General 500L - Oil Leaking Onto Filter Pulley

Currently reading:
General 500L - Oil Leaking Onto Filter Pulley

SSNs4Evr

New member
Joined
Feb 15, 2020
Messages
3
Points
1
Location
Norfolk, VA
Hi all. I’ve got a oil leak - only leaks when the engine is running. The leak comes out onto the oil filter casing/pulley, gets onto the belt, and gets slung everywhere. I took the car off the road in 2013, and the engine has been sitting in my attic till fall of 2019. I suspected the o-ring in the oil filter, which as it turned out, was flat and brittle. I changed the o-ring, but the leak still persists. As there is oil everywhere, and it only comes out when the engine is running, I can’t see exactly where it’s coming from. My suspicion is now the rear main seal, although I thought it could possibly be a build-up of crankcase pressure forcing oil from either the rear main seal or oil filter. Last night I read a few threads about the pressure relief valve, but it convinced me that the valve would not be the problem, so I’m back on the rear main seal. I’ve ordered a new seal, but figured I’d ask for any other possibilities. The car is running really well, and I took it out for an 80 mile drive last week, hitting speeds up to 65 (by GPS). The only issues I had during that drive was the idle being a bit katawonky....it idled perfectly when I first got it warmed up, then a bit slow when I got it off the interstate. I adjusted the idle screw a half-turn which was perfect for awhile, then it was a bit high. I don’t think the oil leak would be from low compression (ring leak-by) because the car is running so well, and has plenty of power (for what it is). I’m going to take the plugs out today and compression test, but I’m pretty sure that it’ll be ok.
Any thoughts? Is my problem most likely the rear main seal?
 
I replaced the o-ring on the oil filter one time from a complete gasket set and had oil thrown all over the engine bay. Later engines have an o-ring to seal the flywheel end main bearing and I fitted that by mistake. It is thinner than the proper o-ring and does not seal. Could that be the case? Hold a clean piece of paper under the pulley with the engine running for a moment and see which side of the pulley the oil is coming from.
 
There are effectively 2 'oil seals' at the timing-chain end of the engine. 1 is a piston-ring type seal between the crank and the inside of the rear crank bearing ---this is unlikely to give you any trouble. The 2nd seal is in the timing-chain cover. If the engine has been sitting for a long time this could be the cause. It is not unknown for seals, when left static for long periods of time to 'glue' themselves to the shaft that they are sealing, and then when the shaft is turned (engine run) the lip of the seal is torn--resulting in big oil leak. My suggestion would be to remove the timing-chain cover, clean up the section of the crank that the seal runs against and renew the seal. You will need to remove the rear cross-member and the big crank-shaft nut to effect this repair. When the engine is in-situ, the easiest way to remove the big nut is with an 'impact' drill.
 
Thanks Toshi and Hobbler, for the information. I ordered the front crank seal today, so I'll replace the front and rear seals while I have the engine out. I took the engine out last night, and verified that the leak was coming from neither the oil filter o-ring nor the timing chain cover. Taking the engine out was a great opportunity to fabricate the part to make my thermostat enclosure/damper door work properly. While I have it apart, I'd also like to figure out why sometimes while reversing, if I am coasting with the clutch disengaged, the car will periodically feel like it wants to jerk forward.
I can't wait to get it all together though - I love driving it! Once the Fiat is running reliably, I get to start working on my 1969 Cougar convertible...I love driving that one as well, and its nicer on road trips.
 
Back
Top