Oil leak. Assist if possible. Thanks.

KennethO · 08-14-2009, 03:34 AM

Thanks in advance.

This car had been sitting at my fathers for almost 8 years.

I missed driving it as a teen so I got the urge to bring it back to life.

Heres the thing, he told me it had been sitting outside for about 2 years w/o the valve covers on. Yikes. So I cleaned the cams/gasket surfaces and all real well. Replaced the covers/hoses.

I went out of town for a week and came back. He said he had changed the oil and he had been running it a few mins a day while I was gone.

I fired it up today and all seemed well, no oil leaks. I let it run for about 15 mins or so to bring it up to normal temps then shut it down. Came back a few mins later and noticed a puddle of oil under the car. Searched for it and it seems to only come out on the TOP RIGHT(passenger) side, toward the trunk/rear by the pullys/belt just under the valve covers. It is NOT the valve covers.Seems to drip like that of a slightly leaking sink, drop every few seconds.
Gauges say its running at normal temp(right in the middle) and oil gauge seems to be decent to, maybe slightly high. One notch past 1/2. No oil or check engine lights seem to have poped.

What could be leaking there?

Doesn't seem like any seals are in that area. It's 100% definately not the valve covers, I checked every inch of them. Timing gasket or head gasket? Is there any kind of like..sensor or maybe a freeze plug of some kind in that area linked to the oil system? Also could tell that all of the old tainted oil didn't seem to have been removed when he drained it. Could tell by the coffee look.

Jackstand Queen · 08-16-2009, 12:52 PM

We don't often see oil leaks through head gaskets in the forum.

However, based on the location of your arrow, that's my best guess.

Just about every oil leak we hear about is on the forward exhaust side of the motor.

ITS MR 2 · 08-16-2009, 01:04 PM

yeah, would have to say headgsket as well

te51levin · 08-16-2009, 01:47 PM

Before you do anything else, it makes sense to clean the entire engine. At least give yourself a fighting chance in being able to pinpoint the origin of any fluid leak, and confirm what type of fluid it is.

dirocyn · 08-16-2009, 06:53 PM

I'm with Levin on this, you don't just assume it's a HG problem based on an oil leak. It's extremely unlikely you'd spontaneously start leaking oil at the head gasket--if it leaks to the outside of the engine there it would more likely leak antifreeze. Usually when the head gasket leaks, it leaks oil into the antifreeze or antifreeze into the combustion chamber. I've never head of a head gasket problem where you don't also have low compression in one or more cylinders, though I suppose it's theoretically possible. If I had a minor oil leak at the HG and no compression issues I'd probably just live with it. But definitely, do a compression test, and check your oil for presence of antifreeze.

Given the location, if that's oil it's almost certainly coming from the valve cover. Could also be gasoline leaking out of that injector, picking up crud and turning brown by the time it hits the ground. Or coolant from a pinhole in one of your hoses doing the same thing.

flybikes1593 · 08-17-2009, 01:01 PM

my MR2 has the same exact problem, and we cant pinpoint the leak either. We replaced the valve cover gaskets, a fuel like(thinking that was the problem), and the o-ring for the distributor. It helped, but is is still leaking.

Allmotor87mr2 · 08-17-2009, 02:22 PM

yea it could be the head gasket or cam seals.

08-14-2009, 03:34 AM	#1 (permalink)
KennethO No Skills Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 8 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	Oil leak. Assist if possible. Thanks. Thanks in advance. This car had been sitting at my fathers for almost 8 years. I missed driving it as a teen so I got the urge to bring it back to life. Heres the thing, he told me it had been sitting outside for about 2 years w/o the valve covers on. Yikes. So I cleaned the cams/gasket surfaces and all real well. Replaced the covers/hoses. I went out of town for a week and came back. He said he had changed the oil and he had been running it a few mins a day while I was gone. I fired it up today and all seemed well, no oil leaks. I let it run for about 15 mins or so to bring it up to normal temps then shut it down. Came back a few mins later and noticed a puddle of oil under the car. Searched for it and it seems to only come out on the TOP RIGHT(passenger) side, toward the trunk/rear by the pullys/belt just under the valve covers. It is NOT the valve covers.Seems to drip like that of a slightly leaking sink, drop every few seconds. Gauges say its running at normal temp(right in the middle) and oil gauge seems to be decent to, maybe slightly high. One notch past 1/2. No oil or check engine lights seem to have poped. What could be leaking there? Doesn't seem like any seals are in that area. It's 100% definately not the valve covers, I checked every inch of them. Timing gasket or head gasket? Is there any kind of like..sensor or maybe a freeze plug of some kind in that area linked to the oil system? Also could tell that all of the old tainted oil didn't seem to have been removed when he drained it. Could tell by the coffee look.

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08-16-2009, 12:52 PM	#2 (permalink)
Jackstand Queen Cage Fighter Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 840 Thanks: 75 Thanked 64 Times in 60 Posts iTrader Rating: (1/100% )	We don't often see oil leaks through head gaskets in the forum. However, based on the location of your arrow, that's my best guess. Just about every oil leak we hear about is on the forward exhaust side of the motor.

08-16-2009, 01:04 PM	#3 (permalink)
ITS MR 2 Some Skills Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 62 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	yeah, would have to say headgsket as well

08-16-2009, 01:47 PM	#4 (permalink)
te51levin LithiaToyotaParts.com Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Copperhead Road Posts: 3,683 Thanks: 50 Thanked 323 Times in 267 Posts My Google Map iTrader Rating: (193/100% )	Before you do anything else, it makes sense to clean the entire engine. At least give yourself a fighting chance in being able to pinpoint the origin of any fluid leak, and confirm what type of fluid it is.

08-16-2009, 06:53 PM	#5 (permalink)
dirocyn Cage Fighter Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Murfreesboro, TN Posts: 1,177 Thanks: 14 Thanked 110 Times in 108 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	I'm with Levin on this, you don't just assume it's a HG problem based on an oil leak. It's extremely unlikely you'd spontaneously start leaking oil at the head gasket--if it leaks to the outside of the engine there it would more likely leak antifreeze. Usually when the head gasket leaks, it leaks oil into the antifreeze or antifreeze into the combustion chamber. I've never head of a head gasket problem where you don't also have low compression in one or more cylinders, though I suppose it's theoretically possible. If I had a minor oil leak at the HG and no compression issues I'd probably just live with it. But definitely, do a compression test, and check your oil for presence of antifreeze. Given the location, if that's oil it's almost certainly coming from the valve cover. Could also be gasoline leaking out of that injector, picking up crud and turning brown by the time it hits the ground. Or coolant from a pinhole in one of your hoses doing the same thing.

08-17-2009, 01:01 PM	#6 (permalink)
flybikes1593 Cage Fighter Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Neenah Posts: 126 Thanks: 0 Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	my MR2 has the same exact problem, and we cant pinpoint the leak either. We replaced the valve cover gaskets, a fuel like(thinking that was the problem), and the o-ring for the distributor. It helped, but is is still leaking.

08-17-2009, 02:22 PM	#7 (permalink)
Allmotor87mr2 Island Auto Warehouse Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Redlands, CA Posts: 16 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	yea it could be the head gasket or cam seals.