Thoughts on oil leak--pics included

[Tim_in_MD]

Hello all,

OK: '86 Carrera, ~140k. Rescued out of a benign neglect situation in May '08.

Looking for some thoughts on an oil leak that developed during the past couple of weeks. I was out for a long spin (20+ miles) two weekends ago when I started getting a whiff of oil burning off a heat exchanger (used to have a 914, it took me back...). Work and salty roads have meant the car has been parked since that drive, and today I found a good sized oil leak under the car.

My next course of action is to clean all the muck off the bottom to see where the leakage is originating. Obviously this has accumulated over time but it has not leaked to the point of dripping prior to this--which also coincided with the arrival of really cold temperatures.

It seems to be centered around the oil cooler, but I don't know if a leak there would achieve such coverage up onto the cylinders. I also thought about oil return tubes, but again, the distribution of oil is above them. Would love the insights of those more experienced than me.







Any thoughts? Am I looking at oil cooler seals or potentially something more ominous? No bad noises; it runs great and uses very little oil, if any. Prior to this I had two small leaks that would go away when used with any regularity--one at the crank seal and one at the oil line junction at the right rear corner.

Thanks in advance...will post follow-up once I have it cleaned.

[x98boardwell]

It does not look like it is coming from the oil return tubes. There is a seal o-ring between the cylinder but I doubt that is it as well.

I would guess that this is coming from above... maybe the air breather cover, or oil temp sending unit or something up there. It could be from the oil cooler but then it wouldn't be under the cylinder like that.

I'm guessing look on top and you will find your leak.

Best of luck,

Bryan

[Gogar]

Engine Breather gasket and hose clamp on breather hose
Thermostat o-ring
Oil pressure idiot light
And maybe oil cooler seals.

Probably in that order. When the breather hose and seal is leaking, it goes frickin everywhere, just like that.