More oil leaks Options

[Keith914]

My recently built (8months) and little used (2000 miles) 1972 914 with enlarged Type IV engine to 2.4 L runs very well, but has begun leaking oil. Oil drip is increasing to a pool of oil on smooth concrete floor of about 1 inch each time I return from a run, which increases to 2 to 3 inches after idling for 5 to 10 minutes while adjusting carbs etc. The oil is falling from the push rod tubes area, not from the front of the engine area (oil: cooler, filter, pump, relief valve etc.). Some oil has been "puddling" in the middle of the top of the case between the carbs apparently coming from under the tin, which is defying gravity and therefor must be pushed there by air flow. There are no other sources of leaking oil on top of the engine, -- oil pressure gauge, chimney and oil vapor hose connections.

Have removed the engine yesterday and have now removed the tin around the cylinders above and below, after also removing the push rod tubes. It is clear that the tubes have been leaking oil and the cylinder/case and cylinder/head seams are dry on top. Oil has collected everywhere near the tubes including on the tin and cylinder fins above the tubes. Oil on the cylinder fins is only around their vertical sides and some of the underside near the heads and the case - see photo. As the car is not burning oil, it seems unlikely that oil would be leaking from the cylinder/head seam. Curiously, oil has been collecting on the underside of the upper tin above the cylinders, presumably from oil in turbulent air flow, from where it has flowed out onto the top of the case described above.

I conclude (perhaps conveniently -- see comment later) some of the leaking oil from the tubes is being spattered around by turbulent air flow from the cooling fan mixed with under the car movement air flow, depositing oil on both sides of the lower tin, on the bottom and sides of the cylinder cooling fins as it travels up to the underside of the upper tin, some of which then exits from under the upper tin onto the case described above. Intuitively I have assumed air flows down past the cylinder fins forced by the fan, but how does the oil get deposited on the underside of the upper tin section immediately above the cylinders which are nice and dry?

Replacing the tube seals now is easy. Pulling the cylinders to reseal their seals to the case and heads is a big job for me. Thus I am tempted to complete the tube seal repair and not dismantle the engine further to fix dubious leaks around the cylinder case and head connections. Am I kidding myself??