Good Mechanic in Dallas-Fort Worth Area?

[Ridge Runner]

Hi:

I have what appears to be an oil leak. I have oil on the lower front of my engine and oil pan. Can anyone recommend an experienced suzuki mechanic in the Dallas Fort Worth area? Or the closest good mechanic that you know of?

My vehicle is a 2 door, 4x4, 5 speed manual transmission, 1999 Chevy Tracker with a 1.6 liter engine. It has 126 K mile. It was stored and not driven for three years (2008 thru 2011), The previous owner saw the leak. He said his mechanic repaired it by replacing the cam seal. When he replaced the cam seal, he also replaced the timing belt, water pump, and other belts. I have not removed the TB cover, but the water pump looks new as do all the belts. So I think he was telling the truth. So the oil on the front of the engine is either residual or there was another leak after which he decided "enough is enough" and decided to sell the vehicle. The top of the engine had been cleaned and is clean as a whistle. The radiator is also new, but looks like it was for a 2.0 liter as the inlet and outlet are on the driver and not passenger's side. The engine runs like a clock, starts right up, and has good power. The transmission shift crisply and is tight. It drives good!

After reviewing the forum, changing a front crank seal is not something I want to sign up for. Also, the forums have convinced me that there are subtleties about Suzukis that require an knowledgeable mechanic using quality parts to make repairs and avoid further issues. And, yes, I do intend on cleaning the engine, looking for new leakage, and then peaking under the TB cover when I get the time and the weather cooperates (for washing the engine).

Thanks in advance for your help.

Ridge Runner

[fixkick]

hello ridge R;
yes, leaks are tricky, let me tell you ,how my 96 fooled me..
rear leaks are the distributor. (and/or VC) not rear main, there is vent on the rear bell that lets that dizzy oil leak down rear of block.
replace 2 o-rings and bingo
yours is g16v , 16v mpi
the next is real tricky, and fools fooled me... wind and gravity , do this.
the valve gaskets are all bad,, and nobody checks lash and put in a new VC gasket , this has the nasty side effect of filling some harnesses full of oil.
then with new VC gasket, it still drips oil for 6 month,makeS me think i have bad crank seal.
the CKP sensor (crank)hareness dripped for 6 months, and was fed from higher harness points. hold huge oil there... LIKE A SPONGE
id say, new, distrib, seals x2
then new valve gasket
then get the front crank bolt 17mm back to spec. 94ft/lbs. now. best is do to first hour of ownership. turn bolt CW. clock wise. RHT
there are other point of leaks.
then see if 6months waiting,works.
OR?
if nobody fooled with the pan it will not leak (unless rusted through) "factory RTV sealants are very very good"
the oil pump, still original will not leak, has steel gasket, if clone parts there, it dont fit right or they use silly paper gasket that leaks
all these looks like crank seal. leaks and are not.
in truth, leaks here are very hard to work.
why.
because the front belt cover hides ALL that.
one method is to remove that cover for a week, and clean front there, and drive around block, over and over until
you see a leak, and now you know.or use the IR dye, and lamp method and see it leak, one trip around the block.

if the VC is bad, as all seen by me were.
then it be a big waste of time looking at seals. for sure cam or crank.
as they leak the least, , they last the longest of all
recommend FELPRO VC set, for that.

shop
see blue seal locator
http://www.ase.com/Landing-Pages/Car-Own...cator.aspx

zip ,code, and bingo.


remember gravity wins 1st then wind.
down and to rear.
this cause oil to goto crazy places.


best way to find a leak, in all cases is to witness it first hand LIVE!
can save you big money.

every dizzy ive seen leaked. and VC
all did
and both had the consistency of Gram Crackers. hard, baked to death and brittle. really just junk,there.

hint 1:
replacing, dizzy seals can be harrowing
some shops, they young,never seen a distributor
and dont know how to time it
so freeze the engine at #1 TDC firing, and match mark the Dizzy base to housing, and mark #1 cap, location
for win,going back in.

lash loose on #1 not 4

cheers!!!

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like this, leaks are more easy to find
clean and cover off.
8v example has diffr. VC




the IR dye kits save time. allowing leaks to be found and huge mess.

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hard part is the crank pulley needs to be removed, to do this.
one Saturday off,
back on next
the pulley on ours. has 6? m6 bolts, on the inner rim that come off
with none standard size head, not ISO size, our are 8mm heads, IIRC not 10hex.
some are replaced, with m6 allens. due to queer headed bolts not sold in stores ,but allen are easy, 18 ft/lbs torque.
this gets the pulley of most easy and then cover.
note damage to cover. loose bad belt.

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if you look close
if the front VC gasket leaks
oil runs , down front of engine, ,easy as , eating apple pie....

best is to fix the simple things first. gravity is a beach, ask George Cluny and Sandra?

[Ridge Runner]

This is excellent information. My valve cover gasket appears in excellent shape if not new. It is a light blue in color. When you say "the valve gaskets are all bad,, and nobody checks lash and put in a new VC gasket , this has the nasty side effect of filling some harnesses full of oil", are you saying that there are seals on each of the 16valves and that these seals may fail and produce oil leaks that will deposit oil under the valve cover gasket? Does poor valve adjustment contribute or cause these leaks under the valve cover gasket?

Thanks for your help.

RR

[fixkick]

the 4 centralized spark well have 4 gaskets.
that come with the VC kit .
if they leak the wells fill with oil and spark ends there. dead cylinder
the VC is Infamous for leaking supper common per above the large gasket, or installed wrong, or using ebay no name gaskets
the 60k check for valve lash require a new gasket set, so most folks skipping that, (as is very common) the gasket leaks (all ways)
and then oil trickles and runs down sides an then fills harnesses full of oil, ,and can drip for 6months, after...cured.
my 16v did that, and wrapped rag around the ckp harness, for 6 months with weekly change to keep my new garage floor clean.

yes, i too hate drips... i find them all.. usually by using the clean ,drive , look method.
lash set wrong, only damages valves,not gaskets or start leaks.

best is to take time, one guy here replaced rear crank main seal(engine removed) for a leaking distrib. (and more on other forums same deal... )
also the cam seal
seen it assembled wrong. and leaks straight down. front of engine and drips out of CKP area
the VC leaks there at cam, are #1, top reason. for there. due to not doing 60k service .
but if 60k is done sure , look more careful at cam /crank seals cover removed
most shop just shot gun this.


SG:
new VC gasket
new cam/crank seal, then belt (GATES sell shis shot gun kit)
and new water pump.
this ends the leak, the shot gun way.
same way i got married, LOL

mine dripped here for 6 months ,after the cure, Mr. CKP
http://www.fixkick.com/my96-16v/ckp-sensor.jpg

[Ridge Runner]

Thanks again. I like your go slow approach. Whether the leak is from residual oil or a true leak, it is small. I get one to three drops under the car after driving.

What do you mean by CKP? The image you reference looks like the oil pressure sensor on the oil pan. I have oil in the area.

Thanks,

RR

[fixkick]

sorry using sae.org engine parts names
ckp is the crank sensor, click jpg link above for CKP. old name CPS.
cmp is cam sensor and is inside the distributor.

that sensor reaches (CKP)up and is hall sensor (magnet) that gets near the tone wheel on then end of the crank shaft

there is no oil pressure sensor,,only sender that closes at 5psi and lamp glows.

here it is crank out ckp tone wheel in place

[Ridge Runner]

Interesting. In 1982 we received M1 tanks in my unit at Fort Hood. The RPM on the automotive gas turbine engine was red via a magnetized tooth on a plate gear in the AGB (accessory gear box). The system quantified RPM by counting the number of times the magnetized gear tooth passed by the sensor every few seconds. The AGB was, in turn, driven by a PTO that extended down out of the compressor housing. Some engineer had done the match and new the ratio of actual turbine shaft RPM to the RPM of the plate gear in the AGB.

My VC was sealed using a sealant like RTV or Permatex. It is blue. It looks like a neatly done job.

I still need to get under the vehicle and clean the leak area. I tried last weekend and between an ice cold north wind and my jack and stands being too short I could not get the power washer wand in the right position. This weekend looks to be warmer!

RR

[fixkick]

sounds good.
id wait even just weak see if leak increase, stays same or less.
same here, if too cold , I us a rag and do it in spring.
depends on amount,

[Ridge Runner]

sounds good.
id wait even just weak see if leak increase, stays same or less.
same here, if too cold , I us a rag and do it in spring.
depends on amount,

FixKik:

Need your opinion. I have been patient to determine the source of my oil leak. Since I had only recently purchased the tracker and the previous owner had had the cam seal replaced and claimed that was the only leak, I waited to see if a leak continues - as you suggested. Well, the only leak that no remains is dripping off the bottom of the front differential of the front axle/wheels. I have attached an image. The diff looks like it was sealed with some gray permatex type gasket sealant. There are drops of oil on the very lowest point of the diff and on a metal table that extends off the diff (you can see that in the image. There also appeared to be oil visible where the prop shaft exists the diff. There does not appear to be any oil on top the diff - it appears dry. Basically, the only place I can see oil is in those areas I mentioned. Do I have a oil leak in my front diff? What else should I check? If it is the prop shaft or diff seal(s), what is your recommendation for next steps?

Thanks

Ridge Runner
[attachment=462]

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Apparently I was unsuccessful attaching my image. I am using my wife's Apple and I am a PC guy

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Here is another attempt to post an image of my apparent leak from the front diff    

[fixkick]

i let my finger touch that drip it covers my finger tip, i sniff it, does it stink real bad, if yes, its hypoid gear oil for the hypoid gear set in the 3rd member of the axle.
to prove that remove the plug filler ,pinky finger it, same horrid stinch,? bingo for GL5 Hypoid.
that table is the cross member. air flows front to rear and it gets oil soaked, from many causes,,,,
there can be many leaks there at 3rd member carrier casing. if in fact it really is GL5 fluid... (gear lube #5)
1: right side seals leak. Left end is long, so you'd know if it leaked, by self.
2: rear pinon seal leak.
3: case split sealant failure. it has no gasket and uses the special sealant, just like the 5speed gear box uses.. ask
4 casing cracks,
5: or the porosity failure stated in the SUZUKI TSBs. (poor/no factory pressure testing , fails to find this on new cars , warning)
6: plug leaking, some have a gasket there. 89-98 do
7: the top of casing has breather fitting that fan leak or the hose fell off, or is cracked hose down low.
8: lots.


the best way to find this kind of leak, is clean it, and drive around the block, first point of oil. is cause.
or the UV die test with lamp. if cleaning is too much trouble.
all leaks can be found this way.


6 places to leak, if not bad casing (below is 89-98) the 99 Sq416 g.vitara. looks same.

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the Suzuki bond™ sealant , secret is , that its really this.

https://www.google.com/webhp?gws_rd=ssl#q=threebod+1211

and lasts for ever. , never seen it fail. (unmolested)

threebond 1211, repackages to many car makers so they can sell if for 2x more..

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the sniff tests can fail.
(not using GL5) oops , be real bad that.. kiss off gears...
using some newer SYN. lubes that smell different. making me have to pinky finger the filler hole 2nd. (sniff 2)