Oil Leak ***Found***, Thanks for The Help Finding the Source Options

[914four]

My alternator went out so I replaced it then took a close look at the old alternator. I found oil inside the alternator so I pulled the engine and found oil all over the inside of the fan shroud, engine tin and especially on the passenger side oil cooler area. It looked like the oil was being blown into the alternator by the fan. I had noticed a small oil leak on the bottom of the engine for the last few months. I found oil had pooled around the base of the oil pressure switch on the top of the engine so I assumed that is where the oil was leaking and was running down into the oil cooler and blown around by the fan. I spent a good deal of time cleaning the inside of the fan shroud, the engine tin, the oil cooler and the engine block. I replaced the oil pressure switch, oil cooler seals, put everything back together, re-installed the engine, checked for leaks then went for an 80 mile ride.

I got back home and, looking from the bottom of the car, found oil dripping down the same area from above the oil cooler. I pulled the engine again and the oil seemed to be coming from the top again but this time the oil switch was dry. I found pooling around the base of the 123 distributor so I pulled the distributor and replaced the very thin o-ring (that came with the 123 distributor) with a regular distributor o-ring. Thinking I found the source of the oil leak this time I cleaned everything and re-installed the engine, checked for leaks and went for short drive. Got home and found the same small amount of oil coming from the same area.

This time I want to make sure I find the oil leak and fix it. I’ve done several searches and found very little information directly related to this type of oil leak. There is one thread with a similar oil leak where Clay offered some advice: http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?sho...ne++Fluorescent “Replace the seal on the fan end of the crank, the oil cooler seals, the oil pressure switch, the sump plate gaskets, the drain plug washer, the pushrod tube seals, adjust the valves, and put in new valve cover gaskets. Whenever I do a clutch, I replace the flywheel end crank seal too. That about covers all the places a 914-4 can leak.”

I have pulled the engine tin on the passenger side but really cannot see anything very well from the top so I’m starting to pull the engine once again. I really do want to get this oil leak fixed this time. It seems my next step may be to replace the crank seal but I sure would like to be certain this is going to be the source.

From the bottom of the car I can see oil dripping down the passenger side of the engine and it seems to be coming from above the oil cooler. Do you guys have any other advice for finding an oil leak like this?

Kelvin

[914four]

I really appreciate all the recommendations for finding the source of my oil leak here. I was really getting tired of pulling the engine and searching for the oil leak source every few weeks. After considering all the suggestions and talking with a local, old time air cooled shop owner. I decided to replaced the o-ring and crankshaft seal before drilling and tapping the oil galley plugs to see if this would solve my oil leak.

Got the seal and o-ring replaced and after several weekend drives and several hundred miles there is no oil dripping from the engine. I am very happy to be driving a leak-free 914 again! (leak free at least for now) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

The oil must have been leaking out the crankshaft seal then running down and pooling around the oil galley plugs. The fan must have been sucking in and blowing the oil all over the engine where it was pooling around the base of the oil pressure switch and distributor as well as being forced into the alternator air intake which caused it to fail.

Thanks to all for the suggestions and direction in finding my oil leak! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/pray.gif)

Kelvin

[ClayPerrine]

I am very happy to be driving a leak-free 914 again! (leak free at least for now) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

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