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

I'll be watching for suggestions.
I have the same leak.
First thought it was from the relief valve piston plug, got new washer and bought a tool to tighten the plug, on further inspection it seems to be leaking from the area above.
On mine it seems to be coming from the oil filter flange where it connects to engine, I can tighten bottom nut, can't get to top one cause oil cooler is in the way, I guess it could also be the oil cooler seals. Don't see oil around oil pressure switch or distributor. I'll be pulling engine soon to inspect and do oil cooler seals at same time.
Hope you get some good suggestions

There is an oil galley plug in that area.

Click to view attachment

Where is the oil galley plug? Thanks, I'll check the oil galley plugs carefully.

They sell a spray at the local auto parts for checking leaks. It's kinda like a talcum powder. You clean the area with brake cleaner and then spray the white powder to check for leaks. If you didnt check the crank snout oil seal I would check that first. You dont need to drive it to check for leaks, just take into consideration that the fan can spray the oil to a different area than where the leak is.

Have you checked the front main seal? Either a bad seal or o-ring could cause the fan to sling oil.

will be the crank seal they always leak when old,never seen a dry one on an used engine.
Problem is the fan has the ability to pump this oil around and collect dust and crap over important cooling area's.
Distributor seals don't leak but can weep a little and never a big deal,oil pressure LP switch will piss oil and easy enough to trace.

Kelvin,
Did you install threaded oil galley plugs when you rebuilt the engine? If not, they will eventually start leaking.

You can pull the motor and the fan shroud, and get to most of them. You will need the proper sized pipe taps and plugs, plus epoxy. Pull out the old plugs, install the new plugs with sealer, and once everything has a chance to dry, cover them with a coat of epoxy. I like the stuff that dries a nice light grey.

Clay

Thanks, I'll check that oil seal more carefully this time.

Thanks Clay! I just did a top end for stripped exhaust studs a couple of years ago and did not do the plugs. I'll look at them carefully when I get the engine out.

Kelvin

There seems to oil pooling at this oil galley.

Click to view attachment

Looks like I need to replace the galley plugs with the threaded type. I found an oil galley plug set at the Type IV Store.

https://lnengineering.com/type-4-store/type...-full-flow.html

Any advice on the replacement? Is this a complete tear down?

No, I did it with the engine assembled, just have to be diligent and make sure shavings don’t get in. I used lots of grease to catch them.

Have you checked the crank seal ?,have you checked cooler seals ?,those recessed area's where the plugs are is a easy trap for oil to sit, changing them on a assembled engine would be rather difficult and you never know if any drillings (swarfe) are not present after removal and tapping the threads.
Get a small punch and give then a tap and see if they move inwards if not clean the recessed area's super clean and scratch the surface on them up and apply JB Weld ,you will be good.
Don't make it harder than needs be,good luck.

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)

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!

Kelvin

right?? except after 8+ years of ownership mine was , that is WAS oil leak free for about 2 years.. but alas it was not to be for long, for now i have a drip, even after a short trip. - ok no poetry here , and it was and easy fix , no tricks... just a loosened oil filter adapter for the aux oil cooler. usual culprits are the push rod tubes, RMS and the front crank seal, oh and the oil cooler seals. Its worth pulling the motor and trans to get at all these. Glad you found yours!!.