Mmm leaky bits...

[ChrisM]

My car has an oil leak. Well, several, in fact :D:giveup:

http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l289/f1_mw/D620CAC/th_oil_leak_d620cac.jpg (http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l289/f1_mw/D620CAC/oil_leak_d620cac.jpg)

I have checked the air filter, as recommended by E_T_V, and it is clean as a whistle - so no oil being blown back through. Is this enough evidence to tell me that the breather isn't blocked?

The sump was full on Friday when I checked, and upon checking at lunchtime today the dipstick was on 'min'. I have travelled approx 200 miles in that time. There is no blue smoke, and although I can smell oil burning I think this is from oil that has dripped down onto something rather hot!

Anyone any ideas a) what to check and b) what to do next!?

Thanks in advance
Chris

[G Force]

Check first that crankcase breathers are not blocked and there are no air leaks. Easy way to check for air leaks is to remove the small pipe to the air filter & put your finger over the end, then remove the large pipe that connects to the carburettor then blow into that pipe, if the pipe holds pressure all is well, then take your finger off of the small pipe to release the pressure otherwise you will get a mouth full of gunk.

Check all the breather pipes are not full of emulsion and you can blow through the oil seperator.

If oil is leaking onto the exhaust then the leak will be from either or all the following, Cam cover gaskets, cam carrier rtv seal, camshaft oil seals, head gasket around oil feed to the head(exhaust manifold side of engine, cambelt end) . once you sort these leaks clean off the engine to see if there are any more leaks lower down i.e. crankshaft seals, oil filter, oil pressure switch, oil pressure relief valve, oil seperator gasket, sump gasket, sump plug washer, gearbox adapter plate rtv joint.;)

[E_T_V]

From a brief look at the car at the weekend, I'd say the crank seals have gone. Hopefully this will be because of a blocked breather. Check the oil filler cap and wash it out in petrol if you haven't got a spare one as this acts as a breather for the engine. Also check the breather pipes are nice and clear. If none of this helps then I'd change the seal on the pulley end and then change the one on the other end when the clutch starts to slip (often it doesn't).

[ChrisM]

Hmm I had a good look at the car today with Rich Smith, and the breathers are definitely OK. When you blow down the pipes there is air audibly leaking out from somewhere though, is this normal?

The strange thing is, I checked the oil this morning and the level was at max, as it was 3 days ago (both times on the flat, both times the car was left overnight). Thought it could possibly by the wrong dipstick or something daft like that, but it is the same as the other 1.3 one I have. Oil is definitely leaking, at quite a rate at times, and also splatters the engine bay when on a long journey - but it doesn't seem to use any oil...

A very confused Chris... :worried:

[G Force]

Hmm I had a good look at the car today with Rich Smith, and the breathers are definitely OK. When you blow down the pipes there is air audibly leaking out from somewhere though, is this normal?


No chris there should be no air leak if you blow into the large pipe at the carb, but you must leave the filler cap in place and block with your finger the small pipe from the oil filler tube to the air filter if your engine has this hose.

Wherever the air is coming from when you blow will be the site of a large oil leak or a hole in a breather hoses. If it is any of these the engine breather system will not be operating as it should creating oil leaks and also it will affect engine tune.

Cheers Gary

[ChrisM]

Thanks again for your wealth of knowledge! I covered up the filler cap and there was a vacuum.

I've had the front wheel and inspection panel off today, and tightened up the bolts that hold the timing chain cover on. One of these appears to turn perpetually and has stripped the thread - I think this may well be the source of my leak... the drips are only coming from the huge buildup of oil that is, err, almost everywhere on the left hand side of the engine bay! Looks like it has been there some time... Have cleaned as much as I can, and there are indeed fresh splatters on the bonnet every motorway journey I make - possibly leaking onto the bottom pulley and being catapulted around?

Hey ho. As I say, still no oil lost on the dipstick... :worried:

[G Force]

Hi ChrisM you may be able to rethread the stripped bolt when you do the crank seal because you have to remove the timing chain cover to fit the new seal. The bolt that is stripped will most likely be one of the very short bolts that only screws into the timing cover backplate, depending on which bolt is stripped you can sometimes drill the backplate and fit a nut & bolt if it won't rethread.

A good tip when you do the oil seal, is when you come to refit the timing cover before tightening any bolts temperarilly fit the front pulley then just nip up the bolts you can get at, then you can remove the pulley and tighten all the bolts in a logical sequence. Doing this centralises the front pulley to the oil seal in the timing cover which makes the seal last longer.

If you have'nt noticed I keep getting your cars mixed up but I'm on the right one now, sorry:o

Gary:)

[ChrisM]

Thanks again for your thorough replies Gary! Yeh, sorry for having so many cars with so many problems :o :p

I will follow your advice as and when I get round to doing the seal.