Oil Leak...Spraying for mosquitos

[ClesieMo]

Toolin' down the road and smelled oil smoke...somebody's burnin' oil bad...look in the rear mirror and its ME!!! Dog gone it. Back in Dec. Finally got it up on jackstands and took some pics. First (2) are to give you an idea of where it is at. 2nd pic is after it sat awhile, so you don't see the oil leaking. Looking from the rear of the car on the front right side of the engine where it mates with the Transmission (G50)...Blk on blk 1987 911 coupe...164,000 miles...top end rebuilt about 150,000. Is this an obvious problem? Something terminal...just a gasket...a crack...am I hosed...or fixable.

Thanks for all your help...I have 101 projects book...Haynes and Bentley...

Not sure if I want to tackle this or take it into Reid Vann in St. Louis to fix it...cha ching$$$

[ONQRACIng]

Flywheel seal.. And it is very "fixable".

[ClesieMo]

Thanks! Now at least I know where to start.

[Eagledriver]

You should check the top of the engine first. The oil pressure sender can leak and the thermostate o-ring can leak. The oil from those will run down into the area we are looking at.

-Andy

[ischmitz]

No, not fixable. It's terminal but I am willing to ease your pain by taking the car off your hands cheap...

Seriously, are you saying the engine was rebuilt only 15k miles ago and it leaks like this already? That does not really speak for the shop that did the work. If this was done while you owned the car you might want to ask them what they "think"

I think it is something simple like the oil breather hose, thermostat O-ring, or rear main seal like others said. Use engine cleaner to clean up the gunk and try to locate the leak. The issue is that the engine has to come out for most of these to get replaced and that is a lot of work. Good luck,

Ingo

[ONQRACIng]

I concur with the Thermo O-Ring Check, this is very common, and a bit easier to fix, can be done in car..

[ClesieMo]

I'll take a peek again from the topside tonight after work...looked before, no oil on the topside of the engine that I could see. I'll focus on oil breather hose, thermostat O-ring to see if that might be it before I drop the engine...

Really great to have people willing to share their ideas that know a thing or two about air cooled engines. Driving my 1992 Toyota Corolla with cancer of the wheel wells just isn't the same. Having P car withdrawals...every time I see a 911 on the road I get a lump in my throat. Already have the trophy wife (my first wife), now just have to get the mid life crisis car running again.

"It's terminal but I am willing to ease your pain by taking the car off your hands cheap... " Hah! Thanks for the bid ischmitz, when it first went up in smoke...I was thinking...needs a new engine that I can't afford...I'll be selling this thing cheap and crying a lot.

[ClesieMo]

It was the Oil Temperature Sensor...$25 put it in and runs like a Porsche again...thanks for all your help...amazing how much oil can come out of a small little part.

[Henry Schmidt]

More liking the oil pressure sending unit located on the top of the engine near the thermostat.

The oil temp sender is located at the opposite end of the engine near the fan belt. This sender would not cause the leak you pictured.

[ClesieMo]

You are correct...got my terminology wrong...but, it is fixed!

Thanks for the correction!

[CruiseControl]

On the 3.2 84-89 the oil pressure sender and the oil temperature sender for the gauges are mounted near the fan belt.
At the front top of the engine are two switches, one for the temperature over run fan (mounted in the breather cover) and the other a oil pressure switch (mounted into RT case half) for the low oil pressure light.

The Bently manual page 170-6 incorrectly shows the oil temperature sensor for the gauge where the text is refering to the oil pressure switch, which in fact is located at the front top side of the case.
If you don't believe, disconnect and see what doesn't work.
Let's also not confuse "switches" (on-off operation) with "sensors" (variable signal transducers)
Paul

[82SuperC]

I suspect I have the same problem. Did you drop the motor to replace the oil pressure sensor or were you able to do this with the engine in place?

My impression is I need to at least do a partial drop or remove the CIS stuff. If I need to drop the motor, what other seals should I replace at that point?

Thanks!

[ClesieMo]

I thought I would have to drop the engine, but didn't have to. With the CIS or airbox or whatever that thingy is that the air filter attaches to...once you take that off you can get in there. I found a great picture of that part of the engine and I can't find it now...maybe it was on Renlist.

[Mysterytrain]

ClesieMo - what is all that 'stuff' coating the sides of the oil cooler. Looks like undercoating? can't be good for cooling.

[ClesieMo]

I think its 20 years of gunk, maybe undercoating...any harm in scraping it off?

[ClesieMo]

go to: rennlist search for "Oil leak on 88 carrera"

good post on same item w/ some drawings.


Next URL has some pics of the area where you can see the area you'll be dealing with: 4th and 7th pics

oil pressure switch