Pinto Oil Leaks

[Guest pwlcarz]

My continual struggle with oil leaks on my Pinto engined S7 continues (apologies Andy, didn't see your message on the 14th until this morning).

 

In May i had what I thought was an oil leak from the sump gasket attended to whilst the car was in for it's MOT.

After the garage took the sump off and cleaned it up, they found cleaning fluid oozing out of the welds where the sump had been shortened and the additional 'box' welded on the side. This was re-welded, sum re-fitted and all seemed OK - leak free at last........... or so I thought!

 

Goodwood FOS. Car ran OK despite very hot conditions, but on return major oil drips on drive and on inspection, oil all over the front of the engine bay. Cleaned it all up and started investigating the source. Sump gasket all looking OK still but 3 possible areas - distributor, crankshaft oil seal or auxilliary shaft oil seal. Took the easy one first and removed the distributor to find the rubber O ring like hard plastic. Ah ha! problem solved - new O ring fitted. Also new cam belt just to ensure oil contamination hadn't damaged it.

 

Unfortunately not solved the problem.

 

Saturday took the car up to Ragley Hall and on return found oil over the block again.

 

Sump still looking OK. rocker cover OK, even crank shaft oil seals look OK. but oil pooling on the ledge next to the distributor and looks like it is running down from the join between the head and block - head gasket gone? (think there is an oil way on this front corner of the engine.

 

Before I remove the head, does anyone have any other thoughts/suggestions?

 

Thanks and regards

[Jez Morton]

I think the oil way is on the alternator side and the drain is on the dizzy side, still could be tracking across the front. What about the crank case breather thats down there.

 

Jez

[Peter Bell]

Could it be the camshaft seal? always use a proper ford one, thats what I learnt.

[Guest mower man]

The best cure I've found for sweaty pinto's is get rid of the pcv valve all together use the breather adapter from rally car design , put a breather hose in the cam cover and route both pipes to a catch tank ,don't foget to block off any fittings in the inlet manifold works wonders mower man

[Guest pwlcarz]

Chaps, thanks for the replies.

 

Peter - as I said, don't think it's coming from the crank or cam shaft oil seals - they all appear to be dry (could always be wrong though - oil could be escaping and blowing back around the engine).

 

Mower Man - I did think about fitting a catch tank, but in fact I did replace the PCV valve as a first step the other week. also the tube going from the PCV valve to the inlet manifold as it was perished at one end (using the proper Ford one as standard rubber hose will break up in the oily vapour within a few months). I also replaced the oil filler cap with one with a tube for a catch tank. haven't fitted a tank as yet, but it doesn't seem to be pushing oil out of the rocker.

 

Oil does alway seem to be at the front of the engine - the back is still clean and dry so I don't think there is any leak around PVC breather from the crankcase, oil pressure switch or anywhere else at the back. Just the front nearsideand. Looking at the oil film it must be getting to the cam belt and/or pulleys and being thrown/spayed around the engine bay in line with this.

[Andi]

Chaps, thanks for the replies.

 

Peter - as I said, don't think it's coming from the crank or cam shaft oil seals - they all appear to be dry (could always be wrong though - oil could be escaping and blowing back around the engine).

 

Mower Man - I did think about fitting a catch tank, but in fact I did replace the PCV valve as a first step the other week. also the tube going from the PCV valve to the inlet manifold as it was perished at one end (using the proper Ford one as standard rubber hose will break up in the oily vapour within a few months). I also replaced the oil filler cap with one with a tube for a catch tank. haven't fitted a tank as yet, but it doesn't seem to be pushing oil out of the rocker.

 

Oil does alway seem to be at the front of the engine - the back is still clean and dry so I don't think there is any leak around PVC breather from the crankcase, oil pressure switch or anywhere else at the back. Just the front nearsideand. Looking at the oil film it must be getting to the cam belt and/or pulleys and being thrown/spayed around the engine bay in line with this.

 

 

I think a thorough degreasing and then a liberal coating of talcum powder may assist in the detection

Andi

[Andy Spencer]

Hi Peter, would you be able to post a pic or two? Might help a lot. Cheers, Andy

[johnlrichardson]

If its not the head I think its from the camshaft oil seal the fan maybe blowing the oil to the n/side

HTH jon