When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
So I just did my first complete oil change. Everything went well up until I went to refill. Poured about 3 quarts then noticed a pool of fresh oil under the car coming down around the engine shroud. I can't find exactly where it is coming from. I noticed the fill tube goes down around the outside of the tube that runs through the frame rail and out to the tank. I can only assume that joint is not well sealed. Here is a picture of my fill tube. There is some sealant at the base, and it looks a little suspect. But not clearly flowing out at this joint. Can anyone tell me how I can solve this for future oil fills?
I don't have my car in front of me, but I'm 99% certain that fill tube isn't supposed to be body colored? Maybe there was an accident back there and something behind the fender is now leaking? I don't know enough to know exactly what that oil system looks like once it disappears from view.
I don't have my car in front of me, but I'm 99% certain that fill tube isn't supposed to be body colored? Maybe there was an accident back there and something behind the fender is now leaking? I don't know enough to know exactly what that oil system looks like once it disappears from view.
I'm curious to see other examples of the paint. This could explain the problem if it was damaged/repaired. But I have not seen other evidence of damage in this area. I can tell you the fill tube connects to a smaller diameter tube that disappears into the frame and is hidden until it comes out at the tank inlet. This joint of the fill tube to the "hidden" tube is kind of opposite what a plumber would do. The flow is from a larger pipe that goes aver the outer diameter of the tube it is feeding. Look inside your oil fill to see it. This is how I decided to solve the problem for today. I fed a tube down past this joint and filled through the tube. Don't want to keep doing that.
PS. Every pic I've seen of a 964 engine shows the filler neck body colored. Probably just stands out more when it's pink!
That filler neck goes down behind the quarter panel and comes out inside the fender well near the oil tank where it has a small rubber line that connects it, you may be able to get a visual on it.
That filler neck goes down behind the quarter panel and comes out inside the fender well near the oil tank where it has a small rubber line that connects it, you may be able to get a visual on it.
The bottom line in the pic runs behind the wheel back to the Oil Filter housing in the rear of the fenderwell.
Yep it's that top one that goes through the frame of the car. It's not visible except at both ends. That's the one the fill cap is ultimately attached to in the engine compartment.
So no leak before the oil change? This may sound stupid but I assume you changed the filter? Is it possible you left an old filter seal in place? Second thought, when you pour oil into the filler tube, is it possible you had oil run on the outside of the tube that found its way to the garage floor?
When you torqued the plug on the oil thermostat, could you have loosened one of the oil lines into the thermostat? Do you have the mounting bolt with the rubber damper in place? It often breaks and allows the thermostat to move ever so slightly - I am reaching now.
Finally, I assume you are filling the first 3 quarts without the engine running so there would be no oil pressure anywhere yet. How old are your oil lines?
I was gonna say... very easy to fill the oil too fast and have it run out the filler neck especially as you approach capacity. Also very easy to have a leak when removing or reinstalling the filter. Both find their way down to the bottom of the engine as the tin is not "oil tight"
I had exactly the same thing happen today. It was fine when I filled up really, really slowly. Nothing quite prepared me for how quickly the oil comes out… Such fun cleaning up loads of oil… my plan to avoid this failed on an epic level. 🙄
So no leak before the oil change? This may sound stupid but I assume you changed the filter? Is it possible you left an old filter seal in place? Second thought, when you pour oil into the filler tube, is it possible you had oil run on the outside of the tube that found its way to the garage floor?
When you torqued the plug on the oil thermostat, could you have loosened one of the oil lines into the thermostat? Do you have the mounting bolt with the rubber damper in place? It often breaks and allows the thermostat to move ever so slightly - I am reaching now.
Finally, I assume you are filling the first 3 quarts without the engine running so there would be no oil pressure anywhere yet. How old are your oil lines?
Lot's of good ideas here. Yes, I did all the "right" things: new filter, checked the old seal came out and new one was in place properly, and I was very careful not to spill over the top of the fill tube. Used a funnel and watched very closely. The oil just mysteriously appeared flowing down beneath the filler neck. Someone shared a post from the forum where the joint from the wider mouth opening (the threaded part) goes over the next tube (which runs through the frame) is sealed and the sealant is not holding up. This seems to make most sense. You can see in my picture the sealant at the bottom of the fill tube is partly wiped away by my clean up and this stuff was loose and sticky.
On. the back side, my oil lines are old and in need of attention, but there was no rush of fresh oil nearby and those are all above the level of where the oil was appearing on the inside.
Where is the thermostat? Part of the filter housing? If so, I removed the cap there for drainage but it is all free of new fresh oil.
Yes, I filled three quarts with engine off, then noticed the leak. Stopped filling, cleaned up, and then inserted a tube down into the filler neck past the first junction, and used this as a liner to get past what I am guessing is the leak. It remained dry as I filled up to 5 quarts, then started the engine and topped off. It took 9.5 quarts total before the gauge moved off orange. I'm good now until I either go after those old lines, or my next oil change.
I had exactly the same thing happen today. It was fine when I filled up really, really slowly. Nothing quite prepared me for how quickly the oil comes out… Such fun cleaning up loads of oil… my plan to avoid this failed on an epic level. 🙄
Where was yours leaking from? If you mean you filled too fast and it overflowed the fill pipe, that's not what happened for me.
This filler pipe is a flawed design. The wide fill pipe is fitted OUTSIDE the next pipe in line. It should have been squeezed down and INTO the next pipe, or a rubber connection with clamps on both would work (as is done at the tank end).
To answer the question "where is the thermostat " - it is in front of the right rear wheel behind the "shark fin". You opened - hopefully - the drain plug there. That drain plug is part of the thermostat.
You need to get the oil hot so the thermostat opens to the oil cooler in front of the right wheel. That way, when you drain the oil, a good part of the oil in the lines and oil cooler will drain out. If you drain cold, you are leaving 2 - 3 quarts in the car.
To answer the question "where is the thermostat " - it is in front of the right rear wheel behind the "shark fin". You opened - hopefully - the drain plug there. That drain plug is part of the thermostat.
You need to get the oil hot so the thermostat opens to the oil cooler in front of the right wheel. That way, when you drain the oil, a good part of the oil in the lines and oil cooler will drain out. If you drain cold, you are leaving 2 - 3 quarts in the car.
yes, I drained HOT from that location and also from the engine case drain. I got at least 8-9 qts. drained. Closer to 9 I think.
It looks like the oil filler tube is made up of brazed together seamed steel tubes with the top being the threaded section, then the big to small funnel shaped transition piece, then the smaller elbow section that passes thru the body. As you say, this smaller tube is inserted into the base of the funnel, but seal brazed on the outside. To prove the conections how about drizzly oil from the inside onto the seams? Shoudn't take a lot of oil to prove if there's a leak.
By the way, my fill tube looks like yours, but the body seal is intact. Here's a pic showing 2 conections
06-21-2022, 03:52 PM
strange leak while filling oil
