Oil in V

[Mike J]

Have tried surching the posts but to no avail. I know this has been an issue in the past just wondered if someone could point me in the right direction. I am dribbling engine oil. There is a permanent puddle of oil in the V by the dissy. This is then slopping out down the block and out onto the drive. Have checked the covers all seem fine though there is a seepage around the filler cap, nothing to produce this amount. Could it be the seal around the dissy or is there some other point I should be looking at. Mike

[Goldstar]

Hi Mike, I've not had it myself but some guys have had issues with the rubber half moons - could they be perished/cracked/not seated properly?

[iani]

Are you sure it's not oil from the carb dampers?

[stagmuffin]

you could pull the dizzy and check the o ring, often found them perished and missing even!
Steve

[robbo]

Hi mike.
Are you sure it's oil I say this because I have a small coolant weep in to th v and sometimes this does look like oil. It seems the water evaporates off and leaves a thicker antifreeze goo behind which does look like oil. I normally mop it up with kitchen paper and you can see a blue tinge so I know it's antifreeze.
Cheers Rob

[flying farmer]

There is an O ring around the dizzy body where it fits into the block, but the oil does have to blow uphill to escape.

Usual problem is leaky cam cover gaskets, or occaisionally front cover gaskets in the corners where they meet the head gaskets.

You could try fitting a length of hose to the cam cover breather then blowing hard and listening for escaping air. If you can't blow very easily through the breather with the oil filler cap removed it may be the gauze inside the cam cover is bunged up with carbon deposits. This will cause the crankcase to pressurise and oil will escape from places you wouldn't even have thought possible! (BTDT)

Neil

[Mike J]

Fantastic response. It cant be oil from the carbs as have weber. Must be oil as it doesn't evaporate.Could well be the half moons Will check. Is there a sealant I can put onto these to get a better fitting. O ring around dissy also needs checking. Might stuff the whole area with shredded news paper and go out for half an hour and see if there are any signs. Mike

[robbo]

Mike I have just painted my cam covers so renewed the gaskets Screw seals and the half moons. I used black silicon to seal the moons. It's the proper automotive stuff not the bathroom type. The news paper is a good idea.
Cheers Rob

[Bob Heritage]

Breather from cam cover?

[wilf]

Anti freeze doesn't evaporate either, at least not very quickly.

If it is oil, breather hoses or cam cover gaskets would be my suspects.

[V Mad]

Mike, have you ruled out the water pump seals?

Water pumps can leak oil as well as water, or both in my case!!

[Mike J]

Seems to be the rear half moon and the breather hose. When refitting the covers is it best to smear silicon on all parts that contact. There seems to be a large amount of vapour and oil coming from the breather pipe should I be concerned by this? Mike

[Dave M]

Now that I have no water in the vee following the fitting of Stagdads external water pump I have noticed a small amount of oil in the vee. I'm also running the Weber but my leak is not carb related. I painted the vee area before fitting the inlet manifold so it is quite easy to see where the oil is coming from and to be honest it appears to be coming from the head gasket area in the middle. I suppose and hope that the oil could be coming from the cam cover area and running along the head lip, any thoughts?.
Re the oil and vapour my catch tank is not showing much oil but with the breather pipe off and the engine warm there is some vapour visible but this does seem to change dependant on the humidity?

[Mike J]

Thanks Dave you mention a catch tank. where did you get that, from I think I need one. Mike

[Dave M]

Thanks Dave you mention a catch tank. where did you get that, from I think I need one. Mike

Hi Mike sorry for the delay in replying, I got my tank from Car Builder Solutions, it's quite a small tank with a plastic pipe on the side for oil level indication. I've held mine in place with a P style bracket onto the bulkhead. Cost about £20 if I remember rightly. They do mail order and stock some good bits and pieces.
Dave