Technical Fiat Spider Oil Leak

[jiminnella]

My 81 Fiat Spider has developed an oil leak at the head gasket area in the front part of the engine block on the passenger side. The engine oil shows no sign of a coolant leak, and the coolant looks free of any oil. The engine runs fine. I tried to cover the area (about 1 to 1 1/2 inches wide) with a high temp gasket sealer that says it can stop oil leaks. But I have spread more on the area three seperate times and after a couple of minutes of running a fairly steady stream of oil starts leaking out of the area. I have had the car for awhile and never had an oil leak of any kind. As it is leaking right at the head gasket area I am hoping I won't have to replace the head gasket. Can anyone give me some advise as to what I may be dealing with and what I can try to fix this problem.

 

[bugsymike]

My 81 Fiat Spider has developed an oil leak at the head gasket area in the front part of the engine block on the passenger side. The engine oil shows no sign of a coolant leak, and the coolant looks free of any oil. The engine runs fine. I tried to cover the area (about 1 to 1 1/2 inches wide) with a high temp gasket sealer that says it can stop oil leaks. But I have spread more on the area three seperate times and after a couple of minutes of running a fairly steady stream of oil starts leaking out of the area. I have had the car for awhile and never had an oil leak of any kind. As it is leaking right at the head gasket area I am hoping I won't have to replace the head gasket. Can anyone give me some advise as to what I may be dealing with and what I can try to fix this problem.

Does sound like head gasket if you have checked all else in that area.
Suggest you look at a picture of the head gasket for your model and see if there is an oil way shown near where the leak is.
If you have to have head gasket fitted I suggest a very light head skim or a very good check that head is true/flat.
If an oil way, rather than just an oil return then oil under pressure may account for not be able to use an external sealant, which in honesty I would not have been in favour of any way, as more of a cover up than a cure.

 

[jiminnella]

Thanks for your advise. I think I am looking at a head gasket replacement.

 

[124BC1]

I'd agree that the cyl. head gasket is likely failing - there are oil feed holes on both sides of the cyl. block/head at the front of the engine to feed oil to the front of the camshafts (plus various other oil feeds along the block to feed additional oil to the camshafts). Iirc, there are also 2 small dowels in the block surface (1 front + 1 rear) but I think they're more for gasket and head location than for preventing oil leaks?

But before you replace the head gasket, you might try re-torqueing the cyl. head to the correct torque figure. These 10 bolts are all easily accessible being located between the 2 cam boxes on the top of the cyl. head. Afaik the correct torque figure is 56 ft.lbs. Just occasionally this works (for a while). If you try this, it would be advisable to check the timing belt is correctly tensioned (compare belt tension before and after cyl. head re-torqueing), it might need a slight readjustment (the correct tension is to be just about able to twist the belt through 90* on the longest belt run).

Another possible dodge, providing the oil leak is only small, might be to very thoroughly clean/degrease the affected area plus a little extra to each side and apply something like a line of epoxy resin/adhesive, heat-resistant silicone sealant or similar. - it might help to tap in or remove a sliver of gasket material (e.g. using a narrow cutting disc) to give the sealant a better chance of working. In the bush in Africa, I've tapped in a length of solder or copper wire to try to seal a leak (zero chance of obtaining a new head gasket, suitable sealant or having a cyl. head skimmed where I was located).

I'd agree with all of "bugsymikes" advice but would just like to add - before re-fitting the cylinder head (whether skimmed or not) with a new gasket, please remember to clean out (preferably using a tap, iirc, the size used to be 10 x 1.25mm on the earlier engines but I'm not sure about the '81 model) all the threaded holes in the cyl. block that the head bolts screw into - any corrosion not removed or if the bolts bind when screwed further in due to a head skim may result in the cyl. head not being correctly and evenly tightened despite the torque wrench reading being correct. Neglecting this step often results in a failure of the new head gasket.

 

[jiminnella]

Sounds like checking the head bolts might be worth a try. Especially as the oil streams from one small specific area. Can you tell me what I will have tor remove in order to access all the bolts.

 

[s130]

Are you sure it is the head gasket.

The cam carrier gaskets are very prone to leaking with old age. This is the gasket that goes between the cam carrier and the cylinder head. The distance to the cylinder head/engine block is not that far and the oil then gathers on the head gasket interface.

To be certain really clean all oil/surfaces off (head and block) and then dust with talc. This usually quickly shows where oil is coming from.

 

[jiminnella]

thanks i will try that