Given nobody has jumped in on this, I am going to assume that there is no easy way to fixing it.Happy thanksgiving all.
Well it seems that my 2004 XLR is developing both the oil leak and the coolant leak.
I'll get the water pump changed and assume that that is the root cause, it isn't the radiator. The loss is very slight indeed, no drip as yet under the car but a close examination of the front of the engine reveals an orange fluid.
The same examination also reveals an very slight oil weep, presumably from the front cover.
Looking through the many posts on the subject here, there is a suggestion that there are 'special tools' available to help with the gasket replacement, but my dealer has been unable to identify any such.
There seem to be two routes to repair:
1/ Take the engine out (or more accurately, drop the whole power-train out under the car involving substantial dismantling of the front and rear suspension and much else
2/ Take the power steering rack out, involving dismantling one front suspension unit.
In both cases the problem is removing the harmonic balancer, it lies right behind the steering rack and there is no room otherwise.
Apart from that, the actual timing cover does not seem to have anything special about it at all, just a standard GM front cover.
Anyone know differently? Advice welcome TIA.
If the engine was still in your XLR, that is option #2, still drastic stuff, but not as dramatic as option #1...Mine was option #1, they dropped the complete front under carriage, (terrible sight) and then were able to reach the leak area, I wish I could remember where it was, but it did take a lot of parts having to be removed. I sure wouldn't attempt it.
