Bones944

I just developed a major oil leak today on the 951, it's literally almost spraying the oil filter area and below. It drips or sprays on the PS pump and the upper half of the timing cover over the lower balance shaft cog and even somehow works it's way on the bottom of the cam gear housing and drips on the neck of the waterpump and on the number one header tube. I even saw a droplet or two on the belly pan in front of the crank pulley. I cleaned everything and tried to see where it was leaking but it doesn't leak badly until you drive it around the block ( boost pressure?). It seems to be originating maybe from just above where the wiring harness for the oil pressure sender leaves the block. There is what looks to be a petcock? above that. On a related note my oil pressure is reading above 5 bar while driving and just below 5 at idle. It normally runs 3 at idle and just beneath 5 at speed. Ideas?

83na944

Sounds like something under pressure, doesn't it? Unless you had a seal blow out its hard to imagine that much oil from a leaky seal. Maybe the oil cooler?

Did you try reving the engine in neutral to find the leak?

User 41221

Your oil pressure relief valve is stuck. Its not a huge deal to take care of, but you'll obviously need to do something about it before you drive it again. Its a good time to update the oprv and replace the o-ring so that you don't get the dreaded milkshake effect.

Regards,

Bones944

Update, I found the source of the leak (I suppose) and I believe it is the distributor housing seal. As it runs down the side of the motor it must just go everywhere. When revving the motor I can see oil running down the side of the rear timing cover just beneath the distributor housing where it curves to go around the water pump pulley. I had already looked inside the timing cover and there was no oil, but somehow it's running inbetween the housing and the rear timing cover. Not a fun job due to that cheesehead bolt in the cam sprocket, and I just replaced all front engine seals less than 2 years ago. It blurbs oil every time I rev the motor so the seal must have completely given up. The O ring would cause seepage at the mating of the cam housing and the distributor housing so it has to be the seal. Evidently my oil pressure sending unit is going bad and is unrelated. I insatlled a new MAF kit yesterday, I wonder if there is more crankcase pressure from the breather hose on the inlet tree.