Sorry for the less than great picture, but I've got a decent amount of oil pooled where the red highlighted area is below. Could this be pooling from leaking around the valve cover gaskets?

Where else could it come from?

 

What year vehicle/Type? V-8 or V6?
Its kinda hard to give an answer with no details... Different vehicles ,motors have there own seperate oil leak issues depending on what it is...

 

If its a 3800 I'm willing to bet lower intake gaskets.

 

I had the same issue, changed my valve cover gasket, it was split in a spot on the top side, best thing to do is pop it off & see if it looks like oil is seeping past it, if so itll prob fix it if not than its prob the LIM gasket

 

Sorry, I always do that. 04 SS with a 3800 non-supercharged.

How could a bad LIM gasket leak oil onto the top of the lower manifold? Isn't the lower gasket from the lower manifold to the block?

 

My guess is the valve cover gaskets too. You may want to check and make sure they are tight. My old car leaked badly because 2 bolts were almost falling out.

 

The Rockers gotta get the oil from somewhere...Might as well be thru the motor.... If youve ever done or gonna do a LIM youll find out you have to
remove the pushrods to do the LIM gasket!...
Once you do that It will become more apparent... In answer to your question...

 

I was reading the NAIOA write up on 3800 LIM replacement and I didn't see pushrod removal being involved. Wouldn't that only be if you're doing head gaskets?

I've spent quite a bit of time reading up on some good write ups for valve cover gasket replacement and LIM gasket replacement. I know the LIM is a bit more involved, but if I'm already in there for valve cover gaskets, should I just spend the extra 3/4 hours and do the LIM gasket too? I've got 115k miles and I lose about a quart of oil every 4000 miles, although I don't see coolant in my oil and vice versa.

 

You don't have to remove pushrods on the 3800 , but you have to remove them on the 3400 ..

Here's a pic of 3800.




Here's a pic of 3400