/6 oil drip, Engine teardown? Options

[wndsrfr]

Nagging drip from just under the cylinder head...about one drop per minute. What's the fix, or just keep driving it like I stole it?

[mb911]

Could be a couple of things like head to cylinder seal indicating pulled head stud or could be wicking from another area like rocker shafts but pretty unlikely, Could also be a leak from something on top side of the engine but it looks more like cylinder to head weaping to me which could mean nothing. My 964 did that for years.

[gereed75]

what is the story on the engine?? stock?? rebuilt?? mag cases?? case savers?? Mods?? From your byline, is it the 2.7 RS spec motor?? Looks like aluminum cylinders.

There is no gasket at the head to cylinder seal. Some engines were built with a "fire ring" compression seal. Most 2.7 builds probably have them.... but all bets are off if the head studs are pulling. Once they pull, you lose the head to cylinder clamping pressure and seal no workee.

That would be my guess here.

The only way to know is to pull the rocker covers and see if the head studs will hold torque. (might be able to do it in the car but I don't know and it would be a serious PITA). If they hold torque, you could drive on until they loosen again. If they do not - complete tear down is the only real fix. $$$$

If studs are pulling, continued driving is possible, but the sealing surface of the head will be getting beat up, requiring more machine work when you finally get it fixed.

I guess this is why some do not screw with mag case motors. Good luck

[wndsrfr]

what is the story on the engine?? stock?? rebuilt?? mag cases?? case savers?? Mods?? From your byline, is it the 2.7 RS spec motor?? Looks like aluminum cylinders.

There is no gasket at the head to cylinder seal. Some engines were built with a "fire ring" compression seal. Most 2.7 builds probably have them.... but all bets are off if the head studs are pulling. Once they pull, you lose the head to cylinder clamping pressure and seal no workee.

That would be my guess here.

The only way to know is to pull the rocker covers and see if the head studs will hold torque. (might be able to do it in the car but I don't know and it would be a serious PITA). If they hold torque, you could drive on until they loosen again. If they do not - complete tear down is the only real fix. $$$$

If studs are pulling, continued driving is possible, but the sealing surface of the head will be getting beat up, requiring more machine work when you finally get it fixed.

I guess this is why some do not screw with mag case motors. Good luck

Yep, it's the 2.7 mag case. That said, it was properly done with case savers & Nickies. Top of the engine is dry. Three cylinders are showing some weeping right at the junction of cylinder to head. Guess I'll have to check torque holding capacity when I drop the engine next month....

[gereed75]

With good case savers it should pull and hold good torque. Wonder what head studs are in there?? You would think with nickies and all that the head studs are premium also.

Good luck and let us know what you find

[toolguy]

Looks like it's been doing it for a while. . . Interesting , as in puzzling, place to have an oil leak. . think about it. . doesn't seem like that much oil would come from the combustion chamber as in a bad head to cylinder seal, and I'd think you have a nasty compression leak noise. . If it were rocker shafts, the drip would be from the bottom of the cam towers or valve covers and probably not as fast as a drop a minute. . If it was a cylinder base gasket, or an upper case leak, it would come down the case. . . If it was the oil cooler you'd expect more of a leak under it. .

Have you looked at the thermostat seal, oil pressure sender seal or the breather hose / gaskets since the leak is at the rear drivers side as this sounds like a pressure leak or seep .
next thing is to pull the fiberglass cooling shroud and take a look at the case top. . . . Pita job in the car. . Time wise may be better to drop the motor if you eliminate top side gaskets and seals.

Wild ass guess if you eliminate gaskets is bad piston /cylinder / rings or valve guides as well as weak head to cylinder seal. . How else would that much oil get into the cylinder but I'd think it would run like crap if that was the case.. .

Does it only drip when running?? Have you cleaned everything off and watched it leak??

[sixnotfour]

looks an compression leak and oil leak.....air injector plug , leaky head sealing and or casting flaw behind oil cooler and or seals,,see pic.

Just because it may have case savers the block needs to be decked, heads surfaced and possibly even cylinder tops ,,,or it will still leak..

[Ferg]

What Toolguy says. Check the breather, oil Pressure sender, thermostat aka triangle of death leaks.

[Catorse]

Were the heads retorqued after 1000 miles? Are you certain the sealing ring was put in on that particular cylinder? 2.7s most definitely have a sealing ring, and most definitely need one!