Oil Leak HELP!!!

[ronh]

I just bought my 72 1.7 and have a bad oil leak, among other things. I had assumed the problem was the valve cover gaskets because that is where the oil seemed to be coming from -- not it. It is coming from around the heads and dripping on the heat exchangers??
Any ideas out there?

[paulhagedorn]

If it is coming from around the heads then it sounds like it is time to replace the pushrod seals. These get to be kind of a pain because of the way you have to replace them, unless you are fortunate enough to have the pushrod tubes that collapse on themselves...can't remember exact term. Anyway, if you have the stock solid tubes, then you also get to learn how to do a valve adjust on the car.

If it is the pushrod tube seals, which is a good probability, then we can help you in the process of doing the valve job. I think there is a tech article somewhere on hear explaining how to do it, though.

To replace the seals, the valve covers come off, then the rocker arms have to come off. Then pop out the tubes and put the new rubber o-rings on, and possibly with some sealing grease(someone on here will steer you the right way on what to put on the seals, I used pliable permetex gasket sealant).

Hope this helps,

Paul

[Jim T]

umm, even if you had collapsable pushrod tubes, what good what it do ya? How would you get the new seals over the PUSHRODS???

[paulhagedorn]

HaHa. I guess i was being a complete moron. I was thinking about that and knew I said something stupid...One of those duh type things. Anyway, any updates?

Still showing I can be a little "air-headed."

Paul

[SteveStromberg]

You can remove the engine in about an hour. then you can replace all of the seals. Is the oil filter tight?Steve

[JP Noonan]

Paul :Not a "complete moron" at all, just the wrong Porsche. 911's have oil return tubes that look very similar to our pushrod tubes, but of coarse don't have pushrods because they are over head cam engines. The aftermarket makes collapsible oil return tubes because on 911's you would need to remove the head to replace the seals, but I digress..

It is intirely possible to replace the o-rings with the engine in the car (pre-75 heat exchangers anyway), but much more pleasent with the engine out. Just be sure to clean the motor first so grime doesn't get into the lifter bores or heads.

[HMeeder]

Kjell Nelin has an article on the pushrod seal repair on the 914 fan site

Try http://www.914fan.net/pushrod_tubes.html

I haven't tried it and by reading through the article it seems like a royal PITA. I agree that if you can live with the leak for a bit, replace the seals when you have to yank the whole motor out for a clutch. That would be an ideal time to replace the oil cooler seals also. Demick Boyden has an article on replacing those while the motor is still in the car also. I believe it is also somewhere on that same site.

Good Luck!

Herb

[Dave at Pelican Parts]

In my opinion, the biggest PITA is getting the pushrods seated into the lifters so you can correctly torque the nuts that hold the rocker stands.

I do have a question for the original poster, though. Is the leak coming around the cylinders themselves? As in, up above the pushrod tubes? If so, then the tubes are probably not the source of the leak, or at least not the only source of the leak. You might try looking up on the top side of the engine.

I have seen the hoses to the head vents come off, and oil slosh out of them (or oil mist spray out). The vents are just aft of where the intake runner pipes join the head on the passenger's side, and just forward of where the intake runner pipes join the head on the driver's side. I have also seen oil that has been spilled when adding oil to the engine drip down and get all over the place. Well, actually I did that one myself pretty recently.

Just because the pushrod tubes are a common source of leaks, does not necessarily mean they are the source of yours. You need to look for yourself.

--DD

[ppeters914]

Originally Posted by HMeeder

Kjell Nelin has an article on the pushrod seal repair on the 914 fan site

Try http://www.914fan.net/pushrod_tubes.html

This link no longer works. Can't believe there's no tech article on this, or is it so simple/obvious to do?

Pete

[Dave at Pelican Parts]

You can go to archive.org and fetch the old web page.

It is pretty easy to do, though. The keys are:
1- Removing the rocker arms
2- Sliding the tubes halfway out of the head; you can get at both ends that way
3- Making sure the bores the tubes slide into are clean and have no nicks to cut the seals
4- Not using any kind of sealer on the seals, but lubing them with engine oil or a paste-type lube
5- Getting the rocker arms back on reasonably, with the pushrods seated in the lifters

I do one cylinder at a time, with that cylinder at TDC so I don't have to fight the valve springs when installing the rocker arms. The M7 nuts on the rocker shaft only get 10 lb-ft of torque, and that won't even get them fully seated against the head if they're fighting one or both valve springs.

--DD

[ppeters914]

Thanks, Dave. Your overview cleared up my confusion, however, once I got under the car, I didn't bother. The left side (cylinders 1 & 3) was almost bone dry around the tubes and valve cover. There does appear some oil at the cylinder base and head joints.

The right side (cylinders 2 & 4) was an oily mess. Valve cover and one or two push rod tubes may be partly to blame, but, again, it seems it's coming from the cylinder base and head joints.

Decided to just set the valves (gee, what an ordeal. I'm definitely marking the flywheel when I have the chance), replaced the valve cover gaskets and called it a day.

[roblundgren]

Put vasoline (petroleum jelly) on your pushrod tube seals

[Racer Chris]

Originally Posted by ppeters914

The left side (cylinders 1 & 3) ...

The right side (cylinders 2 & 4)

The driver's side on a 914 is cylinders one and two. The passenger side is cylinders 3 & 4.