something different: oil leaks

[Will98D]

I replaced the pushrod tube seals and rocker cover gaskets last November and then put the car up for the winter. Took it out for a few mile run over the weekend and it seems to be leaking worse than ever on the right side. The pushrod tubes went together with some resistance when seating the o-rings, so I hope they're OK. First thing I'll check are the rocker cover gaskets to be sure one didn't slip out of place, but my question is this: what are the other common oil leaks on the oil-cooler side and front of the engine that can be repaired without pulling it out of the car?

[yoh!!!]

Hi,

It is relatively difficult to identify a potential oil source at the front of the engine. Most of the places are well covered, and at the same time the fan takes care of equal distribution of any oil emerging in the front. The best idea might be to replace the following parts at the same time
check the following...
Oil seal on crank shaft (behind fan hub). This is my best guess. They age and crack and sometimes they start rotating in their seat... It will be pretty difficult to replace this seal while the engine is installed since you have to remove the fan hub, but it is possible... Cost $5.00 for the part a "special" tool is recomended especially if you try to do the job while the engine is in the car.
Oil cooler has two symetrical red rubber seals. Those can be replaced while the engine is installed, you do not even have to remove the oil cooler completly... Keep track of the position of your aluminum washer.
Oil pump has a gasket. This gasket can be replaced while the engine is installed, but I remember that the engine mounts and the bar might be in the way. The oil pumps are sometimes "stuck" in the case and you run the risk of damaging the oil pump case while pulling to hard...
Push rod o-rings... it is very easy to damage those while installing them. In case you installed them while the engine was in the car, than you also had to deal with dirt around the pushrods and the case.
It should be possible to tell if it leaks from somewhere in the front or from one of the push rod o-rings...


MfG
Patrick

[3D914]

yoh!!!,

Finding leaks has been one of my endless task while rebuilding my 74 2.0L. Its been six months since a top-end rebuild. I did all the conventional areas and upon my next valve adjustment (3000 mi), guess what - oil leaking again. Here's what I found after I pulled the engine.

1) There was some very minor leaking from the oil cooler. New seals were installed, but what I found upon deeper inspection was that the lower opening didn't seal as tightly as the upper. A tolerance stack up verified this. Its only a very small drip and will require a replaced cooler at next engine pull. These coolers are aluminum, so do't over-torque the three mounting nuts.

2) The major culprit for me was that @&@**@!# gasket under the oil filler. If yours is soaked with oil its highly suspect that it is one major source of leaking oil. The oil will work down and back along the case - leading you to think its other things. Use a bright light and check every thing below the oil filler gasket and see if its wet with oil.
If you replace the gasket, apply some gasket sealer to both sides. This aids that funky bale wire to keep the oil IN the engine where it belongs.

3) On the oil filler the 2.0 has a vacuum line that connects to a fitting on the rear passenger side of the oil filler body. This can work loose as well - since its threaded and plastic. Make sure its threaded tight, and I suggest a clamp for this hose.

Of course its prudent to check the other suspect locations, but here's a couple that sometimes get overlooked.

Enjoy!

[Va914]

Has you guys tried the tech artical on PParts? I was thinking about giving that a shot on a spare set of covers.

Kerry

[DSPTurtle]

Don't forget about the distributor oil seal. This one was pretty easy to replace, jsut make sure you mark where the rotor was pointing when you pulled it out. My seal was hard and cracked...had to cut it off. the new one was a soft rubber seal. Good luck!!!

[cnavarro]

What are the other common oil leaks on the oil-cooler side and front of the engine that can be repaired without pulling it out of the car?

Well I can let you know from second hand experience that our 2.6L type 4 we built had a handful of leaks we would have never even considered. We ended up pulling the motor out to track down the pesky leak. Few possibilities we took care of- the oil galley plug above the oil filter mount was leaking, as was the oil filter mount itself. Took about 7 times of pulling the darn thing off and lapping the surfaces to get it just right. Those were the two main culprits for our oil leaks. The galley plug was damn odd, considering all the galley holes were drilled and tapped and new plugs put in. Oh well.

Good luck finding your leak...i'm hoping my 2L that is going to be going into my type 3 doesn't have any leaks by the time i'm finished with it

Take care,

Charles Navarro
LN Engineering
http://www.LNengineering.com
Aircooled Precision Performance