Codel

So a couple weeks ago my 04 EX started bleeding profusely. I had just backed out of the garage and rounded the corner when my step son noticed the garage lake and my wife called me. I came back, parked, and inspected it to find it oozing quite a bit. All told, there was probably a pint of oil on the garage from it sitting there for several hours (overnight, maybe?) KC is having a rough winter and the temps have been terrible with lots of snow so the roads are destroyed...lots of potholes and asphalt chunks flipping about, so immediate thought went to oil pan.
On inspection, it didn't appear to be the oil pan cracked or damaged, but the leak was coming from one corner and it did seem localized to that area, so I thought it was just a gasket that had cracked and blown on a hard pothole hit. 178K, by the way, so the rubber is old throughout. I also have been noticing blowoff from the little cam plug area so I decided to drop the oil pan and replace the gasket along with new valve covers, cam plug and egr valve gasket. I did all that and filled it up only to find it still bleeding as bad as ever, although i noticed it was pretty tame if just filled but much worse after running. I also noticed it was damp around the oil pump relief valve area and these forums led me to the o-ring. I dropped the pan again, pulled everything down and replaced the oil pump o-ring, main seal, timing belt (since it was due in 20K or so and probably oil contaminated) and new RTV on the oil pump and pan (again.) This time I let the RTV cure about 72 hours (around 40 degrees in my garage) while I ordered a factory front main seal. (the ones I got at the local auto parts stores were all getting roached trying to insert: pure crap.)

Tonight, I filled her back up and it's still bleeding after reassembling all of it. I seriously want to cry, thinking it is a cracked something or other... I did inspect carefully while i had everything tore apart and thought I had a bullseye on that oil pump o-ring--it was smashed to hell and as hard as a fiber washer with evidence of burn and soak all around it. There was no evidence of leaking around the cam nor anywhere on the front-upper side, although it is dripping from the driver's side. When i first filled it back up tonight a slow thread started coming down near center of the main seal but I found it was actually coming from higher up as it started to pool a drip around the bottom of the A/C compressor area while jacked up. I'm guessing oil doesn't run up-hill, so it has to be coming from somewhere higher up from the AC compressor and just tracking down around the timing cover, right?

Are there ANY other obvious areas I missed here? The rear of the engine is greasy but not fresh-greasy like a heavy leak, more like prolonged leaking from the cam cap. This is all FRESH oil and a decent stream from the forward front of the engine, by all indications. My next stop is naturally to do the ol dye test, but wanted to see if I overlooked any common areas that might be at risk here or am I likely looking at a block/crankcase crack? I should note no mingling of water/oil noted anywhere. If i look up under the engine on the exhaust side I can't see any new "wet" so I have to assume it's somewhere along the edge behind all of the pump/alt/compressor configuration? I know the obvious answer is to remove all of the timing covers, reassemble, degrease and dye test but I'm looking for any tips on areas that might be DIY even if I find it. I don't have money, space nor time to deal with a destroyed engine but I want my daily driver back. If I've hit all the prime areas then I don't want to waste more time doing more troubleshooting if the likelihood is that the engine is cracked somewhere and it's not a rational project for me to take on.

To recap as a TL;DR: New front main seal, oil pump gasket, oil pump o-ring, oil pan gasket, valve cover gasket and cam-end plug. Leak is a small river, heavier after running for a bit, concentrated evidence near A/C compressor.

Thanks in advance, double thanks if you bothered to read that giant rambling mess i just hacked out.

Colin42

degrease the engine and then sprinkle baby powder on the engine it will make finding the leak easier

ezone

If you installed gaskets instead of using quality RTV as the factory did, maybe that's the problem?

Codel

Nah, used that term loosely...it's all RTV on pan/pump. Thanks for the thought, though!

mac25

Remove the oil filter and check to make sure it is not double gasketed/leaking. That's the only other seal I can think of (probably not rear main since you said its dry bu the exhaust/transmission).

Codel

ezone

No, No, and Oh Hell No.
If you have to go in again, simply install an OE seal. The right way.
(Note: original seal was just a little bit deeper than flush)

Codel

mac25

I had the same issue when I tried to RTV around a cam seal. The RTV acted like lube and the seal popped out.

I ended up installing it a second time without RTV, also lubed the inside with oil, has been fine ever since. (Not sure if this is right, but it worked for me)