i finally had little time to check out oil leak in my 1975 1.7.
i initially thought i needed to replace my push rod seals to fix the leak.
a friend suggested to clean the bottom of engine and fill the oil and check 10 minutes to see if i can find where the leak is coming from. what i found is it is not the push rod seal but from top of the push rods. it looks like a cooling fin for the pistons. there is no black smoke when the engine is running. i am hoping it is not a blown piston or anything very serious. i usually top off the oil about 1 quart a week.
my friend thinks it might be from the oil cooler. what other parts that might leak on top of the push rods?

thanks guys

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1 quart a week? Damn, that is a serious leak. How much do you drive in a week?

Check your oil pressure switch. It has either failed at the crimp or isn't tight enough.

feel on top of the oil filter. if there is a puddle of oil it's prob the cooler seals. while your car is operational you should go to your local spray and wash with some brake cleaner, $10, and clean the bottom of the engine. much more enjoyable to work on.

k

I'm thinking about doing this once mine is road worthy but I can't imagine there's enough access to get anything clean. Sorry about the hijack. carry on

last time i took roll up ramps...and rain gear. carry on...

+1 on the rain gear or take a towel to sit on for the ride home and plan to take a shower the second you get home!

... And maybe a good quality degreaser that's safe on aluminum as well? Give it a good soak for the recommended time, then start throwing your quarters into the machine and go to work. Finish off with brake cleaner to get it really clean (that stuff is expensive!)

i replaced all seals, found the leak at the seam were the two halfs of the block join at
the back.

+1 for oil pressure switch.

just about 40 miles a week...every thursdays i drive from home to work ~20 miles one way. its been a week since i put it on jack stands

thanks guys. i'll check the oil pressure switch and the top of the oil filter. i feel like wrenching on the car that's one of the reason i have not sent it to a local mechanic and that i have not found a trust worthy mechanic close by.

i already have the degreaser and brake cleaner along with the ramp and rain coat. just having hard time waking up very early to go to a local spay wash--someone told me i can get a ticket doing it.

i hope i can get the kids to take a long nap this weekend so i can play with the car.

Abe, check around in your area for a self-serve car wash that has an engine cleaning bay. The EPA keeps a close eye on car wash places, and yes, if you get caught cleaning your under carriage at a regular self-serve car wash, you could get hit with a stiff fine

The only one I know of that has an engine cleaning bay around here is way up in the city of Inglewood (at the N/W corner of 118th street and Inglewood Avenue).

Mine was leaking from the front after my rebuild. I cleaned the bottom of the engine with rags and went for a drive. Oil was dripping from the oil pressure relief valve. So a new washer and it still dripped after a drive. Then case sealer on the washer and it still dripped. Then teflon sealer,....then RTV...still dripped after a drive.

Somebody here on this forum wisely suggested I clean it one more time and crawl under it while it was running. It was then easy to see oil trickling down the side of the block --in my case from the oil filter attachment to the block-- and the trickle quit when I shut off the engine. I was chasing the wrong solution since I was fixing where the oil ended up rather than where it was coming from.

I have forgotten who that was but thanks to him for the tip. Hope it helps for you.