Leaking oil left side of motor
Since it's not clear whether you mean driver side or passenger side, I will address both.
On the driver side, the most common leak is from the distributor. This can be caused by the distributor shaft exterior o-ring, or it can be caused by the distributor shaft interior bearing seal. To determine which it is, remove the distributor. First detach the spark plug wires, then undo the bolt that holds the distributor to the head, then pull the distributor out of the head. You will see the o-ring on the exterior of the distributor shaft. This is a $0.50 part, so just replace it with a new one as long as you have the distributor out. The bearing seal is on the inside of the distributor. To inspect it, undo the three bolts holding the cap to the distributor body. Pop the rotor off the shaft, the unclip the inside plastic cover. If you see any oil inside the distributor or the distributor cap, this means the seal is leaking and must be replaced. You can get a seal and bearing replacement kit from kbox.ca. Or, you can just buy a new distributor. Note: To get the distributor back in place you must align the shaft correctly with the notch in the camshaft. There is a right way and a wrong way. If the shaft seems to be aligned but does not go in, pull it out and rotate it 180 degrees, then put it back in.
The other possibility on the driver side of the engine is the main seal between the engine and transmission. If this is the case, you would have to either drop the transmission or pull the engine to replace it.
What if the oil is leaking on the passenger side? If it's coming from behind the timing belt cover, there is a camshaft seal and a crankshaft seal, both of which can leak oil. To get to them, you will have to remove all accessory belts and the alternator, remove the exterior crankshaft pulley, remove the engine mount (support the engine) and the timing belt covers, remove the timing belt, then the crankshaft pulley and/or camshaft pulley, whichever is necessary to replace the leaking seal(s).
Where else could oil be leaking from? If it's coming out from near the top of the engine, that's the valve cover gasket. Remove the valve cover and replace the gasket. While you're at it, replace the spark plug tube seals.
If it's coming out from near the bottom of the engine, it could be the oil pan gasket. Remove the oil pan and replace the gasket.
One more possibility for oil leakage: The head gasket. But in this case you would have noticed other symptoms besides just an oil leak.
Good luck! Let us know how it turns out.
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