Engine Oil Leak?

[Guest Mr_Frosty]

Hello every one.

First of thanks for reading.

 

I have a series 3A with a 2lt pinto engine the head has been tuned to stage 3.

The head gasket blew between cylinders 3+4 so I got to work and replaced it with an uprated one from burton. Also got the head checked and skimmed 10thou more but the new head gasket should fill that a bit.

 

Today was my first little drive out nice and steady as the weather was ok ish. Got back had a little look around the engine bay for anything unexpected and there I found a nice little trail of oil coming from where the exhaust meets the engine on cylinder 1.

Anybody know what this could be? I was thinking valve stem seals but don't really want to take the head off again just to do that.

 

Also what oil grade does everyone use in a pinto? My motor factors told me it takes 5-30 semi synthetic.

 

Thanks again.

[speedtripledan]

Oil wise 20 50, your motor factor is either thick or trying it on ! As for oil coming out is it above the head gasket line or from the head gasket line? prob rocker cover..

[Peter Bell]

Hello Mr Ftrosty. First off you should be using a 20-50 mineral or semi synth. 5-30 will be very thin for a pinto but fine for a modern ford engine. If your stem seals have gone it will smoke out of the exhaust espesially at start up and when you boot it. I suspect it could be a weep at the rocker cover somewhere at the front and dribbling down to the no.1 exhaust. Its happened to me.

[Guest ickle]

I work for a motor factors and I used premium 20w50 on mine although on the lookup and catalogues it does say 5w30.

 

 

Stuarty

[Andi]

Yup, I reckon rocker cover. Oil tends to pool round by No1 then snakes down to the exhaust.

 

Andi

[Snapperpaul]

If its a tin rocker cover there are 2 bolts either side of the front cam tower.

It's worth taking of the rocker cover cleaning it, adding some gasket sealant to stick the gasket to the rocker cover, leave overnight to set then put on the head, torque up the bolts no more than recomended.

I have also used sealant on the head to seal the gasket, added o rings and more sealant to the bolts.

On a Pinto there is a lot of oil in the rocker cover, it can be pressurised by blow past the valves and it will find the slightest leak.

[Guest Mr_Frosty]

Cheers for the advise as to where it could be coming from. When building the engine back up I did use new gaskets on everything so it'll be a bit annoying if the rocker cover is leaking. Have to find a better way of sealing it.

 

Didn't manage to get out and have a look at her today as it's dark when I get home from work now. unhappy times. It is definitely above the head gasket line.

 

She does kick out a bit of smoke on cold start up but I can't run her as much as I want at the moment and I have been told this is normal having just built her up and have her stood a while between starts.

 

Got myself some Valvoline 20w-50 racing oil recommended by someone as being pretty good oil. Think I'll leave the thinner 10w-40 in over winter for ease of starting every now and then. Will be putting her on sorn the end of this month sadly as it is good fun and I get loads of looks and questions asked, I think being only 22 helps with that a lot. ie how much does that cost you to insure and all that.

[fry61]

When you're 3 times as old the questions change to " how do you manage to get in & out "

[Peter Bell]

I expect your Hood insurance looks quite good compared with a tin top! If you do take the rocker cover off check it for flatness, they distort quite easily and over the years they tend to pull down where the fixing bolts are. If so tap it back into shape with a flat hammer supporting it on some wood.

[Longboarder]

Leaks from the front end of the rocker cover are sometimes due to wrong bolt tightening sequence. The front end needs to be pulled down and pulled in onto the front cam bearing tower. Best to try to progressively tighten the four bolts that do these two actions. If you think its not coming in nicely even go back a quarter turn on both and retighten. The problem is illustrated below. You have to get the bolts to pull down and in to produce the blue arrow pressures all at the same time so a progressive tightening is needed to gently compress the yellow cork gasket.

 

Nigel

[Guest mower man]

Hi Pinto and oil leaks I cured mine by dumpimg the orig breather system and adding an outlet from rear of cambox to catch tank . Rally design sell an adapter to get rid of the box under the carb [PCV valve] ,I used a s/s storage jar ,a hand full of hyd fittings ,oil resistant pipe and a couple of hours work job done!! HTH mower man

[Guest Mr_Frosty]

That is actually true I paid £764 for my 51 reg 2.0 diesel Mondeo and only £454 for the hood.

 

Shall have a better look at that rocker cover as I didn't think it mattered to much on sequences for that. Has anyone got a torque setting for them?

Possibly put some sealent round it. It's a bit of an arse to get on and off with the pipes and the carb.

As for the breather I think it just has a pipe that goes down and out under the carb. Not back in?

 

I work for Suzuki as a mechanic any only being young don't ever see a pinto in anything just heard it was simple and very solid. so far all true. Would be nice to see another pinto engined kit car but the weather isn't exactly mint at the moment. One of my friends dads has nearly completed his locost powered by ford fiesta st 150. That is looking good.

[Guest mower man]

The breather system on the pinto is ---te pull the pcv valve out of the block replace it with the adapter from Rally design [part no on NWsite ] remove the pipe from the inlet manifold and put seal plug in the port on the manifold ,run a pipe from the new adapter to a catch tank ,an extra out let on the cam box also piped to the tank helps too .P.M. your address and I send you some photos mower man