Suspected oil cooler leak

[bemumford]

In looking for an oil leak that I thought was from the #3 cylinder pushrod tubes, I discovered that oil is running down the side of the crankcase from somewhere above the pushrod tubes. Oil cooler? (I don't think it's coming from the oil pressure or oil temperature sender, and it's not coming from the oil filter plumbing.)

In other posts, I've seen advice about pulling the engine to investigate oil cooler leaks. One suggests that the engine be lowered, the fan housing removed, and the engine run to confirm where the leak is coming from. Must the engine be disconnected from the transmission to gain enough clearance to do this?

More than one post describes engine removal, but nobody talks about how high the rear of the car must be to clear the engine. Has anyone measured this?

PS: Thanks to all who responded to my recent post on Weber carb conversions.

Ed Mumford
67 912 Targa

[C. Clark]

Ed,
I believe I raised mine between 18" and 24", I removed the center piece, where the lic. plate lives, it makes it much easier. It takes about an hour with the right equipment.
Good luck,
Chas 67/912

[Green 912]

I have a list of the steps taken to pull a 912 motor. Let me know and I will email or post if you like. It is less work to pull the motor than to try and remove the doghouse with the motor in the engine bay.

[bemumford]

Thanks for your replies.

Chas: It shouldn't be hard to get the tail end of the car 2 feet off the ground.

Green: Glad they caught those two idiots and that it's safe to fill the 912 up at the local gas station. Yes, I would like to have the procedure you offered. Email to bemumford3@mchsi.com or post here -- whichever is easier.

A related question: Most of the posts on this website talk about removing the engine but not the transmission. The shop manual I have cautions against this and recommends pulling both. What danger or difficulty is there in pulling just the engine?

[C. Clark]

Ed,
I've done it both ways, I suppose it depends on what you're planning. Supporting the trans is very important, also disconnecting the shifter shaft is advisable, if you don't you'll trash the seal in the trans causing it to leak. I have that magnetic wrench for the blind bolts that connect the engine to the trans too.
Better yet I know of a site where a complete discription of engine removal was just posted with pictures, http://www.hillmanimages.com/912/index.html
Check it out, I'm sure you'll find lots of valuable info.
Good luck and have fun,
Chas. 69/912

[jac912]

Before you pull that motor double check how your valve cover is seated in that spot. Mine was binding against air duct sheetmetal on the driver side and I thought the same. The leak was coming out the top of the valve cover and spreading across the sheetmetal in the corner.

[Green 912]

Here you go. Anyone have good tips to add? As Chas said it is real important to disconect the shifter so as to not bend the shift shaft. No problem removing just the motor, and it can be done by one person with only one large floor jack and 2 stands in about 1/2 hour after a time or two.

A thing to think of, you should never reuse the CV joint bolts, they are one strech only. The ones that you get from the hardware store are too soft and often fail. The corect ones are expensive so leaving the trans in saves time and money.


1 Disconnect the battery and only then disconnect all wiring to the motor from the body. Senders, ignition, generator and such. No need to disconnect the starter.

2 Disconnect the fuel lines at the fuel pump.

3 Remove the rear pan.

4 Disconnect the shift linkage connector that is under the cover between the rear seats. Don’t forget this part or you will really damage things later.

5 Loosen the rear wheel lugs. I like to remove the rear wheels as it makes it easer to move around under the car but it isn’t required.

6 Lift the car. To do so, jack the car up as high as you can with a floor jack using the tranny center rib as a lifting point. I use a disk of plywood and a patch of old carpet in the jack cup to protect the cases. Use 2 jack stands and a 2X4 as long as the car is wide support the car by putting the 2X4 under the rear floor pan seam. (The seam, NOT the pan. The point where the rear seat pan ends) Now remove the floor jack from the transmission and jack the car higher using the center of the 2X4. You will be able to get the car nice and high this way. Raise the floor stands up to meet the 2X4 and remove the floor jack. The car is stable, high enough, you only need one jack and never had to get under the car while lifting it.

7 Remove the rear wheels. (opt)

8 Remove the sheet metal that the license plate is on. You will need to remove the rear chrome bumpers to do this.

9 Loosen the 2 front transmission hanger bolts. Do not remove them; just back them out 3 turns or so.

10 Disconnect all the heater stuff, hoses, control wires and anything else you see that runs from the car to the motor. Check to see if there are any mounting straps to the tail pipes ect. (Remove nothing off the transmission, as it will stay. No need to remove the CV joints or starter ether)

11 Put the floor jack under the center of the motor case and put a little upward pressure on it, then remove the rear motor mount bolts.

12 Lower the motor about 3 inches. (You remembered to disconnect the transmission didn’t you?)

13 Remove the front most piece of motor tin. This is the one that sticks up over the top of the transmission. It is held in place with 4 cheese heads.

14 Get a flat cargo strap that is about 1 inch wide, run it under the transmission right behind the bell housing. Tie it off on the top of the rear strut towers inside the motor compartment and cinch it up tight. This will support the transmission after you remove the motor.

15 Lower the motor until SOME of the weight is off the jack. The strap will stretch some thus giving you some more room to work with. Now slide under the car and remove the 2 lower motor/trans nuts. Then remove the 2 bolts on top. One is a starter-mounting bolt as well.

16 Jack the motor up or down until the motor isn’t lifting the trans and the trans isn’t lifting the motor.

16 Now you can pull the motor gently off the trans and lower it to the floor and then roll it right out the back. Use the tail pipes as handles. Bolt on the motor stand bracket and only now do you need to get a friend to help you lift the bugger into the stand.


One jack, one person and the second time you do it you can do it in about 40 min. You can remove and install a transmission single-handed as well.

[bemumford]

Thanks to all who answered my post. The commentary about replacing the CV bolts is a pretty compelling argument for leaving the transmission in the car. I'm leaning toward pulling just the engine, but the procedure that appears on the Hillman website should be helpful, too. Now, I hope I can find time this week to give it a try.

Ed