ok i did my valve cover gasket and everything seems to be perfect. i drove it around a little after doing it and checked it and no oil around the valve cover. i went to work, i work 3rd shift, and then came back home and there was a big oil puddle where i had parked! i checked the valve cover again and it's clean from what i can tell all the way around. i looked under the car and the oil pan has just a little on it and what i think is the oil cooler, connected to oil flter right? is really wet with it? how do i know where this is coming from? the only reason i did the valve cover was because i took it to a mechanic to have them check it out and they said that was the only thing leaking, they put some kind of dye or something in the oil so they could tell. i wanna stop this so bad cause i know oil is the LIFE BLOOD of the engine and i wanna spend my money on mods instead of repairs!

oh and is there any way this might be cause from the wrong oil filter since it is really wet around in that area?

ok i'm gonna take a guess here and say it's the camshaft oil seals. the reason being that without taking the T-cover off that appears to be where most oil is coming from and there is oil underneath the spark plug cover. i've been reading on how to replace those seals but the only thing the manuals give is how to take the camshafts out. so i guess my question is do i have to take the camshafts out to replace the seals or do i just have to take off the camshaft sprockets? what all would i need to replace them as far as any kind of sealant or anything to make sure there in there good?

Thanks for the guitar help. I'm gonna try and help you out with this oil problem now. I'm having trouble visualizing where your oil leak is. Is it around the head near the valve cover that you just put a new gasket on? Is it around the oil filter housing?

Did you RTV the valve cover gasket? And if so did you let it dry for long enough before driving? Did you put enough on?

Also, get under tha car and tighten the oil filter as much as possible and see if that helps. I know I'm vague, but I'm just covering all the little bases while I wait for you to fill me in on the stuff I don't know about the leak.

ok i was looking on tuners and there seem to be some people over there that have the exact same type leak. anyway i'll try to take some pics too to show you guys exactly where it's at. ok well i'm pretty sure the valve cover isn't leaking anymore cause there is no oil that i can tell coming out of where it was coming from. and there is a puddle of oil underneath the spark plug cover and oil around the timing belt area. also the oil pan has some on it and if you take your finger and just rubb around on the oil cooler, filter and around that area you get a big drop on your finger. the people on tuners seem to think that it either comes form cam shaft oil seals, front main seal, or the sprocket on the oil pump. and i'm sort of leaning toward it being the camshaft oil seals since there is oil underneath the spark plug cover. here is the link on tuners if it might help... http://dsmtuners.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=104217

http://www.kaptainmyke.com/forums/index.php?act=Attach&type=post&id=20644
http://www.kaptainmyke.com/forums/index.php?act=Attach&type=post&id=20646
http://www.kaptainmyke.com/forums/index.php?act=Attach&type=post&id=20647
http://www.kaptainmyke.com/forums/index.php?act=Attach&type=post&id=20648
http://www.kaptainmyke.com/forums/index.php?act=Attach&type=post&id=20649
http://www.kaptainmyke.com/forums/index.php?act=Attach&type=post&id=20650

here's some pics of it. and while i was taking pics of everyhting i noticed this hole in my valve cover. it's the 4th pic down. there was oil in it so i stuck a zip tie in it to see if it was just a dent in the cover that had oil in it or a hole and the zip tie went all the way in. everything else around the vavle cover seems normal. i also took pics of near the oil filter and as you can see there is oil trickling down from somwhere?

Have you checked for any hairline cracks in the valve cover? It's really easy to tighten too much (even the stock torque specs in Chilton's can crack the VC) which I have done. This will cause a seemingly massive amount of oil to leak into the spark plug area.

Check for cracks (especially near the cam gear side) very carefully. That could be it.

i'll do that but what do you think about that hole?

Honestly, I don't have the first idea about that hole. It is just ahole that goes all the way into the cam area of the head? No oil leaks out of it? I don't have the first idea what the story is with that. It's like someone fell asleep while operating the drill.

oil under the spark plug cover could also be caused by an old dryed out oil cap. :P

That hole is there to drain oil out of the spark plug well in the valve cover. Convenient :)

Originally posted by Jeff_99gs
That hole is there to drain oil out of the spark plug well in the valve cover. Convenient :)

They should've put it on the other side. That's where mine seems to collect. Maybe I'll get a new oil cap or gasket when I order the rest of my goodies. The inner ricer in me keeps telling me to get a gREEDY cap though. hehe.

then where the hell is my DAMN oil leak!!!!! sorry just a little pissed at all this.