oil leak 1985-928S

PC-85-928S · 05-01-2011, 04:43 PM

i have an oil leak from somewhere behind the oil dipstick.
help

1984928 · 05-01-2011, 05:45 PM

Pull the cover and have a look. Being on that side I'd guess crank seal or else maybe coming from the timing belt tensioner. How much oil is it? Fresh or old?

Landseer · 05-01-2011, 05:52 PM

Can you show a picture of the whole top of the engine for perspective.
I think I know where its coming from.

PC-85-928S · 05-02-2011, 11:15 AM

a little behind this position, but low
under and behind the dipstick

Landseer · 02:17 PM

Indeterminate on yours. Looks like new boots and clean intake, so maybe you cleaned away the telltales.

The crankcase breather hoses on the 85/6 cars are known to decompose if original. One of them tends to break near the passenger side base of the oil filler snout. Then it mists oil. It tends to spray right where you show, plus, aross the engine and hood in a trail back to the firewall. I've seen three where a hole or crack has occured where the hose attaches deep at the base of that snout. Only way to get to it is with an intake refresh.

Not sure your car's history, but the boots on the organ pipes look very fresh.
I'd remove the passenger side plenum (easy) and look at the condition of the two hoses as they attach on the cam covers, buried under that passenger plenum. Squeeze them and see if they are decomposing.

Other source could be that black plastic cap on the front of the cam tower, passenger side.
Or the cam cover gasket (need a little silicon in the corners / maybe somebody didn't use it during gasket replacement?).

Also tensioner oil leak, but usually its lower.

Kinda doubt its serious, ie, at the head/block joint. Possible. Unlikely.

Thought your car was red --- had you confused with somebody else.

PC-85-928S · 05-02-2011, 03:34 PM

Gonna get under for better view
I have tarp under it to help pin point

PC-85-928S · 05-02-2011, 03:37 PM

I have had the side plenums off when I did plugs.
I did organ boots last summer

Landseer · 05-02-2011, 06:00 PM

I've bought online an led penlight on the end of an 18" flexible extension.

Amazon.com: streamlight stylus 18 inch Home Improvement

It works real well to reach into tight areas and backlight stuff to search for leaks.

Mrmerlin · 05-02-2011, 07:05 PM

if after cleaning off the tensioner you see it leaking,
you can refill it , USE STP oil treatment,
use a visene bottle with the tip drilled out ,
remove both of the fill and outlet plugs.
Note it gets filled from the hole closest to the passenger fender.

NOTE the other possibility is that sealant wasnt used on one ofthe tensioner bolts this would seal the bolt to the oil return in the block

PC-85-928S · 05-03-2011, 02:19 PM

hard to pin point even from underneath
looks like spraying

PC-85-928S · 05-03-2011, 02:30 PM

the belts and pulleys are all dry

MPDano · MPDano's Garage

Wouldn't it be easier to pinpoint if you cleaned it all up and monitor it?

F18Rep · 05-03-2011, 03:47 PM

Quote:

NOTE the other possibility is that sealant wasnt used on one ofthe tensioner bolts this would seal the bolt to the oil return in the block

Huh? Which bolt is to be sealed (nothing about this in the WSM) or is it all of them? Bruce

Mrmerlin · 07:16 PM

ahh there is a sealant required for one bolt in the tensioner mount,
its in the WSM its one of the top bolts the one closest to the crank centerline top otr the second one down from top

PC-85-928S · 05-04-2011, 04:13 PM

would there be any reason not to locktite all the bolts on the tensioner if accessible?

F18Rep · 05-04-2011, 06:57 PM

No doubt you're right Merlin, I'l have to look through the WSM again. That got me because I had a leak in that area too and was thinking about it...Bruce
Not to steal this thread but here's a pic of my leak(s)...

Mrmerlin · 05-04-2011, 07:17 PM

Loctite PTFE is a non setting pipe sealant its while and will seal the threads no lock them, also good on the WP bolts

Landseer · 05-05-2011, 02:00 AM

Other than some loctite blue on oil pan bolts, I avoid the stuff that hardens.
The white teflon-containing stuff works for sealing the tensioner bolt and the tensioner pivot arm bolt where it enters the water pump. I've used it on WP bolts, too, per Mr. Merlins suggestion.

In general though, the bolt holes should be cleaned of grit, same with bolts, and installed with a little oil. And torqued with an accurate wrench, often an inch lb wrench. The threads in the aluminum block are fragile for one thing, but the heads can shear off the bolts on the next removal especially on smaller diameter hardware it the threads are locked. Its a major PITA to extract a steel bolt from fragile aluminum threaded holes. Often the bolts break under the surface so you can/t weld to it. So loctite isn't needed (torqued, the bolts stay put) and can be detrimental.

PC-85-928S · 05-05-2011, 06:28 AM

tried to scan the parts page with the tensioner
could not get it to upload

PART NUMBER 15 ?

15 900 074 135 02 hexagon-head bolt M 8 x 62 M28.21/22

(15) N 010 360 6 hexagon-head bolt M 8 x 60 M28.43/44

can someone decifer the model designations at the end?

Landseer · 07:42 AM

21/22 are manual/auto 16V USA

43/44 are manual/auto 32V USA

The PET is written to cover both variations, as well as other variations.
I think it covers 83-84 16V and 85-86 32V. Sometimes a chassis number shows a mid year change. A flag also sends you to the technical bulletins in some cases.

Not sure how anybody can work on these cars without the morehouse CD's that have all the keys to all these mysteries.

Timing belt time?