Oil Leak Hunt

[Eldavo]

I have a slight oil leak that has been there since I got the car, nothing to worry about but given it is getting colder and wetter I figured I should start looking at it as something to do.

When I removed the undertray, there was oil on the anti-roll bar and steering turnbuckles, etc. It seemed to be coming from the oil filter area but I have checked this and it's fine, I've also ruled out the oil cooler as the coolant isn't contaminated. Spoke to my mechanic and he told me it was coming from the back of the cam tower and he had taken a look when he did the belts. I cleaned the area up and went for a drive, came back and there was a slight bit of oil on the engine i.d. plate.

I've checked all around the back of the camshaft gasket with my fingers but this is dry, it seems to be coming from a couple of inches below this then running down the side of the block and dripping behind the front wheel. At least I hope it is otherwise I will be on oil leak hunt part 2!

So, is there anything common that leaks in this area? I'm going to pick up an inspection mirror tomorrow so take a better look down there too. I was hoping it was the cam gasket but alas, no chance of such an easy and cheap fix it would seem.

Thanks, David

 

[Pamela Rimmer]

Hello Eldavo
I have no idea if this will help, but I recently had a small oil leak on my 968, which ended up being a rather large gasket in the area round about the Oil Pressure Relief Valve - if you look on the thread "Mis-fires on Start Up" in the 968 section you will see what happened, but to cut a long story short, the oil leak which started the saga was this large gasket/ seal.
I am sorry that I can't tell you exactly where it is, or what this seal is really called, but I do know that it sits in the area of the Oil Pressure Relief Valve, which subsequent to the seal being replaced, then went up the creek itself, and that had to be replaced too. Sorry if this doesn't make much sense, but it might just be the same leak - mine appeared to be coming from somewhere around the oil filter, and it dripped down over the anti-rollbar, much the same as yours is doing. Good luck and let us know how you get on.

 

[TTM]

I had a leaky cam tower gasket on my old engine but it was not responsible for the oil showing up in the lower part of the engine bay.

The leak at the bottom front of the engine (drops on the ARB) is often caused by the o-ring seal that sits between the oil pump pulley and the washer behind the t-belt crank pulley.
It can be overlooked during a t-belt replacement as it requires pulling the crankshaft pulley, which can be a pain in the back if it refuses to slide smoothly frontwards off the crank.

 

[edh]

2 other suggestions

1. PAS fluid - it gets weverywhere when it leaks 9and it often does..

2. Residual oil from a filter change - it splashes down the o/s of the block in the area you are describing.

 

[Frenchy]

The gasket at the back of the cambox leaks, mine is leaking on the 220 now not a major job just a PIA, have one from the diff oil cooler bottom pipe where it exits the g/box got an o seal sitting in a bag ready to go in, i also have another in the oil pressure sender region, yet to properly looked at...........one day i will be leak free !

 

[Eldavo]

Unfortunately it's not the cork one at the back of the cam tower (5 bolts and 68p plus vat) but is coming from where the head meets the block just above the engine id plate. Had my mate look at it today (he's an audi tech) and he agreed with my father in law that it seems to be coming from the head gasket.

Some of the exploded diagrams suggest that there is an oil galley around this point so won't know for sure until the head is pulled. Going to get my mate to do this for me but anyone replaced a head gasket before on a 944 and got an idea of time involved and any potential pitfalls? Clarks garage is a bit brief on the matter!