General Oil leak

[Vitesse]

Ok as I was venturing out to check something for Peter. I checked the 126 dipstick and it doesn't fit.

What seems to be the key to holding the dipstick nice and tight is the width of the bow in the two halves of the dipstick. As it pushes home you can feel it gripping against the inside of the crankcase. The "O" in reality doesn't have much to do with holding the dipstick it is more to provide a seal.

The 500 one in the picture below, is my 500 one and it fits really tightly and requires a little bit of effort to pull it out. If the bowed part on your dipstick isn't as wide, try opening it out a bit.

Tony

 

[Bleeding Knuckles]

Hi All, agree with the blue hylomar trick on both sides of the rubber gasket - I have an alloy rocker box. One thing I have noted with 126 dipsticks is that they (the plastic seal) can tend to become more hard and brittle with age thus giving a bad seal and are blown out easily by crank case pressure. But these engines will always leak eventually!!!!!
Ian.

 

[fiat500]

What seems to be the key to holding the dipstick nice and tight is the width of the bow in the two halves of the dipstick. As it pushes home you can feel it gripping against the inside of the crankcase. The "O" in reality doesn't have much to do with holding the dipstick it is more to provide a seal. If the bowed part on your dipstick isn't as wide, try opening it out a bit.
Tony

Good thinking Tony at least that way you don't actually lose the dipstick.

 

[kjtosco]

Hello all - I thought I might jump on the end of this thread as well as I've a question about oil leaks - hope that's OK.

I'm finding that I'm getting some oil - not a huge amount - around the top edge of the rocker box, and strangely (to me anyway) on top of the oil filler cap.

I've read that this might be due to the valve in the cap? Does anyone have any experience of this?

Many thanks,

KJ

 

[fiat500]

I got that on top of the filler cap. It was the central stud that all the valve gubbins sits on. It's effectively rivetted in and had lost its friction fit so I epoxied around it and no trouble since.
The rubber seal in the cap can go hard and let oil get by.
The fibre washers, if fitted under the rocker cover nuts can get damaged by overtightening and the cover itself can get distorted. I usually put a tiny wipe of quality silicone sealant under the washers.
Chuffed to see how far you have got.

 

[kjtosco]

Thanks so much for the reply fiat500

I guess I'll start with the cap and see how it goes - shouldn't be too hard to find a replacement here if needed. And then move on to the rocker cover from there. This is some apprenticeship!

Thanks for the support too - I'm not sure I thought we'd make it this far either!! I'll have to tell you about the drive through the alps over a beer one day - I reckon I aged about 5 years in an hour!

 

[kjtosco]

fiat500 turns out that it was a simple as the central stub on the cap. Put in for a an oil change in Fano - which ended up being a rear axle swap as well; one for another post - and had the chap take a look at it; a bit of handy work with a hammer and punch and it hasn't leaked since.

 

[fiat500]

I've been doing some research on oil leaks because the little drips on my little drip are annoying me. Like everything these days, the internet is full of "information" and opinion and the subject is vast.
So am working through the possibilities.
I am sure that the seal at the pulley end of the crankshaft, which is gently breathing oil, was fitted carefully.I know it isn't very old nor have I given it the chance to dry out.
The sump isn't overfilled and the breather/re-circulation pipe isn't blocked.
The only thing I can think of is that the seems to have started since the last oil change from Comma Classic 20W50 to Halford Classic 20W50..... hardly the most dramatic change ever! This is probably just a co-incidence.
I have the new seal and I will be fitting it but I want to work out just how realistic it is to expect perfect oil-tightness. The lazy (bigger) part of me wonders if a leak-stop" oil treatment might be the best option for now?
Any ideas?

 

[Bleeding Knuckles]

Hi Ozza,
From my perspective, having had a nightmare leak from the rocker box (forward left area) I was using a rubber gasket and replaced it to no avail, the new gasket seems to have been squeezed out from the rocker cover under tightening. The way that I cured the problem completely was to clean both faces of the head and cover using methylated spirit - carefully remove all oil contamination. Then using a CORK gasket, make sure the cover is fitted well (take time to get this right) then tighten the nuts lightly and leave the gasket to settle. after some 10 - 15 mins tighten slightly more - don't be tempted to torque the cover down all the way as you run the risk of squeezing it out or deforming it. Take time to torque it down, but don't over do it - I just used hand pressure not a specific figure. The cover remains oil tight to date (after some hot running too). All the best with the leak!!!!

Ian.