mrvideosawyer

I have a 1995 C4 stock except for supercharger

Okay here is the deal, I started to go to work today (I live in Snohomish and drive to Everett WA). I went to pass a truck and the car stumbled and then caught, but not like a supercharged should. Ahhhh.... I figured time for all the typical stuff plugs, wires yada-yada-yada.
I get to work and smell burnt oil hummmm....I will check when I get home, time to go to work.

I get done with work and get on I5 going toward Snohomish, Car dies at 55mph, I throw in netral and restart. Seems ok for a while untill I get on tressal (bad place to get stuck at 5:00 pm, 2 lanes no safety lanes) going to Highway 2. Car start to stumble and blue smoke is comming from rear of car. Ahhhhh....at the end of tressel car dies. I look under car and see an oil leak - so here is the question. Can someone help diagnose problem with me. I have a lift in my shop and it is sitting there now. I thought I would clean up so I could see a bit more clearer. Looks like leak is up by opti.

Anyone want to come over and look before I start tearing apart? My first real job on the 95 and I am a little sheepish. Although this is not my first rodeo.

The leak looks like it is around all the hoses at opti oil seems to be on opti - but it does not seem like it is soaked.

Any help would be great,ideas? - Jim Sawyer 425-335-5312
Snohomish Wa

TorchTarga94

Sounds like the seal behind the opti or waterpump blew out causing oil to seep into the opti causing a misfire and eventually causing the engine to stumble out. I'd plan on replacing the water pump seal and opti seal along with the optispark. Chandler units are reasonably priced and work well for me and others. This job is cake, takes an hour and a half to 2 hours once the coolant is drained out of the Rad.

mrvideosawyer

www.dropshots.com/mrvideosawyer#date/2012-09-02/17:31:49[/IMG]

A picture of opti spark off - looking for oil leak. Can someone help?
Jim Sawyer

TorchTarga94

Have you tampered with the water pump seal yet? It looks like it is not sitting flush with the timing cover.

mrvideosawyer

Nope - I thought that looked a little odd, it is in there a little cocked. Could that be a leak area?

Jim Sawyer

TorchTarga94

If you havent messed with it at all, and it looks like that, then that is most likely your leak. Odd for it to just pop out like that. Wonder if your PCV system is working correctly.

It is supposed to look like this:

mrvideosawyer

Would the waterpump seal leaking (oil coming out of seal) make opti go out? When the car started acting up and dying on the road it stumbled and then would not start. It has a supercharger on it with a MSD opti on it will I have to replace MSD unit with the same - very pricey. Anyway thanks for looking.
Jim Sawyer

TorchTarga94

Jim,

Yes more than likely it saturated the optical sensor inside of the opti which caused your stumbling and no start issue. The opti may be okay, a lot of people have gotten them wet, let them dry and started right back up. Replace the water pump seal and opti seal. Put the opti back on the motor without the water pump and try to fire it up. If it runs you might be alright reusing it. But if it were me, and the opti looked pretty soaked, I would go with a new one. Either Delco or Chandler Motorsports.

96GS#007

Holy sheet I agree with the above, probably the water pump driveshaft seal. Keep in mind you can't just press a new seal in place. You have to use a tool to keep the inner portion of the seal in place during install.

It also looks like your intake needs to come off since it appears to be the second coming of the Exxon Valdez.

Lastly, who the hell used all the RTV around the water pump coolant passages? There is no reason to do that.

If it's just oil on the opti, you can usually take them apart and clean them with electronics (contact) cleaner and they'll be fine. You just have to decide if you want to roll the dice.

TorchTarga94

higgyburners

that baby should sit flush...here is a link to the tool if you end up needing one.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/290684677748...84.m1555.l2649

[IMG][/IMG]

[IMG][/IMG]

mrvideosawyer

Wow - I have spent almost 12 hours getting down to where the picture has been taken (supercharger was a PIA, had to pull to get to short bolt on pass. water pump side). Anyway, how much more time am I into this "project" to do air intake?

I looked at intake gasket and thought "hummmmm".

I do NOT want to do this job EVER again, supercharger has made job twich as hard as it needed to be (the price for more power).

To answer question about RTV yeppppp it was on there when I took apart - and the intake has the same stuff on it.

One more question - do I have to replace opti with MSD or can I go with diffrent type unit such as chandler or Delco.

Thanks Jim Sawyer

higgyburners

you can use another brand and from what I read here on the forum that may be a good choice, I have read numerous posts on here recomending the Petris but cant speak first hand as I went with AC Delco. If you have some time post some pictures of the job

96GS#007

The intake should take another 45 minutes to remove at most and a similar amount of time to reinstall. Clean-up is most of the work with the intake. Some guys will dimple the end walls since those only get RTV. I use "The Right Stuff", no dimples, and never had a repeat leak.

Regarding the Opti, you can use the other brands vs MSD....so long as they are appropriate for a '95 Corvette. As you can see from the pic several posts above, the '92-'94 Opti engages the cam differently than your '95.

higgyburners

Sorry... those were for seal reference only.

mrvideosawyer

I bought all parts and am ready to get "dirty" just hope all goes well.
thanks for all input
jim sawyer

mrvideosawyer

Okay now, got down to getting all apart and am starting to put back together. I took apart old opti and it was FULL of oil. The water pump seal in engine block came out with little or almost NO force hummmmm..... seems to have been the problem. I replaced, using seal tool, and I can say with confidence it was alot harder going in than comming out, but is done. Put opti spark back in and made SURE it fit flush against engine (you really can tell when it goes in right). Started to put new plugs and wires in while I can reach everything. Slow but steady as I am working after work to get done, so I burn out fairly quickly, so I set goals and meet that particular goal and then stop for night, I am hoping to have all buttoned up by this Sunday.

Here is another question - on the front pully there is an arrow - does that line up in same position as camshaft pin?

Thanks again for help
Jim Sawyer

higgyburners

Hey Jim glad to here your getting it done, there should be some resistance putting the seal back in but if it came out really easy that was probably your problem, mine wasn't easy getting out or going in. The arrow on the pulley will line up with the mark on the Hub. It only goes on one way the holes are not Symmetrical . Remeber to put some Anti Seize compund on there in case you have to take it back off some day.

mrvideosawyer

Okay. I replaced:
water pump
intake gaskets
opti
water pump seal
new plugs
new wires
etc. etc.

All done - no spare parts on bench

Will drain last of old oil, change filter and try to start this bad boy. Wish me luck, buy the way opti was FULL of oil.

Jim Sawyer

VetteFreak91

Good luck