What can I say, I need help. (long post)

[old96er]

I am new to posting to this board although I have cruised it frequently for as long as I can remember.

OK, here's the story.
Backround: I purchased my beloved 96-GTS in '99 and have had a blast drving it. I have a few other cars so I don't get to drive it that often and it has barely 7K on the clock. I'm pretty much a car guy to heart and pretty handy with a wrench but I have other projects that are 30 years OUT of warranty the need my time. OK, blah blah on to the issues.

My Viper started leaking oil mid 2000 and has not stopped since. The first dealer replaced the pan gasket, that lasted almost the ride home. I decided to take it to a different dealer. They also replaced the pan gasket, and the driver's side valve cover gasket. Still leaking, I took it back to the same dealer. This time they sealed the valve cover baffles and the leak or leaks are worse than ever. At this point there is enough oil on everything I can not tell where it is coming from. It seems most likely the timing cover and driver side valve cover. But it could be blowing up from the front. At any rate oil is collecting in the webbing under the intake cross tubes. The oil pan has oil on it and pretty much everything else. The tech said he used the dye and was sure he fixed it. I don't have time to work on it with my other projects and besides it is still under warranty!

I am getting sick of being ambarassed as I can't even park in someone's driveway without leaving a litte puddle. Also occasionly when its nice and hot and I hold the engine at about 1500rpm and then let off of the gas, it will tick for a few seconds on the way down to idle. Seem's like a lazy lifter, or a tad too much lash?

Is there a dealer out there that I could ship it to that is garanteed to be able to fix these things? I have already tried the only two in my state with viper techs. I am open to ideas. Please help as only you guys can.

 

[phiebert]

I think the tick is normal, I haven't yet heard a tickless Gen I.

As far as the oil leak goes, it sounds like it is bad enough that if you pressure washed the oil off the engine and just put it on a lift and ran it you could find where it is coming out of. Good luck.

 

[JimDavis MT 97GTS 650R]

My heart goes out to you. I too hate oil leaks. After owning a few British cars and a few Harleys, I have learned to preserver. Viper engines for the most part don't leak. I too had to replace my oil pan gasket. Most of the oil was covering the bottom of the car in that case. After discovering oil top side, the timing cover was the culprit. Your mechanic, by using dye, is going about the problem correctly IMO . If you trust him and his work, stay with him. Hunt the problem down until it is resolved. A gasket and some sealer will probably work as well at home as if you ship the car out of state. If you are like us here in Montana, Viper mechanics are hard to come by, but a gasket swap should not be a huge tech issue. Just make sure the guy has a repair manual should he need information or yourself for that matter.

As far as the lifter noise, it could actually be injector noise you are hearing which is quit normal. Hope this helps.

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

AB has a leak in the timing cover gasket. I believe I have one there too.

I also have a 'tick.' I'm pretty sure it's coming from the A/C compressor or the power steering pump.

 

[old96er]

The tick is pretty pronounced and localized to the driver side rear of the valve cover. It really sounds like more of a clack from the rocker. But of course the only time it happened when at the dealer, they said they would check it out as the tech heard it from 50 ft away. Once the car cooled they could never get it to happen again. It is somewhat intermittent.

As far as the leaks go, I am losing confidence and don't really want to send it back to this dealer again. Perhaps I can take a day off work and work side by side with the tech. I think after twice with the same issue I have earned the right to do so?

 

[Russ M]

Sorry for you problems, but this is precisely the sort of thing that happens to cars that don't get run/driven on a regularly.

After you fix all the leaks and other things that are wrong with it you really need to start driving the poor car. You should also be looking at the tranny and differential since those too can be affected from lack of use.

Now just imagine what kind of condition some of the other cars are in that have almost no miles on them and are 12 years old.

 

[joe117]

I would find a small shop that will work with you on this leak. Put the car on a lift while it is running and start looking for the leak. There are only so many places that it can be coming from, valve cover, timing cover, pan, front seal perhaps, you know what I mean. Wipe it down piece by piece and you will find the problem. I don't know why your Viper tech can't find it but this doesn't sound like it could be that hard if it's leaking that much.
To localize the tick, get a three foot long 3/8" wood dowel stick and hold it against your ear while you touch it to various parts of the engine and engine accessories. If it sounds like it's a lifter, take off the valve cover and press hard with your thumb against the rocker arm on the pushrod side. If you find one where the tick changes, you have it. If it is just a sticking lifter you might try adding a can of one of those products that says it will free lifters. I've seen them work in the past. Good luck.

 

[GTS Dean]

I've had my '96 in twice for engine oil leak fixes. First time, they replaced valve cover, timing cover and oil pan gaskets. Last week, they replaced the oil pan and o-rings on the A/C compressor manifold. No miles yet.

 

[Steve-Indy]

...and rear main seals???...and some 96 Gen II's going to Arrow for "block porosity" problem !!!

 

[weed43]

Take a few minutes and check your PCV system and lines for kinks, clogging or the line internally coming apart. Its worth looking at.

 

[Ron Hickey]

My 97 developed an oil leak at around 30,000 miles. It took several tries to stop it. The Viper tech ended up replacing the timing chain cover and gasket, oil pan gasket, and front and rear main seals. I think the timing chain cover gasket is a typical issue on that vintage.

 

[Vipermed 97.01]

the timming chain cover is more times than not the culpret,very rarely do the oil pan gaskets leak as they are a very heavy duty gasket,far from the case with the timming cover gasket,the thing that usually makes it so hard to detect is the fact that when they leak they usually leak right in between the a/c compressor and the cover which is impossible to see without removing compressor,BUT,i think that you will find if you clean a spot right next to the compressor above the oil pan gasket then allow it to run a few minutes you will see the oil trickle down that very spot,then youve found the culprit,as far as sealing the valve cover baffles,dont know why they thought that would cure your problem,good luck..Scott
Ps,i saw someone said "with the gen1s" you have a Gen2,Gen 1s were still in the R/T 10s that year,never in GTSs

 

[Gavin]

96's are natorious for leaky Timing cover gasket - I developed this problem on my car at about the same mileage as you. I left puddles of oil everywhere I went and the car was covered in the stuff - including the rear of the car - After a long trip it was black.

This should have been the first item to have replaced, if the Viper Techs new their stuff.

I was told it not only had to do with the gasket material failing but the method by which this gasket was installed at Factory.

Had mine replaced under warranty and it has been 38,000 miles perfect.

 

[old96er]

Thanks for everones's comments and suggestions. I think I will use some simple-green (best non-toxic degreaser I have ever found) to clean it up and do my own investigation using your tips. I'll let you all know how this saga ends.

 

[GTS Dean]

Had rear main replaced too...

 

[LETHAL GTS]

Your oil leak issue is covered for you, but the ticking noise has got me thinking.
1. It could be injector noise, but I find my '00 GTS noisier than my '94 RT.
2. It could be a lifter like you said.
3. It could most likely be a bad plug wire and the noise you are hearing is a 9 cylinder engine running.

With out listening it's hard to tell.
Good luck.

 

[Ron]

<FONT face="Comic Sans MS">Though I doubt it's your problem, my '96 had a leak that covered the oil pan. First they replaced the rear main, then the oil pan gasket, then the rear main again, then finally the cam plug. Cam plug did it. Then lost the clutch do to oil contamination.

Now as good as new...</FONT f>

 

[JetMec]

I've never tried this system, but it seems perfect for what you are experiencing. Leak detection kit