Leakin' Oil... Again

My car is proving once again that old habits die hard. Instead of leaking oil around the rear seal, it's decided to leak out the front, where it drips onto the front chassis crossmember. Given that the engine tilts back in the chassis a few degrees, I know it isn't leaking out the back and running forward. Anyone know where this could be coming from? It's a fair amount of oil, I find about a 3-4inch puddle in my garage at the end of the day.

Well known fact that all British cars leak oil onto the chassis to prevent rust.

Yes, but it shouldn't be leaking this much right after a rebuild. I understand I'm gonna get a few drops a day. I got that even before it was rebuilt, but I shouldn't have a puddle under the front of the car after a few hours.

Webb, other than the front seal, you may have a leak in the timing cover and it may be because of this little problem. Check it out.
https://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayIS...247621&rd=1
Wayne

Last time I ran across that upon a rebuild it had to do with too much back pressure building up inside the engine. Turns out the PCV valve was not operating properly. It should have created a vacuum from intake manifold under high rpm situations. Replaced it and the oil stopped leaking.
Whatever the root cause, hope it resolves easily..
Jeff3113

Webb,
The most common weak point is the front engine block. This is the aluminum center section that seals between the oil pan & block. This part is installed with sealant & wood wedges. A common failure is stripped bolts in the soft aluminum. There are specific length bolts in specific locations. Often rebuilders install them incorrectly which causes the stripping.
The other common area would be the front crank seal & timing cover. Clean the area & inspect for the exact spot of the leak. Both of these repairs can be done fairly easily but require a bit of dissasembly. When you locate the exact spot let us know & we'll go the repair in detail.
good luck, Mitch

Webb, I agree with TR2000. I saw the same gizmo on Ebay and thought it made perfect sense. It would be in the right geographic region for your leak as well. Good luck. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/iagree.gif

Had fun the other day buying a valve cover gasket for the BMW motorcycle. Went to get it on the Bonneville, and enjoyed pointing out that the BMW leaked, while the Triumph did not.

Hi,

It looks as if you've gotten some good suggestions for things to look for.

Here are a couple other things you might want to check:

Look at the surface the front crankcase cover seal rides upon, on the extension hub. If it's been roughed up, due to leaks or dirt getting in there in the past, a new seal will quickly get tattered and start to leak. The only soution is to smooth off the hub area the seal rides upon. If it's heavily gouged, this might mean adding some material to bring it back into shape or replacing the entire extension hub. A new seal will then ride upon a smooth surface and won't get damaged.

If the oil pan or sump bolts are ever overtightened, the area around each bolt hole can be deformed. Most often it will dome upward toward the block and make a good seal next to impossible.

There is a "leak finder" product on the market, which is a UV dye that's added to the oil and makes it easier to trace back the source of a leak. Of course, a freshly rebuilt engine might be clean enough that you can trace it back visually.

Good luck!

Alan

[ QUOTE ]
Hi,
Look at the surface the front crankcase cover seal rides upon, on the extension hub. If it's been roughed up, due to leaks or dirt getting in there in the past, a new seal will quickly get tattered and start to leak. The only soution is to smooth off the hub area the seal rides upon. If it's heavily gouged, this might mean adding some material to bring it back into shape or replacing the entire extension hub. A new seal will then ride upon a smooth surface and won't get damaged.
Alan

[/ QUOTE ]
There is a product called "Redisleeve" which works well to renew seal surfaces. It consists of a precision thin wall sleeve that goes on over the shaft seal surface to give a new & slightly oversize mating surface for the seal.
D