what could this mean?, oil spray in the engine compartment... Options

[red914]

it isn't very much, but a bit of oil is being sprayed up in the engine compartment. i got to drive the teener a good bit today, and when i checked the oil midway, i saw evidence of oil being sprayed up against the rain tray. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/unsure.gif) not much, but spattering about on top of aircleaners, very small puddles on top of engine, that sort of thing. couldn't see from where it came. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/confused24.gif)

ran like a top, btw. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/driving.gif) (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/aktion035.gif)

any ideas? is it bad, and if so, how bad?

[scotty914]

spray like that maybe something around the fan. there are plugs there, also it could be your oil pressure sender. i would start looking in that area. it could also be a breather that came loose, etc

before you drive again, start the car then go pull the coil wire to get the engine to stall and make sure the oil light comes on, just an insurance thing

[red914]

oh, good idea! i shold have mentioned that it seems to be coming from the drivers side of the engine compartment. i thought of breather hoses, but they are all attached. do they need to be hoseclamped or anything? cuz they are not.

is it possible for that el cheapo plastic oil filler neck thingie to develop cracks? i remember about a year ago some member here was experimenting, making an al-you-minimum one. it looked very kewl, as i recall. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/cool.gif)

[mharrison]

Check out this:

http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?act=...=ST&f=4&t=18244

A thread on the Oil Filler Neck. I have one and it is NICE. I love eye candy in the engine compartment!

[airsix]

I've had a problem like this on both 914's I've owned. Both times it turned out to be the oil pressure sending unit. Leak was hard to identify because it wouldn't leak at idle - only at high oil pressure (high rpm). It would 'mist' oil all over. You say problem is on driver side, which is oposite the oil pressure sender... but I'd have a look at it anyway. When mine was leaking it would even get oil residue on the back window.

-Ben M.

[rhodyguy]

shane, look around the base of the oil fill tower, where it meets the case. if there's some oil puddling there too, it could be the cork seal. pull the grommit/seal at the oil pressure switch out. if there's a leak at the switch you'll see a lot of oil on the case. where did you vent the big vaccum line from the fill tower to?

k

[HarveyH]

A few years ago I had a problem with an oil spray on the right side. Sort of a fan spray up the firewall and onto the bottom of the rain tray. Finally found the oil breather port pipe was loose in the head. Cleaned good, JB Weld, fixed.

Harvey

[red914]

Kevin, the oil pressure sending unit looks pretty clean; very little if any oil around it on the case. certainly nothing like the top of the engine. the puddling is largely immediately aft of the oil filler tower. i suspect the cork seal, but haven't checked it per se. that will have to be this evening.

as for venting: the oil filler tower vents to the three attachment fitting on the driver's/firewall side. the other two attachment points on that fitting each vent to an intake manifold base. is this right?

thanks for the input.

Harvey, the oil breather stuff seems to be tight, but it is possible i am not sure of what you speak; are you talking about a venting tube? or the fitting to which those attach?

[TheCabinetmaker]

Your venting is correct. I agree the filler base gasket is suspect #1. Also check the dipstick tube for a crack where it enters the engine tin. This will cause oil to be slung everywhere.

[mike_the_man]

Do you have a PCV valve in the oil filler neck? Could the PCV valve plugged or not allowing flow? If so, that might create more pressure around the filler neck, causing it to spray. Just a guess. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/confused24.gif)

[Cap'n Krusty]

Sounds to me like case pressurization, not enough venting for the amount of air going into the motor. Common on carb conversions. As I recall, the heads and filler all vent to the aftermarket breather box, and it vents to the air. I don't think any of the hoses go to the intake. The Cap'n

[URY914]

Here is a strange one you may look into...

I had the same problem on my car with oil spraying everywhere. I ended up pulling the engine. I took the fan off and found the problem. The are several bolts which hold the aluminum fan housing onto the case. These can only be seen when the fan is off. My problem was one of the bolts treads into the oil filler neck. The bolt had come loose and backed out. The bolt didn't come out all the way because the head started rubbing on the back side of the fan and wore a groove in the fan! But the bolt backed out far enough for oil to be forced out of the hole and get on the fan and than get blown all over the place. I had oil on my back window from this thing.

If you've never had the housing off I doubt if this is your problem. But I would say it was caused by me not tighting the bolts down enough. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/wacko.gif)

Paul

[Flat VW]

Perhaps too simple but "over-filled" engine oil will make a heck-of-a-mess. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/barf.gif)

John

[red914]

hmmm... i am guessing the amount of venting is ok, simply because this is the first i've noticed it, and i have done longer, harders runs in the car, even since going to two carbs vice just one. or is that deduction wrong?

dipstick tube crack: i'll investigate that one, though one of the places oil seems to collect is on the top of the dipstick handle flange.

fan housing: i don't think it is any where near the fan, as the oil pattern inside the compartment is not fan-like. it is more splattered against the bottom of the rain tray, on the driver's side.

i need to check the filer base gasket, but that will have to wait until this evening. time to chase the kids off to school, then get myself off to work.

thanks for all the input. one more reason why this club RAWKS. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/aktion035.gif) i'd never be able to keep my car running without it. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/driving.gif) thanks, all. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/clap.gif)

[HarveyH]

Each of the heads has a vent pipe that connects to the crankcase ventilation system. These pipes press into the head, but on my car one was loose, and the pressurized spray was blowing out around the edge of the pipe. I don't know if the vent pipes were used in all cars or only the later models. Mine was a 74 2.0L converted to 2056 plus carbs.
Harvey

[eg914]

I had a similar experience. Oil was coating the bottom of the rain tray, puddling on top if the engine. It turned out it was the rear crank seal. New seal, no oil spray.