'89 964 - oil leak on top of engine after rebuild & out of ideas . . .

[sms1305]

I'm feeling a little mystified . . .

After rebuild, engine runs great and sounds great.

But - I'm leaking some oil that is appearing on top of the engine just under the cruise control. I don't think this could be from a breather pipe, but am running out of ideas. Any thoughts?

This side is wet . . .






Remove the air box and this side seems dry . . .




Is it possible that the case through bolts are leaking and spraying oil above the plastic shrouding on top of the engine? I'm getting some smoke in the cockpit through the vents, at times. . .

Thanks.

[NoEardGoat]

I can't determine anything conclusive from the photos, but I have heard that the o-ring seals on the case bolts are pretty easy to mess up when installing. Can you sneak a peek through the fan blades to see?

[sms1305]

Bad news . . .

Looks like a significant dripping leak in vicinity of the base of No. 1 cylinder.

Engine on its way out, if not already out of the car.

Hoping its an obvious pinched seal, but won't know until more tear down.

Oil on top seems to just be from being blown around . . .

Runs great, though.

[sms1305]

Engine is back in and running great. I'm feeling very dumb.

Turns out there was no obvious problem with the base of No. 1. Everything checked out fine.

The problem was I reversed the gasket at the oil breather cover, so that the oil must have been slinging out under the cover at the corner. This makes sense since the first place I saw the oil was on the top of the plastic shroud under the cruise control.

I can't believe that everything else was built right, but that one stupid gasket was the problem.

[ChrisBennet]

Originally Posted by sms1305

Engine is back in and running great. I'm feeling very dumb.

Turns out there was no obvious problem with the base of No. 1. Everything checked out fine.

The problem was I reversed the gasket at the oil breather cover, so that the oil must have been slinging out under the cover at the corner. This makes sense since the first place I saw the oil was on the top of the plastic shroud under the cruise control.

I can't believe that everything else was built right, but that one stupid gasket was the problem.

I did that exact same thing once.
-Chris

[sms1305]

Thanks, Chris. Glad to know I'm not alone. It's just pathetic to do 100 steps correctly, and then put a $6.00 gasket in backwards becuase I wasn't paying attention... It was hard to diagnose, because it's in the one place that you can't see, and the oil must have been just running down the seam of the plastic shroud.

[3.2 CAB]

It would seem that it would be almost fool-proof, it the gasket had the "ears" on both sides. The only reason that I can see, is if the gasket became brittle, like we have seen them do, I guess it could be possible that the extra "ear" might break off, and go for a ride in the crankcase system?

[sms1305]

Originally Posted by 3.2 CAB

It would seem that it would be almost fool-proof.

Ha Ha! Thanks. Almost, but not quite "fool-proof," which makes me the fool! Guilty as charged. I'm sure that I put the gasket on the cover, which probably made sense, and then didn't bother to look at how it mated up to the case.

[3.2 CAB]

I do know the feeling, have been down that road before also.

[TibetanT]

Hey, look at the bright side! The engine still runs great, you did the critical measurements correctly, and while the engine is a little messy right now, you can clean her up and know it is FINISHED! Thank the Gods it wasn't something really a bummer, huh?

[Walt Fricke]

I'm with Ed P. I wish all my mistakes were as easy to fix!

Of course, when I made most of them there were few or no Internet fora/lists, so the world didn't hear of them.

Walt

[3.2 CAB]

Hi Walt, I would be willing to bet that there still MANY mistakes, that do not reach beyond the garage doors. Tony.