htr

Well-Known Member
Hello team,

I developed an irritating oil leak from somewhere in the engine. It appears to be tracking down the bell housing to engine block joint and drops oil off the bottom of the bell housing. Photos showing an oily 'dampness' quite high up that joint above the engine serial number. The only place I can think of as the possible source are: the engine's main oil seal in the bell housing, the sump to block joint at the bell housing or the head - which I think is unlikely.

I'm due an oil change so it wouldn't be a huge drama to pull off the sump and have a look.

Your thoughts?
IMG_6013.JPG ignore the coolant weep as that's sorted now.
IMG_6016.JPG you can see the top edge of the bell housing there - oily but like further to the left it's been there for some time.
IMG_6017.JPG the engine's serial number is covered here.
IMG_6047.JPG just a bit higher here.
IMG_6052.JPG behind the coolant pipes looks dry enough - that's the head / block joint too.
IMG_6053.JPG that oily stain doesn't look wet enough to be recent / current.
IMG_6132.jpeg from a different angle still not wet enough...
IMG_6138.jpeg looking at the head / block joint from behind the head [ looking forwards]
IMG_6153.JPG looking along the g'box to the motor where the bell housing joins the block - still not wet.IMG_6155.JPG looking vertically down beside the distributor - not so wet eh.
 
The oil feed from the main oil gallery to the head comes up the centre of the block, on the back of the engine (ringed in red).
20160716_084659.jpg

It's possible that there a slight leak at that point though the HG elastopolymer seal. Do you see any dampness on that end of the engine, at the block to head joint.
 
I took off the coil, distributor cap & air cleaner to get a better view. There's no obvious 'wet' oil weep in that area. There is what appears to be old and dusty oil.
IMG_6174.JPG
IMG_6184.JPG
 
I took off the coil, distributor cap & air cleaner to get a better view. There's no obvious 'wet' oil weep in that area. There is what appears to be old and dusty oil.
View attachment 207273
View attachment 207274

That looks fine. However what I can see is dampness at the bell housing to block joint.

This would suggest the crankshaft rear oil seal is leaking slightly. This would allow the flywheel to spray oil around the inside of the bell housing, causing it to creep through the bell to block joint.
 

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