Got an unidentified oil leak where the circled area is in the pic. Can't tell where it is actually coming from since I can't get my head in there. If I go drive it around some I can see a small puddle form there. Would this be the timing chain cover? Or something else around there? Hoping it isn't something like the head, I already need to do the rear main seal...Its an 87 22r.

 

Reaaaly hard to tell what fluid that is from the picture

is it OIL or is it coolant? Looks like your timing chain and water pump have been done before, i see silicone =p

The puddle is sitting ontop the waterpump FYI...

 

looks like where the head sits on top of the timing chain cover. I think your gonna have to pull the head or the oil pan to fix it. if you pull the timing cover and try and put it back on without removing the head or the oil pan, all your gasket material will be scraped off, because of the tight fit between the head and oil pan. I know this because i tried to put mine back on without removing the oil pan. If you do pull your timing cover I recommend LC Engineering dual row timing chain.

 

It's oil, not coolant. Engine was rebuilt 20k miles ago by some shop in CA before I bought it. So we think its the head? Figures with my luck, can't ever be anything easy...

 

is it the head gasket, or the head?

 

When you do the headgasket on the 4 cyl. you need to put a small amount of RTV where the timing cover meets the block, then put the headgasket on. There is also a small bolt in that location, lets hope they did not forget to put it in.
http://engnbldr.com/ has parts if you need them.

 

If looks like oil coming from where the timing cover and the head meet. I've also got a small leak there. If it isn't leaking too badly (a couple of drops a day), I would leave it alone. If you do want to fix it, you'll need to drop the pan.

Troy

 

I just replaced a timing chain cover for a guy and the PO had broken the timing cover right there, I think he forgot about the bolt or did not know about the bolt under the distributor any way the PO had jb welded it back together or he had over torqued the bolt.

and like said above drop the oil pan to remove the timing cover don't remove the head that is 3 times more work .



personally I would degrease the snot out of it first and get some of the oil resistant high temp silicon and smear that over the spot it is leaking unless you have the time to drop the oil pan and pull the timing cover.
if it is a cracked timing cover engbldr has them for around 60$ and some times he has them on Ebay for cheaper.
also I have found when degreasing I hook the garden hose up to the hot water and it seems to get the crud off a lot better than cold I also have my water heater set to the hottest setting scalding hot so be careful if you do this.