dkdm

I'm working on belts and cam chain/pads and I noticed oil under the car.

I know I've got front seals (I'm replacing those) and maybe oil pan needs reseal (gasket) but I was surprised to see so much oil residue under the intake (pulled it since I'm close).

Most of the oil looks to be all over the top of the oil breather and on the block just in front of the oil filler, I'm the only one who changes oil and I always use a funnel. So what gives?

Is there some common leak/seep places here? could it be coming from the balance shaft cover?

I'll try to get some pictures up.

I recently lost a hard drive is there a good link for the PET? I ordered (sunset) the parts I think are around there, just wondering if you guys have any ideas.

Thanks,
Dave

mbardeen

That's probably the seal at the rear of the upper balance shaft or maybe the dipstick tube seal. The former is easiest to do with a bit of RTV sealant globbed on there. The later is a couple small parts.

dkdm

I've got dipstick tube oring(s) coming, the leak looks above that.

It maybe the BS cover.

mbardeen

Mine was leaking from there too. I cleaned it off real well, then took some RTV and ran it around the outside of the cap there, trying to get it in between the cap and the housing.

Others swear by this, I haven't had my car long enough to know how well it works and how long it'll last, so YMMV.

Dandy_don

I would be surprised if the leak you are talking about is from the dipstick. Much more likely that the oil filler assembly is leaking where is joins to the block. There are two round black plastic fittings that have O rings on them. I have pulled mine as I am recovering from a broken timing belt and had to drop the oil pan, pull the head, the intake plenum etc. See a photo of the cleaned up oil filler assembly and you can see the lower O ring- this is the old that needs replacing.

Hope this helps, my entire oil filler assembly was covered in old oil mostly down low that came from the lower O ring.

dkdm

Dandy,
Thanks, I hope you're right.
Sorry for the large pics but small they just were not visible enough.

There wasn't a lot of fresh oil. it's just everywhere. I don't remember seeing the oil at the lower rear balance shaft bolt (picture kinda shows it.

Notice the oil on the top of the oil filler/breather, could that possibly come from the TB hose (I thought it was just air) Could the upper oring on the filler seep up?





Well I found the leak on the other side of the motor!
Exhaust cam seal. If you look closely you can see the seal is in at an angle (Not me, came to me like this). PO had someone do belts 30K ago.





Okay so can someone talk about upper BS. First should I be able to pull on the front of the shaft (without pulley on it) it has like 3/8 inch play. Also where the rear (BS) seal is, back by the oil filler there is a metal cap, should I be able to move that?


Thanks,
Dave

Dandy_don

yes to both your questions. There is that much play in the balance shaft and the rear seal of the balance shaft is an O ring on a captured aluminum disk. Kind of a weird way of sealing the end but I guess there is a reason for it.

Also your balance shaft seal is certainly in crooked but I would be very surprised if that is the proximate cause of the oil leak that we both had. My oil filler and that area looked exactly the same as yours before I spent a fair amount of time removing the oil and grit. I still think it is the O rings on the oil filler that caused the leak although I am hard pressed to explain the oil on the top of the filler assembly barrel- mine had just as much accumulated crap as yours.

dkdm

Okay,
It was strange that the upper bs had play but the lower doesn't seem to have it. Is your "captured aluminum disk" loose? Mine seems to move out on one side, quite a bit.

Dandy I edited my above post - The seal that is in crooked is actually on the opposite side (exhaust cam).

Thanks,
Dave

odurandina

anything short of a large puddle is a good P-car day. or even better.

as long as the damn thing is running, it's basically a good P-car day.

dkdm

Replaced the oil breather O-Rings and all seems to be dry and oil free.

I'll continue checking.......