ID oil leak?

[ramonesfreak]

Noticed today my oil was way low. got under car and noticed leak around where transmission meets motor.

Any idea where this is coming from and what is involved? I suspect this has been going on all summer as I did have to had some oil a few months ago which I thought was odd but thought maybe its cause im using brad pen oil and i usually use mobile 1

i lost probably 3 quarts in the past 500 miles. i usually never have to add oil in between oil changes....

pics

[Joe Bob]

Pools of oil under the car? Could be the main seal.....

Otherwise the most likely suspect is up top.....the so called triangle of death.

[ramonesfreak]

no pools. just spots of oil.

what is this triangle of death? ill search it but dont like sounds of it.

[ramonesfreak]

didnt find anything searching for triangle of death..
i assume your talking about the oil Thermostat, Oil Breather Cover, Oil Cooler

[Joe Bob]

Pelican Parts Technical BBS - Search Results

Buncha threads here....

[Caferacer]

Hey, total newbie here so don't kill me for askin' an obvious question...did you use new crush washers when changing the oil? I can't really tell from the dispersion in the pic but I prefer to eliminate the really cheap options first. Good luck!!

[ramonesfreak]

Originally Posted by Caferacer

Hey, total newbie here so don't kill me for askin' an obvious question...did you use new crush washer when changing the oil? I can't really tell from the dispersion in the pic but I prefer to eliminate the really cheap options first. Good luck!!

yes always. the oil leak is nowhere near the oil drain

[ramonesfreak]

Originally Posted by Joe Bob

Pelican Parts Technical BBS - Search Results

Buncha threads here....

thanks. will have to tackle this next year i guess. time to break out the walking shoes

[kidrock]

those areas you have circled do not appear indicative of the amount of oil you claim you are losing. 3 quarts over 500 miles, those spots would look like somebody poured fresh oil and there would be little if any dirt. And, you would be getting pools of oil, not just spots underneath.

Methinks you need to do a compression test.

[ramonesfreak]

why would i need to test compression, how does that relate to the oil leak..?

my estimate of usage could be off, but not by much.

the oil is a mix of old dirty gunk and new oil when touched with finger and inspected, looks clean and new

there are some drips, hanging from the car like the leak is active and slowly leaking and dripping

there are drips on the driveway which i will photograph, that i didnt see until today which would indicate, based on various levels of dryness/freshness of spots, that this has been going on for a few months and i was unaware because the car was always hiding the drips from my view until today when i parked elsewhere...

have not had any loss of oil pressure while driving or strange behavior except this morning the car died while backing out of driveway very abruptly and then would not start until i pumped gas pedal. i assumed this is unrelated to the oil but rather, was because it was 33 degrees out which my car does not like

[ramonesfreak]

i should add that i drive the car every single day. so, the drops in driveway are only part of the story. the car has been dripping all over the county for months...how much exactly, im not sure. seems like a slow moderate size leak

[Tidybuoy]

I don't have the answer for you but I would recommend washing the engine thoroughly and then look for the leak. I say this because the oil always runs down and road grime adds to it and it's very difficult to spot the actual source.

Just my $0.02 cents worth

[Joe Bob]

Compression or leakdown test will show bad rings or valves....bad valve guides will also allow oil into the combustion chambers.

Do you have any smoke on decel or accel?

[ramonesfreak]

oh so you were suggesting im buring oil and not leaking as much as i suspect. could be. but no smoke at anytime i drive. i suspect i need a tuneup and valve adjustment but otherwise it runs great and pulls hard as always.

i will try to degrease this weekend before it starts snowing to see if i can figure out whats going on and will park in a clean spot and inspect for drips

in this cold though, the bran pen is like thick syrup so might have to wait till spring to diagnose unless i get some warm snowless days

[ramonesfreak]

ok so i found some notes i took last time i topped off the oil and my estimation of usage was way way off. i guess i did way more driving the last two months than i thought.

I actually lost only 2 quarts in 1,871 miles which is very good

however, the leak is there, its dripping and has been all summer i guess.

[wildcat077]

My car leaked for the first three years i owned it until i replaced the oil switch,cut three inches off my breather hose which was cracked near the crankcase breather cover and replaced my crank case breather gasket !

Give the engine a complete wash then it will be easier to pinpoint your leaks !
It ruined my driveway in the meantime ...

Cheers !
Phil

[911Freak]

I'd 2nd Joe Bob's theory and say you have the "Unholy Trio" leaking there. It runs down the seam between trans and engine and gets blown back over everything under the engine (Heat Exchangers-oil lines etc) it also is a constant drip, but not a pool.

Keep an eye on the level, enjoy your last few days of driving weather and plan ahead to drop the engine (partial or full drop) to address these buggers.
Lots of good threads on this.

I've got the same project planned for the same reasons this winter. Can't wait to get it done. Leaving spots everywhere I go is embarassing.

Watch out for the "while i'm in there" scope creep, it'll getcha every time!

You will really enjoy the finished product, a clean engine that stays clean!

Good Luck

Jason

[ramonesfreak]

i have a thought that has been nagging me. this morning when my car died, it died very suddenly while going in reverse. it didnt stall in a way that i had time to hit the clutch pedal. it was a bit jarring.

could i have jammed the motor/tranny in way that i sprung a leak? because i am seeing quite a bit of new, fresh oil. i realize there is a lot of old dirty oil all around the area that would suggest an ongoing problem for quite a while, but....i keep wondering if this is a possibility

[ramonesfreak]

Originally Posted by 911Freak

I'd 2nd Joe Bob's theory and say you have the "Unholy Trio" leaking there. It runs down the seam between trans and engine and gets blown back over everything under the engine (Heat Exchangers-oil lines etc) it also is a constant drip, but not a pool.

Keep an eye on the level, enjoy your last few days of driving weather and plan ahead to drop the engine (partial or full drop) to address these buggers.
Lots of good threads on this.

I've got the same project planned for the same reasons this winter. Can't wait to get it done. Leaving spots everywhere I go is embarassing.

Watch out for the "while i'm in there" scope creep, it'll getcha every time!

You will really enjoy the finished product, a clean engine that stays clean!

Good Luck

Jason

yea this sounds the most probable. i get so damn angry when i look at my prior owners records and see the tranny and clutch rebuild that was done without addressing other obvious preventative age related maintenance...but, i knew that when i got it so now its my turn

[kidrock]

Yes, I was referring to the possibility of your engine burning oil instead of losing it through "dripping". I read your post about 2 quarts over 1800 miles, which is acceptable.

I have attached a picture of "The Unholy Trinity" for your review.