David Salama

I believe I have an oil leak from the oil separator o-rings. Does anyone know if oil is pumped through the separator or is it passive like the oil pan. If passive, how much oil goes through there? Is it enough to cause a pool of oil to leak on a shelf next to it? What is the function of the oil separator. Thank you.

Perry 951

It is a hollow tube that has a small hole on the top. It allows the oil vapor to condense and flow back into the pan. The rest of the air goes out the hole in the top, and is sucked back into the intake.

There are 2 O rings that attach it to the block, and the O rings have been updated. I did not remove mine while it was in the car. I can imagine it being pretty hard. It is held on by 3 bolts.

David Salama

Perry,

Do you think the top o-ring could form a small pool of oil leak within a 5 minute drive?? Where is the third bolt, I saw two when I had my manifold off(left and right side of cylinder) What did your o-rings look like. (other than charred) Did you take off your balance shaft housing off. What did those seals look like? Thanks a bunch!

Perry 951

There are 3 bolts. 2 up top, 1 at the bottom. My seals looked fine when I tore it all apart. I think the update is a slightly larger o ring.

Are you sure you do not have a leak from one of the turbo O rings? An excessive leak from the top O ring on the oil seperator would be a little strange. That is the inlet from the crankcase.. but the air must travel up a seam in the block to get to it. It's not like it is a direct squirt of oil.

Personally, I would replace the oil inlet O ring on the turbo to be 100% sure. You are right there anyway.

For the balance shaft seals and such.. mine were fine. Not even a drop of oil from them.

David Salama

I really want to nail this diagnosis. I love a good challenge. Perry, you are my best source since you have this all apart. I get a pool of oil on a shelf of the block that is immediately behind the rear of the upper balance shaft. This is about midway up the oil separator which is just behind this area. The turbo oil line is completely dry, both on top of the turbo, and where it enters the balance shaft housing. Even the rear plug of the balance shaft looks dry. The oil forms a puddle within 5 minutes of driving. I'm really perplexed at what else could be the source in this location. Looking at your engine, do you have any other possibilities. Thanks Perry. By the way, did you take apart your melted separator to see how it looks in the inside. Can it get plugged or anything ? Just curious. <img src="graemlins/c.gif" border="0" alt="[ouch]" />

Perry 951

Humm.. there is not that much else there that leaks. I guess yours could leak bad on the seal, or it might be cracked. You can check it over when you get it out.

If I had my block here, I could run and look at other possibilites, but I don't think there was anything else there.

As far as the separator.. yup, I took it all apart. It is just hollow, and has a small ring on the top part that defects some of the vapor. Then, the large hose coming off the top has a 2mm or so hole in the plastic. You'll see when you get it out. The innards were pretty clean.. little sludge, but nothing I'd worry about. I would not take it apart. It would be very easy to crack the tabs and ruin the seal that is under there. You would be buying the whole thing at some $165! Hell with that!

Perry 951

Now... if I can get the dude from E-bay to send me my friggin camera I payed for 2 weeks ago, I could be posting pictures!!!

Hans

David

What might help in finding the leak is the old flour bag trick.
- Clean the engine in the section you suspect it leaking.
- fill a cotton (or any other woven fabric) bag with some flour and "powder" the engine surface with it.
- run the engine
- look for the leak, the flour will be either washed away or changed color.

Chalk powder should do the job as well, (so would Rouge, but I am affraid the wife would not be too happy )
Take Care
Take care

David Salama

Hans,

Thanks. I tried the flour trick. I cleaned off the block shelf between the oil separator and the rear of the upper balance shaft housing. I dusted it with flour and started it up. No oil. Drove the car a few minutes, no oil. Spooled up the turbo a couple of times; oil pouring out from the direction of the balance shaft housing. I sure wish I did this job when I changed my turbo last year. It appears that to remove the balance shaft housing that the front seals would have to be done as well, since the front plate appears to screw into the housing. I think I'll wait until my next belt change to fix this oil leak, assuming I can keep up with the losses. Does anyone have any experience in temporizing the situation to slow the leak down?? Thanks. <img src="graemlins/crying.gif" border="0" alt="[crying]" />

sd01

Not to piggyback onto this one, but I have something similar going on. I get a pool where David does, AND also one on top of the upper balance shaft, as well as at the bottom of the oil separator (could just be a trickle-down effect?). I'm really suspecting the top oil separator seal. Does that thing come off fairly easily? BTW this is an '84.

Steve Lavigne

I have a thought. The vaccum that the intake pulls on the oil/air separator probably reduces crankcase pressure. This would obviously reduce pressure on your seals and gaskets. If I remember correctly, David, you are just running a filter on your oil/air separator and it is not connected to your intake. Worth a try I would say.

Additionally, I recently picked up some fluorescent dye for oil leaks from Napa for about $3. I put it in the oil, ran the car for a little while, then with a black light was able to definitely diagnose exactly where the oil leak was coming from. I was able to use a $10 black light from Lowes on the front of my engine to see the dye. Obviously, make sure you use the dye designed to work with engine oil.

-Steve

David Salama

Steve,

Very observant. I had this oil leak well before I vented my crankcase to atmosphere. Actually, I was hoping that venting the crankcase would decrease my oil leak, but it did not. My theory was that when my monster bypass valve opened on shifting that a positive pressure pulse went back into the crank via this hose. I guess it doesn't make a difference.

Danno

[quote]a $10 black light from Lowes<hr></blockquote>What's Lowes? I need one of these flourescent black lights. I tried a filtered incandescent bulb, but it didn't work.

Hans

David: [quote]...temporizing the situation to slow the leak down?? <hr></blockquote>
Thicker (dino) oil (20W50 or higher) will slow down the leak.
There are additives available as well,(I dont trust these, personal opinion, might change if someone has positive experience).
Anything you do in this direction is a temp -back alley- fix only. There is only one solution...but I think you new that already.
[quote]Spooled up the turbo a couple of times; oil pouring out from... <hr></blockquote>
So its only loosing oil when you build up boost pressure? Inlet valve seals?
Time for a leak-down test?
Take Care

Steve Lavigne

[quote]Originally posted by Danno:
<strong>What's Lowes? I need one of these flourescent black lights. I tried a filtered incandescent bulb, but it didn't work.</strong><hr></blockquote>

It's a home improvement store in the Seattle area, as well as other areas I think. Used to be Eagle. You might want to try a party store. They do actually sell special purpose lights and glasses for this application from Snap-On and others, but they cost $100+.

If you get the $10 one, make sure you take off the plastic protector so you just have the bulb, otherwise it won't work worth a damn!