It ain't a gusher, but I am still leaking oil.... - Page 3

dieselnutjob · #21 11-23-2010, 02:21 AM

too much crank case pressure?
blocked crank breather system?

I attempted to change the crank oil seal on one my Peugeots last time I changed the flywheel. Due to my hamfistedness in now has two seals as my attempts to fit a new seal I pushed it in too far. Luckily I had a second one so now it has two..... Luckily the seating area is about twice as deep as the seal

Seams okay though

dieselnutjob · #22 11-23-2010, 02:25 AM

too much crank case pressure?
blocked crank breather system?

I attempted to change the crank oil seal on one my Peugeots last time I changed the flywheel. Due to my hamfistedness in now has two seals as my attempts to fit a new seal I pushed it in too far. Luckily I had a second one so now it has two..... Luckily the seating area is about twice as deep as the seal

Seams okay though

v8volvo · #23 11-23-2010, 11:33 PM

Just read all this. Sorry I didn't comment earlier. Steve mentioned the thing I was going to say, which is that the VC studs can get screwed part way out and then their shoulder prevents the VC gasket from seating all the way down against the head. The other thing that can happen is that the valve cover's sealing surface can become warped, which becomes especially likely when the above situation involving incompletely-installed VC studs happens and the cover experiences uneven pressures and positions.

These engines rarely leak from anywhere other than the valve cover. I can't tell from all the info here if you have pinpointed exactly from whence the oil is coming. Is it trickling down from above? Getting flung up from below? You've now replaced everything in the T-belt area at least once and it's still leaking... spending a little more investigative time trying to figure out the source might be a time-saver in the end, rather than replacing more parts.

If the valve cover is straight, you can torque the nuts quite tight when you use the neoprene gasket.

lmwatbullrun · #24 11-24-2010, 06:31 PM

I very carefully straightened the valve cover nut/stud seating areas and the little steel reinforcements that sit on top of it, and I also used some forma gasket outboard of the neoprene seal itself, and I seated that quite firmly on the head. I also have packed paper towels between the sheet metal timing belt backer and the block, to catch any stray oil that runs down the front face of the block from the head. It does not appear that any is. This I *have* checked. Studs appear to be even height all across the head.

When checking this with the timing belt cover off and the engine running, the oil is coming up from the crank area and being flung off the belt as it goes around the cam gear, especially at higher revs. The delay between the startup and the appearance of oil on the belt is fairly short, less than a minute after startup.

I could probably live with the loss of oil, at least for the short term, but the problem is that at speed, this oil gets blown onto the right front brake, and THAT is a real problem.

lmwatbullrun · #25 11-24-2010, 06:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dieselnutjob

too much crank case pressure?
blocked crank breather system?

I attempted to change the crank oil seal on one my Peugeots last time I changed the flywheel. Due to my hamfistedness in now has two seals as my attempts to fit a new seal I pushed it in too far. Luckily I had a second one so now it has two..... Luckily the seating area is about twice as deep as the seal

Seams okay though

Doubt it's excessive crankcase pressure, as there is no 'puffing' on this motor, it's tight in that regard.

lmwatbullrun · #26 05-05-2011, 05:14 PM

after due consideration, I am reasonably sure I have a bad oil pump gasket.

Here's the question: Am I better off pulling the motor out in toto, or can I jack the engine enough to pull the pan? Which is the better approach? When answering, please keep in mind that I do not have a garage.

Jason · #27 05-07-2011, 08:49 AM

I really cant see how you could drop the oil pan with the engine in the car very easily. By the time you get the engine up high enough to get the oil pan out of the way to get the two bolts that are holding the pickup tube to the oil pump housing, your pretty much already pulling the engine out. Everthing would have to be disconnected at that point to allow the engine to move that far.

Jason

m-reg · #28 05-07-2011, 11:35 AM

doh i never read this thread before could have suggesed oil pump -they allways leak on the tdi`s

lmwatbullrun · #29 05-27-2011, 05:09 PM

ok, looks like an engine pull. Sigh. Anything else I ought to do while I have the engine out?

v8volvo · #30 06-01-2011, 11:39 PM

Sorry to hear that outcome. At least it will be a cheap repair, parts-wise... heavy on the labor, and even when it's your own it's hard to think of that as "free", but at least you don't have to pay for it. Agree that it sounds like an engine pull job.

Any cooling system work would certainly be worth doing with the engine out. If you haven't had a new radiator or thermostat in a while, now is the time, and carefully check all hoses. I posted a way to cheaply create a set of new heater hoses from easily-obtainable parts to replace the expensive stock ones that, if original, are 25+ years old now... that is worth doing if yours are in questionable shape. Radiators are available new, or if you have an original all-metal one, you can get it re-cored. Or still get a new one, but if you have a metal rad, don't throw it away... someone here will want it as a core someday.

Anything else that is tricky to do/reach with the motor in situ is worth doing too. #5 and 6 glow plugs, timing belts (you'll have the front one off anyway for pulling the oil pump), little coolant hose on the back of the head that always gets covered in oil, rear cam seal, etc...