Help: REbuild is leaking oil like crazy

[mtelliott]

I followed the Bentley Manual and Wayne's book. Followed everything, checked and rechecked.

Put it in, hooked it up, followed Wayne's start up proceedure.

Fire it up and:

After a bit of encouragement, it fired up, smoking like crazy. I was psyched. Then, I noticed the oil. Flowing out the back like crazy. The engine was running strong, sounding like it was suppose to. Problem is, I have a quart of oil on my driveway.

What did I do wrong? What should I look for? Help please.

Couple things I noticed was the oil pressure was showing 5 bars and the tach was not working. Not sure if this matters or not but I provide it at ancellary knowledge.

The leak appears to be coming from the area of the driveshaft pulley.

Please help. I'm feeling ill right now.

[Jim Sims]

Given the reported size of your oil leak I would first suspect something is missing or loose in the area of the pulley. I recommend you relax, clean up the oil the best you can, replace the leaked oil and restart the engine and look for the oil leak. It is sometimes helpful to blow a coating of baby powder over the area of the suspected leak. The leaking oil will carry away the powder giving you a trail back to the leak. Some possibilities: Did you install the gasket on the intermediate shaft cover and are the screws tightened? Is the temperature sender screwed in properly with thread sealant? Are the cam tower lines or the oil pressure sender leaking? Is the crankshaft seal behind the pulley leaking? All of these possibilities may be readily fixed with the engine in the car. If the Loctitie 574 sealant was improperly applied to the area around the no. 8 nose bearing or the o-ring around the nose bearing was damaged or improperly seated then the leak will likely require addressing by pulling the engine and resplitting the case. Hope you find it is something simple. Cheers, Jim

[Wayne 962]

Quart of oil? That's not a small leak - something is disastrously wrong...

Driveshaft pulley area means missing number eight o-ring (very bad), or damaged front pulley seal (can be replaced with the engine in the car).

-Wayne

[mtelliott]

I'll be trying to address it tomorrow. I have to figure out how to start pulling the pully out without dropping the engine. I was so sick to see the oil yesterday that I couldn't think straight.

To your comment about the Loctitie 574 sealant being improperly applied, how would I have done that. I thought I followed the book.

Hopefully I have time tomorrow. My wife is expecting our second child (due date on Wednesday) and my goal was to have this back and runnign before the second child was born. Don't think I'm going to make that date now.

[mtelliott]

I know the ring was on it when I installed. I also know I put a new engine seal in as well. I guess I won't know till I pull the pulley and see where it's leaking from. As you can tell, I'm not getting a lot of sleep right now thinking about it. It's to cold out in the garage to start working on it.

[cstreit]

It's probably the main crank seal. Are you sure you didn't forget to put it in? If not, then it's probably installed incorrectly... Or the layshaft cover is leaking... Bu that's enough oil to suggest the main seal, because that area is under oil pressure.

[mtelliott]

I took a quick look this A.M. before work and it's not the layshaft cover. It appears to be coming up from behind the pulley. Next step is to pull the pulley off, and see if I can tell where it's coming from. Anything I should know about pulling the pulley? Should I start briefely or should I be able to tell. Should I just turn it over without fuel to build pressure? It only seem like it leaks when it 's running. Don't really see it leaking when I'm just turning it over.

Thoughts?

[john walker's workshop]

clean the area, get a strong flashlight, and start the engine. maybe you can see it leaking. worst case, it could be coming from between the case and the #8 main bearing. did you smear a thin coat of sealer in the case bore where the o ring contacts the case?

[mtelliott]

Yes. So, hopefully, it's an improper application of the main seal.

Thanks for everyone's support. You don't know how sick I felt to see the oil coming out like that. To go from increadible joy to hear it fire up to total dismay to see oil coming out the bottom.

[vash]

good luck, and CONGRATS to your upcoming new baby!

[Jim Sims]

Three points: Oil dumped on a non-absorbant flat surface makes a big puddle or stream (since few surfaces are truly flat); a quart of oil makes a really big puddle or stream. You may have not leaked as much oil as it seems. The first time I installed a pulley end seal on a 911 engine I messed it up even with the correct factory tool. I managed to get it "cocked" with the inner lip and the "garter" spring awry. I fussed with it and got things straightened out but was concerned I'd damaged something so I pulled it and installed a new seal more carefully - no leak occurred. The important thing is not to despair and give up.

Replacing pulley seal with engine in car: Parking brake on, wheels chocked, transmission in gear, rear of engine jacked and blocked up to take load off rear engine mount. Remove belts, remove muffler, remove rear engine mount, remove rear sheet metal tray piece, (may also need to remove air pump and A/C bracket), remove console (bracket surrounding pulley on crank), and crank pulley.

Good luck, Jim

[mtelliott]

Jim, thanks for the hope. I'm really hoping it's the seal. Thanks for the info on the best way to pull the stuff. I'll get working on that tonight and let everyone know what I find.

[mtelliott]

On second thought, it was probably more like a half a quart over a couple of minutes. I don't recall using the special tool to seat the seal so I'm wondering if I didn't set the seal properly? Would this cause the leaking I'm seeing?

[Jim Sims]

1/2 a quart over a few minutes is still a big leak. Some are able to install the seal without the factory tool; since I've had access to one I have always used the tool. Did you lubricate the inner lip of the seal with engine oil and apply a sealant like Curil-T to the outside of the seal before tapping it into place? Did the lip that runs on the shaft ever become twisted or turned inside out? If this happens the "garter" spring which pushes the seal lip against the shaft and effects the dynamic seal may no longer be in place and perfoming it's function. Jim

[john walker's workshop]

1/2 qt over a few minutes would be a LOT for a leak between the case and #8 bearing, so hopefully it's the seal. maybe the spring got knocked off. the fittings on the cam oil lines are tight? also the hard lines from the cam lines to the chain covers. the bolts that hold the ramps in the case too.

[Wayne 962]

If it's the seal, is a relatively easy replacement...

-Wayne

[mtelliott]

If it is the seal, should I replace with a new one figuring this one was bad or was damaged on assembly?

I'll be pulling it apart tomorrow to inspect per Jim's instructions.

[mtelliott]

And one other question, could I have something blocked in a passage way that is forcing the oil in that direction causing the leak?

[Jim Sims]

If it is the pulley end seal that is leaking install a new one. Jim

[Wayne 962]

I think it will be obvious when the pulley is removed. You will probably see a pinched seal or something like that...

-Wayne