oil leak mystery

[web macomber]

About 18 months ago I had to pull my engine on a 76 FI vert to fix an oil leak on the cooler and to diagnose a strange noise that turned out to be the bearings in the alternator. Anyway, while it was out, I took it all apart, cleaned everything and but in new seals and gaskets. After I put the engine back in, it never started again. I should say it never started again as a FI car. I looked for the problem for 6 months along with the experts from this forum and others to no avail. Last fall I said screw it and converted to carb. Now I am happy to say that I have had almost a year of enjoying a car that is running extremely well. I even hate to say that for fear of jinxing it.

The only problem seems to be something with the oil. The car seems to comsume it somehow but I don't know where it goes. After a drive it always smells really like hot oil. not the typical good VW gas smell. There were some blow by issues with the filler vent that I took care of. Also the oil lijjer tube/cap and oil pressure sending unit leaked a little. I took care of all of thoose leaks and the engine compartment is dry. On the bottom, there seems to be a little oil residue but I only get one or two drips per night from the screws that hold the sled tins to the case. I pulled all 4 plugs and they are oil free and clean.

Sometimes when I turn hard or take off fast, the oil light flickers. Then I know that the level has gone down and it's time to add. WHERE IS IT GOING? (not yelling there)

Thanks,

wbm

[ROCKOROD71]

There should be a road draft tube that runs from the oil filler down through the breastplate tin, it ends just above the sled tin on the right side of the engine. Do you have this in place? If so there should be a little rubber boot on the end of it, and the boot has a little slit or "weep hole" in it. This is all part of the positive crankcase ventilation system. The weep hole is to allow oil to drain out. If you have/had crankcase ventilation problems, maybe it is draining more than normal from this location. My engine doesn't leak much/at all (every once in a while I get a few drops in the driveway) but I notice that sled tin and that tube always have oil on them. Worn engines also just consume more oil, period. If you have leaking piston rings that will allow oil to get into the combustion chamber and then out the exhaust. A compression test will tell that tale.

I would try to get under the car and wipe down/clean as much surface as you can and see if you can't tell roughly what area it is coming from, if there is a leak.
_________________
1971 STD BEETLE- DD-1st car, 1st love. keepin' it stock! 1600DP, Solex 34-3 Mexi Bosch SVDA Dist NOW w/POINTS
1977 WESTY "KrustyKamper" 2L FI

[GArBa]

oil is put in the engine, the engine runs, oil disappears with no leaks and you smell burnt oil.

the logical conclusion is that the engine is burning oil.
_________________
cars:
'97 type 1 1600i
'14 type AA Seat Mii (sadly dead after 270.000 km)
'22 type C1 T-Cross
'23 type AC3 Hyundai I10 (VW no longer makes small cars!)
-------------------------
moped:
'82 Benelli Magnum 3v

[web macomber]

Wasn't the drip tube just on the earlier models. I do not have one of them. As far as the "logical conclusion" of burning oil, that means the rings may be bad and/ ro compression low. Wouldn't that be evident in looking at the spark plugs?

[kreemoweet]

All engines use/burn oil. You don't say what your consumption is, and it may be perfectly normal.
The owner's handbook for my 1600 bus engine specifies 1.7 - 3.4 pints per 1000 miles.
_________________
'67 bug: seized by the authorities
'68 bug: seized by the authorities
'71 kombi: not yet seized by the authorities

Stop dead photo links! Post your photos to The Samba Gallery!

[EvileNV]

Try a compression test to check the health of the engine, you could also do a cylinder leak down test, and even go one step further and have a friend drive the car and watch for any smoke out of the exhaust that could be burning oil, typically you can't see it while driving the car yourself....plus you said yourself that it leaks oil, 1 or 2 drips while it's parked equals how much while you're driving? If it's only a slight oil loss just check it regularly and keep it full. Also, when cornering and your oil light flickers that's because the small amount of oil in the sump is causing the oil pump to not have any oil to pump, try slowing down or adding a bigger capacity sump.
_________________
69 Beetle, 64 GMC 1000 (1/2 ton), 59 Ford Ranch Wagon (for the wife and kiddos), 92 Motorhome for vacationing.

[web macomber]

Okay thanks. All good suggestions. So where is the trrong burning smell really coming from, oil on the bottom, in the muffler, what? If you park it in the garage right after a drive, it smells just like an oil drum on fire

wbm

[Tim Donahoe]

Sometimes when I turn hard or take off fast, the oil light flickers. Then I know that the level has gone down and it's time to add. WHERE IS IT GOING? (not yelling there)


So you check your oil by this method?

You should check the oil once a week--before any oil light comes on while turning or taking off fast.

Many bugs burn a quart in a thousand miles. The plugs really don't show it unless you're really using a lot.

Tim

[GArBa]

web macomber: I uderstand you may find it frustrating, but people here are giving suggestions based on your description of the problem.
you seemed to recisely refuse the conclusion the oil is being burnt by the engine, but in your original post you did not mention having performed any test to check if it was the case.

Now you say it smells like an oil drum on fire, you can investigate whether the oil is burnt in the engine or rather sprayed on it by a leak an then vaporized by the heat: let the engine warm up (better go for a drive), then have a friend pump the pedal while you sniff the exhaust fumes and then the cooling air coming out from the cylinders'banks. it's not a healthy method but it usually gives clues.
_________________
cars:
'97 type 1 1600i
'14 type AA Seat Mii (sadly dead after 270.000 km)
'22 type C1 T-Cross
'23 type AC3 Hyundai I10 (VW no longer makes small cars!)
-------------------------
moped:
'82 Benelli Magnum 3v

[web macomber]

To all thanks again for the responses.

To GArBa, excuse me! What makes you think I refuse to believe that the thing is burning oil? I did accept that and merely asked for more clarification on the smell. Further, the only way I am familiar with checking to see if it is burning oil was to look at the plugs. Now, I know there are other ways.

I have heard that people get "reprimanded" on this forum. Guess it was my turn.

Tim, no I do not check my oil with this method. I check it every day.

wbm

[GArBa]

I am newer than you around here, so no reprimands intended. Maybe is due to the fact that english is not my first language, but I implied from your question/answer that you were somehow ruling out the possibility of your engine burning oil, and it seemed odd to me.
_________________
cars:
'97 type 1 1600i
'14 type AA Seat Mii (sadly dead after 270.000 km)
'22 type C1 T-Cross
'23 type AC3 Hyundai I10 (VW no longer makes small cars!)
-------------------------
moped:
'82 Benelli Magnum 3v

[Tim Donahoe]

Chill, Web,

I was going by your exact words. You stated, "Then I know that the level has gone down and it's time to add."

Your previous sentence referred to what "Then" was referring to.

Re-read your statement and think about how I came to my conclusion

Tim

[web macomber]

GArBa,

Sorry to jump to the reprimand conclusion....language barrier I guess. I am certainly willing to accept that the engine burns oil.

Tim, good call. I was not unchilled but I guess it seemed like it. We can all still be BSF (best samba friends).....insert sarcasm where needed.

Well, I had my son pump the gas with the motor running and lots of black smoke comes out of the exhaust....oil or rich mix or both?

Something must also be leaking on the muffler of heat exchangers but I can't see where it is from

web

[ROCKOROD71]

Blue/black smoke is oil. Your piston rings may be bad, you will need to take the heads off and inspect, or, run it as is and feed its oil habit. If you say the plugs aren't fouling then you can probably get away with running it for a while. It still shouldn't smell like a barrel of oil on fire though. Try looking at your valve covers and their gaskets. Couple things to look for there:
1- gasket is bad/torn, "bowed" inward, causing bad seal=replace gaskets
2- Valve cover itself is warped, bent, damaged= new valve covers
3- bail wire. These stretch/wear out over time. If it is really easy to pull the bail wire down and back up it is too loose, it should take some effort. You can bend them for more tension but they might need replacing too.

These are all VERY easy (and cheap) jobs to do, maybe 30 mins laying on your side. Check it out by getting a clean rag and wiping down the area around the valve covers, and clean off the heater boxes too, wipe it down good. Then run the engine and sit there and stare at the heater box, and especially the bottom lip of the valve cover. See anything leaking? What happens is oil leaks onto the heater box and then burns as the engine gets hotter. This will cause the smell and also explain why you don't see oil puddles under the car- it's leaking while running and burning off the heater box, leaving very little to fall to the ground, a couple of drops as you said.
_________________
1971 STD BEETLE- DD-1st car, 1st love. keepin' it stock! 1600DP, Solex 34-3 Mexi Bosch SVDA Dist NOW w/POINTS
1977 WESTY "KrustyKamper" 2L FI