Oil leak – pretty big

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  • #233962
    Royal
    Participant

    @royal

    Bad news, – went to go for a ride this am and discovered a pretty good sized leak probably from my oil cooler or its seals.  Gotta pull the engine and am now getting my ducks in a row (Band aids, aspirin, etc).

    My question is:  Are there good and bad oil coolers on the market (assuming that it is the cooler)?  Who sells the good ones?  Same question for the seals? 

    Remember that my engine is the stock 1500sp.  While I have it out, should I consider putting on doghouse cooler and bigger fan and doghouse tinware?  I expect that the $$ may scare me away. 

    This will be my first engine pull (VW) in about 35 years, – should be fun. 

    #248985
    john barry
    Participant

    @jebarry

    Roy – you have the answere with Simmons …I had a oil leak from my  cooler also . All it took was the proper size Oil seal done by Silver lake V W in Wlmngton .  Done.. inexpensive fix..  

    #248986
    newkitman
    Participant

    @newkitman

    You might not have to pull the engine. You might be able to get away with removing the engine cover. Then you should have all the room you need to pull the fan shroud with generator/alternator and get to the oil cooler. May save you some time.

    Allen Caron
    VW based 53MGTD - "MoneyPenny"
    "If one thing matters, everything matters" - from the book The Shack

    #248987
    Royal
    Participant

    @royal

    Allen, I’m sure that you are right, but I really want to check a few more things before spring when I start driving MiGi every day.   There does seem to be plenty of room if I wanted to do the job without pulling the engine.   I “need” to do a really good visual and I’ll sleep better.  Do you have any recommendations on oil coolers?

    #248988
    Royal
    Participant

    @royal

    Got the engine out.  Took an hour with the help of my neighbor to stabilize it while balancing on the floor jack and sliding aft.   It’s pretty easy.  Glad to have her out.  Now am gonna fix the oil cooler and clean everything up spic and span so you guys won’t embarass me to much at Carlisle. 

    #248989
    newkitman
    Participant

    @newkitman

    Roy…Glad you got the engine out. Now’s a good time to check the torque of all the cylinder head nuts and also the clutch throwout bearing. Check the bottom of the engine between the flywheel and case for an oil leak. If you find oil, the flywheel seal is probably nicked. As for what type of cooler, if it is within your budget, get the doghouse oil cooler. It’s shaped different and you’ll need the adapter for the cooler, the cooler exhaust tins (2 pieces), the “Hoover Bit, and the front breast plate (if you’re using it.) Oh! Remember not to over tighten the nuts securing the oil cooler. I think its only 3-5 foot pounds. Too tight and you’ll have a major oil leak.

    Allen Caron
    VW based 53MGTD - "MoneyPenny"
    "If one thing matters, everything matters" - from the book The Shack

    #248990
    Royal
    Participant

    @royal

    Thanks Allen,  Maybe everybody does this but I took off the rear bumper, made it a lot easier on a Daytona since with the engine lid up, there is nothing else behind the muffler/rear pulley.   

    #248991
    Royal
    Participant

    @royal

    Got the cooler out.  Those upside down nuts are tough (accessability) unless you have tiny fingers.  The cooler looks good, no bulges, does not appear to leak.  I’m gonna try to fabricate some sort of leak tester and clean it up real good before I reinstall with new seals.  Actually the old seals also looked good and they still had elasticity.  I really think that the nuts were not tightened enough.  I realize that they should not be very tight (I’ve gotta look up the spec) but after no more than one flat of the nuts with the wrench, I took tham off (all 3) with my fingers.  I really think that my oil leak problem was because it was not sufficiently tightened.  I believe that I have had a slow cooler seal leak from the beginning but I thought that the oil pressure sender was leaking (that is where the leak from the oil cooler goes).  About a week ago, I had installed the pressure sender and permatexed it in pretty good.  Yesterday, it was cold here and when I started the engine, the pressure was unusually high and the seals leaked.  I hope. 

    #248992
    Paul Mossberg
    Keymaster

    @pmossberg

    Spec for the oil cooler nuts is 5 ft lbs.

    http://www.chirco.com/tech_articles/?p=153

    Paul Mossberg
    Former Owner of a 1981 Classic Roadsters Ltd. Duchess (VW)
    2005 Intermeccanica Roadster

    If you own a TDr and are not in the Registry, please go to https://tdreplica.com/forums/topic/mg-td-replica-registry/ and register (you need to copy and paste the link)

    #248993
    Royal
    Participant

    @royal

    Thanks Paul.  Got it.  I’m gonna have to estimate it though, – no way you could get a torque wrench in there. 

    #248994
    Royal
    Participant

    @royal

    Here’s the progress:  Oil Cooler passed the pressure test and it looks almost new.  I re-installed it after cleaning, – got nothing out except nice clean fluid.  If you’ll remember, I had low compression (79-75#) on #1 cyl.  Decided to take a look.  Pulled the heads off this morning and found out why.  See Photo.  The upper head bolts were torqued to about 22ft# but the lower ones were closer to 15-18ft#.  The cyl head to jug seat was leaking.  I had run compressions and after squirting some oil in the cyl, the pressure went up about 40#.  Anyway, I’m ordering a 1600 cyl/piston kit and guess that I’ll just be cleaning parts until it comes in.  So, I’ll end up with a “B” block with a 1600sp.  Also, going to use my “new” heads and put the old ones that I just took of in my spare parts bin.  Thanks for all the words of encouragement guys.  My biggest problem is fear that I was tackling more than I could handle since my skills have some deep pitting (not just surface rust).  Spent 2 hours trying to find my air rachet wrench that I had used 2 days earlier. 

    #248995
    Royal
    Participant

    @royal

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