07 Yukon Denali - Passenger Side Top/Rear Oil Leak

[Foggy]

Just an idea: it may be transmission fluid coming out of your dipstick tube.....
Check and see if it's trans fluid instead of oil
If you are having a trans issue OR the trans housing vent is plugged, you certainly
could be getting some ATF mist/spray getting past the dipstick tube rubber sealy thingy

 

[zissou]

Just pulled the manifold off and I'd say it's a likely culprit. Parts arrive later this week, so plenty of time to clean this mess up.

 

[zissou]

Got it mostly all cleaned up. Valves look pretty good for 230k. Intake manifold is nasty so I'll need to disassemble it and clean it out thoroughly. I think a catch can will be in my near future.

 

[donjetman]

This has me curious. Someday I'm gonna do this to see what is what.

 

[Foggy]

This has me curious. Someday I'm gonna do this to see what is what.

Oh, it'll be nasty for sure !!!!!!

 

[zissou]

Got it all back together tonight after taking a few days off. Replaced the valley cover with gaskets (a new cover with gaskets + bolts was only $40 from GM via 12598832), intake manifold gaskets (GM 19207929), oil pressure sensor (GM 12677836), plugs + plug wires (ACD 41-162 & 9748RR), fuel injector o-rings (GM 12587147), vapor canister purge valve hose on top of the manifold (GM 12658354) and throttle body gasket (VR 711378100). Also soaked the intake manifold in degreaser for a day then soapy water for the day and it came out nice.

Drove around 20 miles tonight on and off and the amount of smoke coming off the exhaust appears to be subsiding but it needs more miles to test the theory that it just needs to burn off some more residual. The smell in the interior of oil definitely decreased, but again, only 20 miles.

Will report back.

 

[zissou]

Alright, safe to say now that the oil leak I initially posted about here has been solved. It was the valley cover 100%. The gaskets were flat as a pancake and smooth with the surface of the cover. 200 miles of mixed driving now and no oil burning on the manifolds or oil smell into the cabin.

Onward and upward. Now tackling the 1 code I get every once in a while, a P0011 which also triggers the Stabilitrak lights. Camshaft actuator solenoid seems to be the issue there. Going to replace the cam position sensor while I'm in there (have it soaking with some Kroil oil now). Both parts going in are OEM GM.

Pulled the camshaft actuator solenoid and its really gunked up, the magnet inside barely moves at all. Hopefully can get it all done tonight, pending the camshaft position sensor doesn't fight me too much coming out.

 

[Fless]

It might need/want a crankshaft correlation done after replacing the camshaft position sensor.

 

[zissou]

It might need/want a crankshaft correlation done after replacing the camshaft position sensor.

Thanks, at the point of no return now with choosing to replace the camshaft position sensor. I have a Tech2 so I'll look up the procedure afterwards.

 

[Dustin Jackson]

Pretty sure at this point its the valley pan gasket. The oil is not smoking off the exhaust manifold after all, its dripping onto the cat and appears to be getting onto the top of the valve cover through the intake manifold. Going to pull the intake manifold off and do the valley cover gasket, intake manifold gaskets, and throw in a new cam position sensor and oil pressure sensor while I'm back there. Anything else I should throw at it while I have the manifold off?

@zissou There isn’t much to remove to get to the valley cover, just make sure you get new gaskets. Maybe oil pressure sensor. Don’t forget the coolant crossover orings, and this would be a good time to add some new wire loom as the factory is probably brittle and breaking by now.