Ben in Plano, TX

For all you engine rebuild gurus out there - i have a question. My motor @ 70k miles apparently has oil seep from a throughbolt. Presumably the oring is degrading. I am putting a drop or 2 of oil on the garage floor a day - otherwise you'd never know. I use about 1 qt of oil/1000 miles so consumption is not a major issue. Engine is other wise in good condition, pulls strong, no problems.

As I understand it in order to deal with this problem you have to split the crankcase halves - i.e full rebuild time. I have no interest in 3.8 conversion, etc. but do not want any great harm to come to the motor by continuing to run it this way. I daily drive the car and also DE it 6-7 weekends a year. Is there any harm in just watching the oil consumption and waiting for it to get higher before taking action?

I'm hoping Steve W. and Bob Brooks might chime in on this one. All thoughts are welcome.

BTW - I don't want to sell, supercharge, trade for TT, etc. I love the car as it is and simply want to do what is prudent.

Thanks,

Ben

BobbyT

Hi Ben,
At http://www.pelicanparts.com/techarti..._rebuild-1.htm you will find a good guide to help evaluate when your engine needs to be rebuilt. If you decide to rebuild, here is a "wizard" that may help: http://www.pelicanparts.com/cgi-bin/...engine_rebuild

chris walrod

It really all depends on the overall condition of the engine. Valve guides mainly. I know with a leak its hard to measure oil cunsumtion, but do you have any idea if your burning any oil.

A full rebuild is up to you, depending on how much this leak bugs you.

A complete reseal and a good measuring wont cost you too much, if you can do it yourself as this is mostly labor plus gaskets and seals.

Ben in Plano, TX

Thanks Chris,

I'm going to watch it for a while and so long as oil consumption doesn't increase dramatically live with the oil seep. If I can wait until the end of this driving season I may do the reseal myself.

Anyone else?

Ben

Rick Lee

This is nuts! A drop or two a day? My SC leaves a puddle over a few days and I don't plan to rebuild it until it's about to die. Drive your car like you stole it. Let it sit and fret over it and it will come back to bite you. Your car probably has 30 things it needs more than engine tinkering at the moment.

Don Magee

Any chance the oil is seeping down from either the RMS or the oill return line? I thought I had a throughbolt leak but, on closer inspection, the oil was seeping from the RMS and the o-ring on the scavenge side oil line going into the block.

Ben in Plano, TX

Rick -

I do drive it like I stole it - DE it hard 7-8 times a year. But I take your point. I am going to wait on it - but am looking for advice on when I should become more concerned.

Don - the RMS was replaced recently - shouldn't be it. The diagnosis of throughbolt comes from 2 seperate techs at different shops - but it's kinda hard to tell with the motor still in the car! The seep comes down around the #2 cylinder (middle on drivers side).

Ben

Rick Lee

For isolating the leak, the best method is to put the car on a lift, clean all wet parts on engine underside with brake cleaner, dry off with compressed air and then go for a hard drive. Everyone thought my SC had a leaky return tube, even the pro shop I had look at it. When we did this cleaning up and I went for a very hard drive, I put it back on the lift and it was totally dry, which leads me to belive the leak is farther up.

Howdy993

Hi Ben -

If you still have the leak - make sure to have a "car diaper" with you at the Feb. DE @ MSR.

Meatball / black flags can mess up a good track day.

Best wishes

Ben in Plano, TX

Fear not Howard - the leak is so slow that the oil blows off when in motion.

It's only when the car sits for a day or two that the oil starts dripping.

No gratuitous flagging now!

Ben

Howdy993

"No gratuitous flagging now!"

I will show no flag before its time. Just pray the oil does'nt blow onto anything HOT. Smoke will nail you way before a drip.