oil stains on driveway

gerard vaglio · 05-11-2005, 09:05 PM

This is NOT my engine, I just downloaded a picture of an engine for illustration purposes.

I have a 3.0 with aprox 150,000 miles on it and two very slow oil leaks, one on each side of the engine. Two drops on the driveway, maybe once a week or so if that.

The best way to describe where the drips are forming on the engine is behind the valve covers on the leading edge or towards the front of the car.

So far IÕve changed out the oil return tubes and put on fresh valve cover gaskets. Now, both the oil return tubes and valve cover gaskets appear to be dry.

IÕve looked under the engine shroud, behind the alternator, by taking off the ducting on either side of the fan. Although I can only see three quarters of the top of the engine it appear to also be dry on both sides ?

What are the most likely suspects for the origin of these drips? IÕm not losing any sleep over it but if itÕs something I can fix easily IÕd love to have a clean, dry engine.

Thanks.

Oh yea, did you know that if you rub Mothers on your SSIs they shine like mirrors. Not that I would ever do that because doing that would make me look mildly insane. IÕm just talkin here.

HardDrive · 05-12-2005, 12:26 AM

I have the same drip on the right side. I am pretty sure its coming from the valve covers (it started after the last adjustment).

Its ok. I have oil leak zen.

safe · safe's Garage

I also have the same leak but only on the right side. In my case I think it´s the oil return tubes. I think the return tubes can leak some oil that will follow the cam housing to the front and drip on to the HE, without oil showing on the tube itself (mine are dry).

I tried to seal the tube leaks with silicone (loctite 587), semi successfully, hard to reach the cam-side seal...

Edit: The cam housing have "fins", from what fin does your car drip? If it drips from the inner fin I dont think a valve cover leak can find its way there.

fiminod · 05-12-2005, 07:46 AM

Oil pressure switch....

gerard vaglio · 05-12-2005, 05:07 PM

Edit: The cam housing have "fins", from what fin does your car drip? If it drips from the inner fin I dont think a valve cover leak can find its way there.

Yes, that's a better way to discribe it, my drips form on the outermost "fin" of the cam housing right on the front edge, not valve cover related from what I can see.

It's not the oil return tubes either, I just changed those out as well as the valve cover gaskets, all those items are now dry. No joy.

I hear there are a few items on the top of the engine in a hard to reach place behind the CIS that often leak.

All life problems should be of this magnatude.

gerard vaglio · 05-12-2005, 05:32 PM

Okay, more information.

The drip actually begins behind the "fin".

Near the top of each cylinder a drip forms and then runs down the fin and falls off the engine on the front edge of the fin furthest from the valve cover gasket.

The top of each cylinder seems to form its own drip, they appear to be evenly distributed.

CSI could crack this one before the first commercial.

safe · safe's Garage

Maybe the rockershafts? I dont know where the oil goes if they leak, but if I would guess I would say it could find its way there.

I dont think any of the stuff on the engine under the CIS could spread any oil to that area.

bigchillcar · bigchillcar's Garage

gerard,
glad you got your apostrophe's settled down...the way they were making all those 'capital O enya's'..don't think i could take mouthing another 'i'owed' word..lol. sorry, it's late and i think my brain is shutting down..prolly didn't add much to your post..

ryan

dotorg · 05-13-2005, 05:14 AM

Just two drips? Those are good to have, when they stop you know you're out of oil

copper · copper's Garage

I have the exact some problem on mine. I've been working downwards on my engine, eliminating the leaks from top to bottom. Working with gravity instead of against it. Replaced the upper oil breather hoses, crankcase breahter cover seal, pressure sender seal, thermostat o-ring. These were all contibuting to a lot of oil running down the cylinder fins and to the underside. They're taken care of, now to seal the case seam and oil return tubes.

I have the exact same leaks on the horizontal fins behind the valve covers. My covers seams and nuts are dry. I've traced it to the oil return tubes. Gotta seal those for now, as I plan on pulling her again in the fall and replacing more stuff, like the tubes, over winter.

Jim

Rob Channell · 05-24-2005, 07:54 PM

My car's not leaking. It's just marking it's territory.

randywebb · 05-24-2005, 08:52 PM

you guys have carefully inspected the breather cover area, right?

gerard vaglio · 05-24-2005, 09:40 PM

Randy,

Of course I inspec ...um, what is the breather cover area?

copper · copper's Garage

Randy, as I said, I started topsde and worked down. Did the breather cover seal, pressure sender, and thermostat o-ring first.

ruf-porsche · ruf-porsche's Garage

Cat litter grind into the driveway will soak up that oil drip.

randywebb · 05-25-2005, 12:31 PM

copper's procedure is the methodical one and the best idea.

How about the rest of y'all?

the breather cover is that oblong raised thing on top near the trans./firewall -- post if you need a pic, I'm sure somebody has one - or a search is bound to yield a pic.

ubiquity0 · 05-25-2005, 12:46 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by randywebb

the breather cover is that oblong raised thing on top near the trans./firewall -- post if you need a pic, I'm sure somebody has one - or a search is bound to yield a pic.

Unless you have CIS in which case the breather cover is the thing that is hidden behind everything else, therefore certain to leak.