5.3L oil leak

[Blue85]

I have a 2010 5.3L that has leaked a little oil for years, but recently it became quite bad. Oil was showing up all over the bottom and especially on the swaybar below the oil filter and the starter. I pulled the intake to check the oil pressure sending unit and cam sensor back there and they're dry. Since there was some oil around the manifolds, I swapped the valve cover gaskets. They were brittle and broke on removal. I pulled the starter to look at the crank sensor and it's dry. I pulled the front differential out and replaced the oil pan gasket. It was also brittle and broke apart in my hands. Looking in the starter hole and the torque converter inspection cover, it looks dry in there (so not rear main seal). It is leaking less oil, but we're still talking like a quart every 500 miles.

So is there anything left before pulling the transmission to replace the rear cover seal? At this point, the oil seems to be dripping only from the starter bolt. I will order the GM kit that includes the cover, gasket and rear main (12639250), unless there is a better option. Is it true no special tools are needed? It seems weird for all seals to fail at the same time. Maybe check the PCV system? I have older engines that never needed this. Is it from the truck sitting in Texas for many years?

 

[Babaganoosh]

Front crank seal and timing cover? You don’t need the tools to do it, I have seen 100’s done without the alignment tools.

 

[ZooMad75]

Oil cooler lines. They always leak at the crimp from the rubber to metal. Airflow will spread the drippage all over. But I’d guess you should have seen that if you had the front diff out to do the oil pan.

If you do pull the trans to tackle the rear main, always do the whole rear cover. Never just the rear main. The cover comes with the new rear main seal anyway.

 

[Babaganoosh]

Also where the front and rear cover is I go an inch and a half long of rtv along with the oil pan gasket both directions for a little extra sealing.