Lets play detect this leak!

[sempaipaul]

Guys,

as some of you may know I have recently obtained a 79 targa with a stock 3.0 and have been since sealing all of its oil leaks as it was pissing oil when I purchased it. SO far I have replaced the following:

1. valve cover gaskets
2. oil cooler seals
3. oil pressure gauge
4. engine sump gasket
5. various hoses (i.e. thermostat and return hose)

I have the following leak which looks like it is coming down somewhere near the oil cooler. It's not the oil cooler as that is completely dry. Where could this be coming from? Do you think its from the heads?

I have NOT yet replaced the engine vent hose/seal or the thermostat seal up there in the back - as that requires removal of engine and I still want to make sure that that is where it is coming from.

Thoughts?


image hosting over 10mb

[fanaudical]

Oil cooler leaks are sometimes funny. Since they have so much air blowing through them, they sometimes provide an indication that the oil cooler is dry (because all the oil gets blown out). I recommend checking when idling after a good run when warm and see if you can see a drip or collect a drip using a rag along the bottom of the fins.

It may be a rocker shaft drip (although that's a little further outboard). Am guessing it's the thermostat housing or something else up top.

[Flat6pac]

Recently, the last couple years, the thermostat seals seem to be too small so I have been using 574 at and above the oil seal.
I did crush the pressure sensor seal too much and that was a problem looking like you too.
Bruce

[afterburn 549]

Thermastat seal / oil P. sender.

[mreid]

Did you replace the breather gasket?

[sempaipaul]

I have not. Ok so I guess the best course of action really is for me to replace the breather gasket/hose and the engine oil thermostat gasket and see why happens.

What else should I do since I'll be pulling the engine out? Any other gaskets I should do when engine is out?

[bugstrider]

Small metal tube that was placed in the case by Porsche to plug/seal the case casting. Common leak point requiring epoxy due to seepage. Same deal inside the open area between oil cooler and case. Cooler needs to be removed to access and address.

I am dealing with the same location leaking.





If it is seeping from the inside, that is harder to address. Common weep point and sorry for the cruddy photos..

[kwikt 911]

I also have the same area leaking.... but in my case it's the cooler$$.

[bugstrider]

Here are some better pictures of the area I was talking about without any epoxy.


This is inside the area blocked by the oil cooler.


Up at the top you can see the area that the pipe sits in.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[ozracer]

I had a leak in a similar area traced it back to my oil return tubes as someone suggested its hard to detect sometimes those fans blow oil around cos they are so powerful

[uwanna]

Here's the Tech Bulletin on the casting leak. Seems quite a few folks have been experiencing this particular leak lately!

[72911]

If you are wanting to reseal your thermostat and pressure sender you do not have to remove the engine. I did this last weekend and what I did was lower the rear of the engine, only, by removing the rear mount hardware, but leaving the front mount intact. It took about four hours from start to finish. Once the rear of the engine is lowered (it can come down about 10" or so) I went after the thermostat and oil pressure sender from over the top. I put a thick moving pad on top of the engine (after removing the intake filter) and laid on top of that to work on the seals. Not the easiest approach but for sure quicker than an engine drop. So far so good on the reseal. You do have to remove another item, the wiring harness to the relay board, but that come off quickly at the gang plug at the left rear corner (on a 72). Happy seal hunting...