2002 dts oil pan leak.

[marlonphillips]

Hello.Great forum,I have a oil leak ,that looks like it is comming from the oil pan.or the main seal.I was told the transmission had to be removed to fix the pan gasket,Has anyone tackled this job if so how hard is it.Thanks

[MAC]

If it's a pan leak, it might be replaceable without removing the trans but the pan gasket still would have to be cut since the pan cannot be removed unless the engine cradle is dropped. In other words, assuming you could remove all the pan bolts (including the 3 hard to reach bolts), the oil pan still can only be dropped about 1.5 inches max. The pan gasket fits in a groove in the pan, then the pan is bolted and once oil hits the gasket it will swell to seal. To remove all the pan bolts, you would definitely need a 1/4-inch socket set with a long extension to even have a chance at removing the 3 or 4 pan bolts that are recessed near the transaxle. Then there may be another 13mm bolt securing an exhaust flange/support (assuming your DTS is similar to the 90s models), which is probably going to be the most difficult to get at. You would most likely have to cut whatever 13mm socket to where it will still fit over the bolt but will be compact enough to be able to stand-up and unscrew the bolt.

Now, I'm not sure what the conditions are concerning a 2002 DTS because I have never looked underneath one to see exactly how the oil pan, etc. is situated. I'm only assuming that things have not radically changed from 1994. I have not tried the method I discussed above, I have only been in a position to considered what would have to be done from a layman's point of view to even have a chance at replacing the oil pan gasket without dropping the engine cradle. The bottom line is that it would be a tedious job assuming it could be done.

Here is a link to the thread entitled "Repair Leaking Oil Pan, Without removing it!" I started just the other day about sealing a leaking oil pan using an epoxy sealant. Maybe this or something similar would be a good option for you.

[Logan]

Most engines will leak a little oil.

A spot here or there is nothing to loose sleep about.

I have a oil leak going now..I really think its the steering rack leaking..

New oil is always cheaper then new gaskets.

[marlonphillips]

If it's a pan leak, it might be replaceable without removing the trans but the pan gasket still would have to be cut since the pan cannot be removed unless the engine cradle is dropped. In other words, assuming you could remove all the pan bolts (including the 3 hard to reach bolts), the oil pan still can only be dropped about 1.5 inches max. The pan gasket fits in a groove in the pan, then the pan is bolted and once oil hits the gasket it will swell to seal. To remove all the pan bolts, you would definitely need a 1/4-inch socket set with a long extension to even have a chance at removing the 3 or 4 pan bolts that are recessed near the transaxle. Then there may be another 13mm bolt securing an exhaust flange/support (assuming your DTS is similar to the 90s models), which is probably going to be the most difficult to get at. You would most likely have to cut whatever 13mm socket to where it will still fit over the bolt but will be compact enough to be able to stand-up and unscrew the bolt.

Now, I'm not sure what the conditions are concerning a 2002 DTS because I have never looked underneath one to see exactly how the oil pan, etc. is situated. I'm only assuming that things have not radically changed from 1994. I have not tried the method I discussed above, I have only been in a position to considered what would have to be done from a layman's point of view to even have a chance at replacing the oil pan gasket without dropping the engine cradle. The bottom line is that it would be a tedious job assuming it could be done.

Here is a link to the thread entitled "Repair Leaking Oil Pan, Without removing it!" I started just the other day about sealing a leaking oil pan using an epoxy sealant. Maybe this or something similar would be a good option for you.

Thanks Mac.The leak is more than a few drops ,It is getting the back of the car covered and I can smell the oil on the exhaust crossover pipe.I will research this a little more to see what I can come up with.Thanks

[marlonphillips]

Most engines will leak a little oil.

A spot here or there is nothing to loose sleep about.

I have a oil leak going now..I really think its the steering rack leaking..

New oil is always cheaper then new gaskets.

Thanks Logan,The oil leak is more than a few drops.I have tried the oil that claims to stop oil from leaking but does not stop my oil leak.Thanks

[MAC]

Most engines will leak a little oil.

A spot here or there is nothing to loose sleep about.

I have a oil leak going now..I really think its the steering rack leaking..

New oil is always cheaper then new gaskets.

Thanks Logan,The oil leak is more than a few drops.I have tried the oil that claims to stop oil from leaking but does not stop my oil leak.Thanks

I have also tried oil stop leak products and none of them worked. I even put 5 bottles in at the same time, but unfortunately the leaking persisted. I also attempted to drop the oil pan to apply gasket sealer; however, since I didn't have the tools to get at the hard to reach bolts I only managed to put sealer around about half way. The results were not good as the pan ended up leaking at places where I applied gasket sealer. Also, if you're able to drop the pan about 1.5 inches to apply gasket sealer it's important to be cautious not to apply too much because if sealer breaks off inside the pan it could clog the screen on the suction pipe and cause engine failure.

The epoxy sealer I applied seems to be holding but I'll have to do a visual inspection to confirm.

[marlonphillips]

Most engines will leak a little oil.

A spot here or there is nothing to loose sleep about.

I have a oil leak going now..I really think its the steering rack leaking..

New oil is always cheaper then new gaskets.

Thanks Logan,The oil leak is more than a few drops.I have tried the oil that claims to stop oil from leaking but does not stop my oil leak.Thanks

I have also tried oil stop leak products and none of them worked. I even put 5 bottles in at the same time, but unfortunately the leaking persisted. I also attempted to drop the oil pan to apply gasket sealer; however, since I didn't have the tools to get at the hard to reach bolts I only managed to put sealer around about half way. The results were not good as the pan ended up leaking at places where I applied gasket sealer. Also, if you're able to drop the pan about 1.5 inches to apply gasket sealer it's important to be cautious not to apply too much because if sealer breaks off inside the pan it could clog the screen on the suction pipe and cause engine failure.

The epoxy sealer I applied seems to be holding but I'll have to do a visual inspection to confirm.

Thanks Mac,let me know if the sealer works,I will be doing some research on the fix for the 2002 dts.