2000 Deville Oil leak

[Tomsrig]

While having the CVC joint boots replaced both sides due to a leak, the dealer said I also had a oil

leak coming from up around the head gasket. They quoted me about$2,500 to fix it.

So I got a second opinion from a repair shop close to home. They

hoisted it up and looked closely at it and said the valve cover

gasket on both sides was leaking oil, and the oil pan gasket could be

leaking also.

They quoted $400 to fix the valve cover gasket leaks, and about $800

to fix the oil pan gasket leaks, saing their documents show they need

to remove the Transmission to get to the oil pan.

Does all this sound right? I mean, who ever heard of dropping the

transmission just to get to the oil pan? I've done a number of pan

gasket leak jobs on various cars I've owned, and all I did was remove

a bunch of bolts, drop the pan, install a new gasket, then put it

back again.

What am I facing here with this northstar engine? Is it really true you have to drop the transmission?

Tom

[kev2]

Nothing is easy on the northstar engine, nothing is cheap on a Cadi,

Heard this when I was only 19.....you got to pay to play...

All that being said, first thing keep a eye on the ol level, then its a math problem how much oil consumed/lost between changes, plus how upset the oil stains bother you, compared to expense.

SUGESTION you go ahead with the valve cover gaskets...price is about right I see @4.3 hrs,

there likely the lions sharre of problem, DEFINATELY avoid the quick fix 'stop leak" oil additives.

[KHE]

It is possible the cam cover gaskets are leaking - I would have the area pressure cleaned, add dye to the oil, then run the engine a short while and then go over the area with a black light to positively identify the source of the leak.

Yes - you need to remove the trans. to R&R the oil pan gasket and lower crankcase seal. There is a lot of stuff in the way such as the exhaust crossover pipe. The other option is engine removal but most places find it easier to drop the trans.

Oil pan gaskets were also a PITA for the old RWD cars too - the engine needed to be jacked up in order to provide clearance for the pickup tube and then it was a maze to R&R the gasket.

$400 seems awfully pricey to replace the cam cover gaskets... they are $15 each from your GM parts counter and are fairly easy to install. The water pump drive pulley needs to be removed from the front cam and that requires a power steering puller. It is easier to lower the engine cradle at the rear to provide better access to the rear cam cover. The cam cover grooves must be totally clean - any oily residue will cause the new gasket to swell (as designed) and then it will be too long to fit in the groove.

[Poobah]

If you just had the CVC joint boots replaced because they were leaking, you probably solved a good bit of any leakage you've noticed on the garage floor. I would just drive it for a while and see how much, if any, oil is still dripping from the underside of your Deville. It may not be as big a problem as you think. If it is still a nuisance after a week or two, I would try snugging up (not over-tightening) the oil pan and cam cover bolts.

Hope that helps.

[Tomsrig]

Thanks for the input, guys. I was afraid of all that. I did get the valve gaskets fixed at $401.00

They cleaned up all the oil around the engine so I can get an idea how much, if any, the oil pan gasket is leaking.

We'll see.

Tom