Mystery oil weep from rear of engine...

RaceDiagnostics · Friday at 4:16 PM

I measure the old compressed gasket at 0.4mm but after doing a bit of research I think the spec for the original gasket is 0.5mm.

Nederlands · Friday at 4:20 PM

Don't see a problem there

RaceDiagnostics · Friday at 4:34 PM

Thinking on a bit, I'll button it back up just now and if I continue to have a leak will change the entire oil pan gasket when I change the oil next spring.

colnerov · Friday at 4:41 PM

That's how the 'sealsaver' additives you add to the oil works. It attacks the seal, making it swell up and grip tighter, it's not a permanent solution because it ends up destroying the seal.

Turbo · Friday at 9:24 PM

When you are down this far why not fit a new gasket?

RaceDiagnostics · Friday at 10:21 PM

Turbo said:
When you are down this far why not fit a new gasket?

To get to the oil pan, the entire front end/subframe and suspension would need to be removed first, and I just can't be bothered with that right now. Also its £80s worth of new oil in there just a couple of months ago.

Brace the engine.

Drop the subframe, suspension and steering.

Then all the reassembly on top of what I've already got.

Blobber · Friday at 10:42 PM

Great find, I'm amazed it didn't leak more! It'll be fine with a little bit of gasket paper and some sealant, I would be tempted to replace the crank seal though

RaceDiagnostics · Friday at 10:45 PM

Blobber said:
Great find, I'm amazed it didn't leak more! It'll be fine with a little bit of gasket paper and some sealant, I would be tempted to replace the crank seal though

Yes, I'm going to do that but won't bother with the crank sleeve.

JOEPRO · Friday at 11:14 PM

The problem was immediately obvious in post #1. Victor reinz oil seal - bad quality.

RaceDiagnostics said:
I've had the leak for the last 4 years since I did the engine rebuild, but it's never been bad enough to do anything about it. It's coming from either the main seal or the cover it's fitted to. Either way the transmission needs to come off for to check and fix.

It looked like this during the rebuild.

View attachment 515221

The question is will I be able to get the trans out with my style of scissor lift. So far I've been totally satisfied with it is I've had to do lots of sill work on the cars, but will the cross member make it a non starter. Time to find out.

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RaceDiagnostics said:
Well well well.

Today's, pics. First I washed down the are with brake cleaner.

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The oil seal didn't like it, but recovered one it dried out. Didn't expect that.

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Then removed the cover plate bolts, the lower ones had oil on them.

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When cleaning out the bolt holes spotted this. Looks like the hylomar had failed.

Then I prized off the cover plate.

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What a cock up.

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I'll fit the new oil seal but not bother with the journal sleeve on reassembly. The "repair" seal sits on a fresh part of the crank shaft.

I'll have a sheet of 0.4mm gasket paper but it's thinner than the original oil pan gasket. I'll coat both sides in aviation pematex on reassembly. Any thoughts?

RaceDiagnostics said:
Yes, I'm going to do that but won't bother with the crank sleeve.

View attachment 515800

Only use genuine MB radial seals or in a pinch Elring. WIS instructions will state to renew the rear plate there too. I always do as I don't want to have to go back in there. I would advise on buying a new genuine rear oil seal plate too before you re fit.

Dapph2 · Saturday at 12:52 AM

Farside said:
Hylomar Blue still works perfectly well.

It is frequently used in Roll Royce equipment's and by the defense industry .

Dapph2 · Saturday at 12:59 AM

Ubique said:
Looking at those photos, two things come to mind - Firstly, I wouldn't like to be doing that job on that type of hoist, it just looks like it'd be in the way too often.
Secondly, and it may have a bearing on your leak - it doesn't look like the fasteners are the type originally fitted, they look like fully threaded coated bolts with flat washers. Probably fine for most usage but looking at your original photos, they're also in use on the seal mounting plate, which could be the source of the leakage. The threads will allow oil to track and the washers will be too hard to seal against the bolt heads, typically, the bolts will have an oversized head to spread the load and the surface will be flatter than the pressed bolt head or a stamped and coated washer - and typically will have a stepped blind shank, all of which will - or should help prevent oil leakage.

This may cause some to laugh , is the rear of the crank shaft oil thrower the right way round or is it no possible to put it on backwards?

RaceDiagnostics · Saturday at 8:18 AM

JOEPRO said:
The problem was immediately obvious in post #1. Victor reinz oil seal - bad quality.

Only use genuine MB radial seals or in a pinch Elring. WIS instructions will state to renew the rear plate there too. I always do as I don't want to have to go back in there. I would advise on buying a new genuine rear oil seal plate too before you re fit.

It's not the oil seal that is leaking and it's not a victor reinz seal anyway, if you look through the posts you will see it was a torn oil pan gasket.

Also the R107 factory manual calls for reuse of the cover plate.

Since I'm in this deep I will fit this new OEM oil seal.

JOEPRO · Saturday at 8:50 AM

RaceDiagnostics said:
It's not the oil seal that is leaking and it's not a victor reinz seal anyway, if you look through the posts you will see it was a torn oil pan gasket.

Also the R107 factory manual calls for reuse of the cover plate.

Since I'm in this deep I will fit this new OEM oil seal.

View attachment 515808

The crank seals you had before was aftermarket. Maybe not VR then but ive not seen red / orange genuine crank seals before its an aftermarket thing.

I would renew the rear cover especially as you know it was installed crooked before but that's just me. I also use genuine MB sealant or "The right stuff" which is the same thing.

RaceDiagnostics · Saturday at 12:48 PM

I cleaned up the mating surfaces the pressed in the new seal.

Next a rummage through the scrap/treasure bin and found this, perfect!

Measured up.

Finished it

Trial fit. Worked perfectly.

harveyp6 · Saturday at 4:37 PM

Dapph2 said:
It is frequently used in Roll Royce equipment's and by the defense industry .

IIRC it was developed for Rolls Royce in the first place, but I may well have dreamt that ....

RaceDiagnostics · Saturday at 6:41 PM

New bit of gasket paper fitted with Aviation pematex gasket maker. I also used that instead of the hylomar as I've also used it on the timing chain cover and transmission cover and no leaks from them.