Oil leak, front right hand side of the engine.

[Doobit]

Hi guys
I have an oil leak just started last week or so on the front right hand side of the engine. It’s not the attachment to the oil cooler, it’s a 6 inches back from that. I don’t think it’s the oil pan or sum plug, but there is some dripping from there and it’s further forward than the bell housing.

I changed the sump gasket a few months ago , I don’t think I ballsed anything else up during the process.

Any ideas what it could be?

Thanks
Doobit.

[flybynite]

Sumps can be tricky to seal and can leak even if everything is done right sometimes. What did you use gasket wise and how clean did you get the mating surfaces? Overtightening the sump bolts can do it too.

Did you change the filter? any slight bit of crap on the oil filter sealing ring can leak

Oil pressure switch is in that area too.

Oli leaks tend to run backwards (for obvious reasons) so I would look forward from where you see the drips.

Otherwise it is clean the area well with brake cleaner and see if you can follow the oil track.

Good luck

[fixedwheelnut]

Best thing to do is wash off the engine, jack the car up and run it and have a look around with a torch and see where it is coming from, popular leaks on an M20 engine are Oil pressure switch, it leaks out of the wiring at the back, sump gasket especially the joint at block to front cover, then oil pressure relief valve in the oil filter housing.

Other popular leaks higher up such as rocker cover gasket and camshaft oil seal can still run down the block and drip off the sump so nothing beats a clean up and look for the source.