Trust me

I wonder if any one could help? My 81 SC is leaking oil on the driver side. It only seems to do it when the engine cools down. Valve cover gasket? Push-rod tubes? Tubes were just replaced last year? The last owner had said that he hardly drove it. Could one of the seals be dry-rotted? It leaves a good spot in the drive way and doesn't smoke when I drive it.

Thank you, Troy

mducharme

Hi Troy, Do you mean the oil return tubes? If its either one of the things you mentioned, clean the bottom of that area then you should be able to see where it is leaking. There's tech. articles on both of these issues.(Pelican 911 area). Good Luck.

mducharme
Mike

Trust me

Mike, Thanks for the reply. And, thank you for the correction. Oil return tubes. Bottom of the engine is pretty clean. I have clean oil. Very hard to tell? Car doesn't even smoke. I'm looking?

Troy

RoninLB

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">Originally posted by Troy Penrose:
<strong>Very hard to tell? Car doesn't even smoke. I'm looking?
Troy</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">there is a dye marker that you put in the oil.. then use a black light to find the leak.. or come back with a more specific leak area.......Ron

nut11

Speaking of which, over this past brutally cold winter in the NE, every two weeks or so I would start the Carrera up, idle it for roughly 20 minutes and then rock it back and forth in the garage engaging the trans, etc. You know, keep the tires in round and keep the fluids flowing. Now, I bought the car in the fall of 02 with absolutely no leaks. After idling the car at 20 degrees F (the average garage temp during our winter of discontent), I found a small leak following each warm up (right side engine near front of right rear wheel). Bummed me out bad. This spring, however, following getting her out for a drive at at around 60 degrees F, no leaks. Absolutely none. An explanation may be that an engine seal/component connection contracted so in the cold temps and once the temps got reasonable, everything got swelled again, literally and figuratively! So far so good.

'85 Carrera Coupe 3.2

dial911

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">Originally posted by nut11:
<strong>.... over this past brutally cold winter in the NE, every two weeks or so I would start the Carrera up, idle it for roughly 20 minutes....</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">Whatever good you thought this might be doing for the car, the engine needs to have the oil brought to *full* operating temperature. Otherwise,the build-up of condensation and other harmful combustion by-products are eating your motor alive!
If you can't drive it for an extended period of time, leave it alone until you can.

nut11

I hear you! Couldn't get her out of the driveway due to concrete snow banks accumulated from pitched slate roof. I will let my sleeping pcar lie during the next cycle. All good intentions... Again, thx for the advise.

'85 Carrera Coupe