Oil leaks

D

Dave Bassett

True Classic
Good evening, my recently acquired Spider has oil leaks. the heavies leaking is from the very rear of the car but it actually leaks all around. The inside of the engine lid is clean as is the engine block. The timing chain cover is fairly dry above the crankshaft. The oil pan right under the centrifugal oil filter is very wet with clean oil. My question is: Should I start with the oil pan gasket and see what effect that has? Thank you.
P.S., Photos are coming.
 
Greetings, Dave. If one of your objectives is to minimize practically unnecessary parts-replacement, I suggest thoroughly cleaning and drying all the existing oily surfaces. You can use a bunch of dish soap in a bucket of warm water, or any heavily marketed spray-on cleaner you like. Just get the surfaces thoroughly cleaned. Then, drive it a bit...and look again. It's likely the source(s) of the leak(s) will become evident; you can start there...where ever that is. One more suggestion: when the engine is at operating temperature and running - with a rag in one hand - carefully open the oil-filler cap with the rag placed near the opening. As you carefully and slowly open the cap, let us know what you experience. Depending on the amount of 'air' blowing out the filler neck...it'll help narrow down the cause.
 
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Dave Bassett said:
The timing chain cover is fairly dry above the crankshaft. The oil pan right under the centrifugal oil filter is very wet with clean oil.
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Aside from an ill-fitting oil pan gasket at the upper corners of the crank saddle, the usual suspect for an oil leak here would be the crankshaft oil seal(s), they often wear out every 40k-60k miles or dry out & shrink from sitting for years.
 
Properly fitting the oil pan gasket which is a four part object is key to ensuring no leaks in that area. To Jeff’s point it is likely the oil pan followed by the front main seal (and by front I mean at the back of the car…)
 
Matt Zerega said:
Greetings, Dave. If one of your objectives is to minimize practically unnecessary parts-replacement, I suggest thoroughly cleaning and drying all the existing oily surfaces. You can use a bunch of dish soap in a bucket of warm water, or any heavily marketed spray-on cleaner you like. Just get the surfaces thoroughly cleaned. Then, drive it a bit...and look again. It's likely the source(s) of the leak(s) will become evident; you can start there...where ever that is. One more suggestion: when the engine is at operating temperature and running - with a rag in one hand - carefully open the oil-filler cap with the rag placed near the opening. As you carefully and slowly open the cap, let us know what you experience. Depending on the amount of 'air' blowing out the filler neck...it'll help narrow down the cause.
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Matt, it's not so much the parts as wanting to delay the expense of having someone else install the main seal. As cars have become more complex I basically stopped working on them. However, I have gone through a number of 850EV's YouTube videos, especially "Build Day," and realized that the front seal is probably actually easier to replace than the oil pan gasket. From a diagnostic standpoint, would a front seal leak "sling oil?? I see no evidence of that.
 
I texted with the previous owner yesterday about another matter and asked him how many miles the crank seals have on them, as he had told me he changed them along with the pan gasket. He calculated approximately 15,000 miles and ten years. This car has not bee drive a lot, but regularly. He expressed that he had reservations about whether he had done the pan gasket correctly. Since they are, I believe , fully separate repairs, and the pan has more room for error, I think I will start with the pan gasket and see where it takes me. Thank you guys so much for responding.
 
Here is a picture
 

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So we are talking pennies worth of parts here. If it were me, I'd pull the motor and do the oil pan gasket and front seal. I might think about the rear seal. In case you are not aware already, pulling the engine is stupid easy.
 
I'm aware that pulling the engine is relatively easy. However, I live in a HOA neighborhood and my garage has extra stuff in it due to renovations I'm doing on the house. So I have little work space, few tools as of yet, and a CHP meeting about the VIN in my near future. So I think my revised plan is to get the parts, most are here or ordered, to do the do the oil pan and front seal, along with the timing gears and chain if needed. I have a more experienced friend who has more space and, although he doesn't know it yet, he's probably going to help me out.
 
Dave Bassett said:
I'm aware that pulling the engine is relatively easy. However, I live in a HOA neighborhood and my garage has extra stuff in it due to renovations I'm doing on the house. So I have little work space, few tools as of yet, and a CHP meeting about the VIN in my near future. So I think my revised plan is to get the parts, most are here or ordered, to do the do the oil pan and front seal, along with the timing gears and chain if needed. I have a more experienced friend who has more space and, although he doesn't know it yet, he's probably going to help me out.
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Try this. https://www.amazon.com/Liqui-Moly-2...ocphy=9027279&hvtargid=pla-451415402101&psc=1
I’ve used it on several cars with great results and 100k miles on my Land Cruiser with no adverse effects.
 
Dave Bassett said:
I've seen these things and have to wonder. Thanks for the tip.
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I was skeptical myself but the thought pulling the engine to do the rear main on the Land Cruiser when it had 180k knowing these engines go to 300k was too much. It worked well there, so I used in some Italian cars (that probably sit too much🙄). I’ve recommended to others with good results, It’s a cheap gamble to try it.
 
FR85 said:
Ive come to the belief that if you hang a picture of one of these engines on your wall there'll be a puddle of oil on the floor within a day and when they stop leaking oil you need to dip and top up the oil.

I've chased oil leaks on my 500 and 850, I've given up!
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850 engines are much easier to seal up than old british cars are! at least Fiat engines have conventional front and rear rubber lip seals not rope seals, oil slingers or a scroll type rear seals!
 
abarth600 said:
850 engines are much easier to seal up than old british cars are! at least Fiat engines have conventional front and rear rubber lip seals not rope seals, oil slingers or a scroll type rear seals!
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abarth600 said:
850 engines are much easier to seal up than old british cars are! at least Fiat engines have conventional front and rear rubber lip seals not rope seals, oil slingers or a scroll type rear seals!
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I've put front and rear seals into my 850 engine and they still leak. I firmly believe that they dont make the parts like the used to.

Push rod tubes in the 500 have my heart broke also.

Keep em topped up and park them in the same place.
 
NM850 said:
I was skeptical myself but the thought pulling the engine to do the rear main on the Land Cruiser when it had 180k knowing these engines go to 300k was too much. It worked well there, so I used in some Italian cars (that probably sit too much🙄). I’ve recommended to others with good results, It’s a cheap gamble to try it.
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Is there any chance of Blue Devil causing harm to the engine?
 
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