The car's up on stands at a pretty solid angle so that may have some effect...


Sam

[savage1987]

http://i534.photobucket.com/albums/ee345/sam_brown_05/my%20VN/clutch/SAM_2698.jpg

http://i534.photobucket.com/albums/ee345/sam_brown_05/my%20VN/clutch/SAM_2699.jpg

http://i534.photobucket.com/albums/ee345/sam_brown_05/my%20VN/clutch/SAM_2701.jpg

http://i534.photobucket.com/albums/ee345/sam_brown_05/my%20VN/clutch/SAM_2704.jpg

http://i534.photobucket.com/albums/ee345/sam_brown_05/my%20VN/clutch/SAM_2709.jpg

http://i534.photobucket.com/albums/ee345/sam_brown_05/my%20VN/clutch/SAM_2710.jpg

[savage1987]

surely someone must have an idea of what's going on here? :(

On this photo (http://speed-eng.com/store/images/GM%20LS1%20Crankshaft.jpg) of an LS1 crankshaft it looks like the bolt holes do indeed go right through that section of metal.. is it that straightforward and nothing to worry about?

[180SXTCY]

rear main seal?

[savage1987]

Hoping it isn't the crank welch plug at the moment.... that's a big job.

I'll replace the rear main this week sometime and see how we go. Anyone got a good reason to go for a genuine rear main over a felpro etc?

[RICEY]

I would think if it was the welch plug it would be leaking from behind the spigot bearing.

I think it's due to the flywheel bolt holes not being blind and the angle of the engine.

[RICEY]

If that rear plate is leaking you can buy a new plate with the rear main already fitted, can price up for you on Monday if you like.

Or just reseal it and fit a new rear main seal.

[savage1987]

Thanks man, is reassuring.

also, from LS1 forum:

Just had a look at my ls2 crank and my callies crank and the holes go right through on both. I always put red loctite on the threads which will seal them as well as stop them from coming undone.

and SirNemesis on there had the same thing with a perfectly fine rear main... so I'm becoming confident I can just put this new clutch in as it sits now with no issues.

[Marti]

replace rear main, and probebly use a good sealent on the fly wheel bolts to make sure no oil leaks past aswell

[savage1987]

OK after scouring the internet and talking with a few folks, apparently they do leak like this because they are not blind threads, so with the front of the car up on stands the oil is free to leak out the bolt holes. I didn't see any obvious leaks anywhere else so I have installed the new clutch. As expected, once the bolts went in the leak totally stopped.