TR2/3/3A TR3 oil leak

[lemon lover]

Hello everyone. I have been daily driving my TR3 to school everyday and I have noticed it leaving big puddles behind in the parking lot. Also there seems to be oil leaking from underneath the head. Any ideas about how I can fix this?

 

[poolboy]

Underneath the head ?
Can you pinpont the exact source location ?
You'll have to know that in order to fix it .

 

[sp53]

Try placing some old cardboard under the car to try and see the leak location. There are also dies you can add to the oil and find with a black light.

 

[karls59tr]

Two common spots to check. TR3's tend to leak from the gasket that holds the engine oil pan at the bottom of the motor. Also clean up the area around the valve cover gasket and check back there after a drive to see if that is where it's leaking from. There are other places as well. The cardboard is a good idea.

 

[lemon lover]

Sorry for the delay. It seems that the rear main is leaking because a large amount of oil is leaking through the space between the engine and transmission. I have already cleaned the back of the motor off and the valve cover looks fine but there is oil on the lower half of the head where it sits in front of the firewall.

 

[lemon lover]

I have already resealed the oil pan.

 

[karls59tr]

There is an upgraded rear seal that you can get to replace a bad seal but unfortunately the motor has to come out and it's a big job.

 

[sp53]

If you did not know, the crankshafts on these engines use a cut in place scroll on the back of the crankshaft for the seal. The scroll throws the oil back into the engine creating the seal only when the engine is running.( do not park on a steep hill or the oil can get out--i have heard)

There is a seal in the back, but it is not the rubber seal one thinks.There are 2 aluminum pieces that have small groves cut into it to divert any little drops of oil back into the pan by way of the spout in back of the block.

 

[CJD]

Try lowering the oil level a half quart. Like Steve says, the TR3 does not have a "positive" seal for the rear crank. The scroll seal only works when the engine is running. If the oil level is too high, it will leak out. These cars are funny like that...the radiator does the same thing. If you over-fill it, it will spit it right back out to the level it "likes".

 

[Hamish Racing]

Yes it’s my experience that my 3a “likes” a lower level of oil where it becomes static any more and it gets rid of the excess. So I filed a new “normal” level on the dipstick.