60TR3A
Jedi Trainee
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Earlier this week, I noticed a long drip running down my driveway right after I had parked the car in the garage. The drip was heaviest as the car got close to the garage and was heading downhill and then tapered off to nothing just as the car entered the flat garage. A picture of that drip will be attached. It's still very visible despite many rains so it's not water or antifreeze but is petroleum-based. It's not brake/clutch fluid as that reservoir is full to the top. And it's not radiator runoff as it wouldn't still be a stain in the asphalt after being rained on many times in the past 5 or so days. This shows the drip in the driveway: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DnMnBvhV84&feature=youtu.be
As you can see, it gets heavier as the car approaches the garage on the incline of the driveway and then peters out just as the car enters the garage.
I checked the oil and was down a quart so I added oil. I checked the radiator and added about a quart of antifreeze. I pulled the car out this morning and examined the garage floor. There was no evidence of any leaks on the left side of the car. There are plenty of puddles in the center and right side, though. Typical for the age of the car.
I drove it to the local mechanic and got it on the lift this AM. The engine and transmission and differential all had the usual wetness of slow leaks which were wiped off and the engine was idling for a good 20 minutes while on the lift. No leaks or drips occurred. However, we lowered the car to the ground and noticed white smoke coming out of the rear carburetor's air filter (from the back part of the filter nearest the firewall). You can view a short video of this smoking air filter here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcsOP_en12M&feature=youtu.be
We also noticed that the breather pipe was loose at the carburetor so we clamped it. Someone suggested a worn rocker shaft allowing too much oil into top, being sucked into the breather pipe by the carb.
Could the drip line in the driveway have been caused by fuel that the rear carburetor dumped due to a problem with the carburetor? Or oil being sucked into the carb and dripping onto the ground? All advice will be most appreciated. Thanks!
UPDATE: I found this online which probably explains what needs to be done. Please comment if you disagree and have a better diagnosis. "The Healey rocker shaft is located under the valve cover on top of the engine and can be a readily remedied source of trouble. The function of the rocker shaft is to hold the rockers in place on the valve train and to keep the valve timing intact. Oil is fed through the oil feed pipe into the shaft and along each rocker to oil the top of the engine and return. There is tremendous pressure here and what may occur is simply: Rockers turning on the shaft sometimes score it and the resulting gap allows oil in be forced out of the rockers and through the breather pipes to the rear carburetor. Therefore you are fouling your carburetors, mixing oil and gas in the engine, apparently using an excess of oil which your local repair shop will tell you is caused by everything but a rocker shaft."
As you can see, it gets heavier as the car approaches the garage on the incline of the driveway and then peters out just as the car enters the garage.
I checked the oil and was down a quart so I added oil. I checked the radiator and added about a quart of antifreeze. I pulled the car out this morning and examined the garage floor. There was no evidence of any leaks on the left side of the car. There are plenty of puddles in the center and right side, though. Typical for the age of the car.
I drove it to the local mechanic and got it on the lift this AM. The engine and transmission and differential all had the usual wetness of slow leaks which were wiped off and the engine was idling for a good 20 minutes while on the lift. No leaks or drips occurred. However, we lowered the car to the ground and noticed white smoke coming out of the rear carburetor's air filter (from the back part of the filter nearest the firewall). You can view a short video of this smoking air filter here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcsOP_en12M&feature=youtu.be
We also noticed that the breather pipe was loose at the carburetor so we clamped it. Someone suggested a worn rocker shaft allowing too much oil into top, being sucked into the breather pipe by the carb.
Could the drip line in the driveway have been caused by fuel that the rear carburetor dumped due to a problem with the carburetor? Or oil being sucked into the carb and dripping onto the ground? All advice will be most appreciated. Thanks!
UPDATE: I found this online which probably explains what needs to be done. Please comment if you disagree and have a better diagnosis. "The Healey rocker shaft is located under the valve cover on top of the engine and can be a readily remedied source of trouble. The function of the rocker shaft is to hold the rockers in place on the valve train and to keep the valve timing intact. Oil is fed through the oil feed pipe into the shaft and along each rocker to oil the top of the engine and return. There is tremendous pressure here and what may occur is simply: Rockers turning on the shaft sometimes score it and the resulting gap allows oil in be forced out of the rockers and through the breather pipes to the rear carburetor. Therefore you are fouling your carburetors, mixing oil and gas in the engine, apparently using an excess of oil which your local repair shop will tell you is caused by everything but a rocker shaft."
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