Oil Leaks

[mercman]

Hello:

I just bought an '83 SC (love it) and wanted to attend to some of its minor needs. It has an oil leak on the lines from the oil tank to the thermostat housing, and one from the engine to the tank.

I don't have the time or resources to do this myself, wondering if this is an expensive fix?


Thanks,

Rob

[ischmitz]

These leaks are very comon. The crimp fittings are the culprits. I had new lines that started leaking after only one year. New lines are what most shops will do. An alternative is to take the lines to a hydraulic shop and have them re-hose them. I hope mine will never leak again.


Expensive is a relative term I figure a shop will charge you 250$ for the two oil lines and one hour of a mechanic at appr. 120$ depending on where you go. So you are looking at 350$ to 400$. If you do it yourself you can buy the lines at Pelican or get them redone for about 100$. All you need is a special 36mm wrench. But it's not too hard to do yourself. Just messy. The only tough part is to not damage the threads on the thermostat when cracking the old lines loose.

Cheers,
Ingo

[tonythetarga]

Are you absolutely sure where the leak is coming from? I would suggest cleaning the lines and everything that oil goes through upstream and downstream. Get the oil hot by driving and after the lines have been under pressure and while it is running, get your flashlight and inspect for leaks. If it is at the joint, you might be able to use a thread compound or teflon tape to make a seal while keeping the threads usable for future removal. If the rubber section is cracked and leaking or the metal section is cracked, then I would replace them.