Oil oil everywhere....Help me!!!
 

Hey all you smart guys and girls! I need your help.
My 1992 SVX has a problem with not wanting to keep it's oil in the right places. I have talked to it many times but it wont listen.

I have an oil leak(s) that seem to be from the front side or so it seems. When it leaks while driving pretty much, it blows down the front and sides and onto the hot exhaust causing nice smoke when i stop at a red light. Very Embarasing! not good for the SVXer right? I had the shop check it out and they replaced a couple hoses that they said were old and cracked. So i think ok it's good to go. I took a trip to Colorado and back to Utah 1000 miles went through 2 quarts all over the engine and exhaust.

The other day i degreased the engine best I could on the front and bottom.
The only new oil I see is from the rocker covers (both sides) and under the back side there is a lot dripping on what looks lke 3 or 4 small pipe/tubes running horizontal under the engine by the tranny. Are these pipes anything related? Or is there a spot on the back or back lower side of the engine that could leak a lot at high milage or high speed?

I'm going nutz please give me all your advise.

Thanks, Mark

Is the oil coming from the valve covers, or is it dripping on the valve covers? The lines near the tranny sound like power steering lines. Probably just motor oil dripping onto them.

When tracing an oil leak, start at the upper-most, furthest forward spot and work down and back; the way the oil will be dripping while driving.

How many miles are on your car. Ever had crank/cam seals or valve cover gaskets done?

How many miles
 

if you are anywhere near 100,000 or so you might want to check the front main seal (rear main too) along with timing belts and water pump.... 2 quarts in 1000 miles is a lot!

Well i've never had cam or cover work done so Nope on that one the gaskets do look pretty old though so i might replace those first anyway. Not too bad I here. I have 118,000 on the old girl and she treats me well for the most part. Threw in a new tranny at 102,000 oil leak started before that.
I'm not the most part savy so what and where are the front and rear main seals?
Timing belt and water pump are clean no leaks or troubles.

Front main seal is in the very front of your engine, where the center pulley is. There are also cam seals (one on either side) that could need replacing (main and cam seals are beneath the plastic cover, as well as the timing belt).

Thats seems easy enough to check. I have this week off so i better get crackin. Thanks for all the help. I will check these main spots and see what happens.
My guess is the rear mainseal is on the oppisite side of the engine right? Is it easy to check?

Let me know of any other ideas.

Definitely get the car up on a lift and do the "where do things start getting oily" check. Are there oil spots on the ground where you park the car? If "no", I'd focus on dynamic seals - cam and crank. Given the volume of smoke you've described, I'd be more inclined to think your high pressure power steering line has gone bad....

They're really not that easy to check. I mean, you can tell easily enough whether or not your leak is coming from there - oil leaking through the timing belt cover will tell you it's the front crank seal or one of the cam seals.

But actually getting to any of them takes a fair bit of work.

The rear main seal is in the back of the engine. I've never had mine leak, but I guess you'd see oil coming from between the engine and tranny if it was the source.

I don't see where we've asked if this is engine oil or ATF. We could at least narrow the leak source down a bit.

Definitely Oil. I have been having to add oil regularly. ATF is fine always level. Good question though.

If any of the front engine seals are worn (crank/cam) the you will have oil coming out of the bottom of the timing belt cover.

Here's what my engine currently looks like:

http://dcss.dyn.dhs.org/pics/5spd/IM002327.jpg

I look at the leaks this way - you're constantly changing the oil so the engine should last longer (provided you don't let it run out :D )

Also, if anyone wants to know where the block heater is supposed to go you should be able to see it in this pic as well.