Leaking oil from .. everywhere? Cause? Fix?

[Danwvw]

I'm probably the only one that has had cracked cylinders! But a drop ship supplier and my mistake of using them are at fault. It was a lack of machining to some AA-Performance 88's. I bolted them on with the cylinder fins hitting each other and even wondered what those sounds were as I torqued the heads.
They dripped oil everywhere when revved both sides probably just one on each side cracked though. Oil was just on the cylinders and below.

But I would be willing to bet you don't have cracked cylinders:

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1960 Beetle And 1679cc DP W-100 & Dual Zeniths!

[mikedjames]

When I was looking for a massive oil leak I started it up without the fan housing and tins.
For me the leak was a crack in the block under the oil cooler and a split oil cooler.

Fixed by jamming copper tube covered in JB weld down the gallery feeding the cooler and buying a new oil cooler.

I learned not to hit the oil cooler by dropping the fan housing on it.
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Ancient vehicles and vessels

1974 VW T2 : Devon Eurovette camper with 1641 DP T1 engine, Progressive carb, full flow oil cooler, EDIS crank timed ignition.
Engine 1: 40k miles (rocker shaft clip fell off), Engine 2: 30k miles (rebuild, dropped valve). Engine 3: a JK Preservation Parts "new" engine, aluminium case: 26k miles: new top end.
Gearbox rebuild 2021 by Bears.

1979 Westerly GK24 24 foot racer/cruiser yacht Forethought of Gosport.
1973 wooden Pacer sailing dinghy

[jason]

Is it equally oily on both sides? If so maybe in the cooling area. Where are you venting the case?

[Ebel]

Like somebody already said clean it all off then powder the engine to see where the leaks come from. There's also uv dye you can put it the oil and use a black light to look for the dye. But with either method you need to watch from the start because once it leaks enough you won't be able to tell anything. Or if your really desperate drain the oil and hook up a regulated air supply with only a few psi and listen for leaks. But too much air pressure will cause more problems. I've found smoking a cigarette while you look for air leaks can help. You just blow the smoke where you think it's leaking. You should see people looking when your on top of a big Cnc mill smoking and blowing it all over. The electric cigs may make an even better cloud.

[otis_bartleh]

Sorry for the lack of response, been a busy weekend and week, and will be another week before I can really check it out, so I'll be taking advice from here and checking it out...

But I'm about 99.99% sure it isn't oil cooler related...

As to where I am venting, the Gene Berg breather replaces the oil filler, and the bug pack box I'm running with it is mounted to the front of the fan shroud (front=front of bus), at the top, in the middle. It's the highest point in the setup.

I do smoke, never thought about that for checking air leaks, but its a pretty good idea!! I bet it can look odd to an unknowing spectator!
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-Adam
'59 Mango Bus
'69 Bug

[skapunkfoo]

I've used UV dye in the oil and it really helps find a leak. Clean off the motor, add the dye, run it for a bit, use a black light to find where they dye is coming out.
I got the dye from NAPA but you can also get it on Amazon
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1964 Beetle
VW Challenge - come join the fun.
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=592483

[Kjell Roar]

Too high oil pressure when cold? 30mm oil pump and heavy viscosity oil are a known to be leak phrone.
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I got a historic car, every scratch got a history...

My car, Aug. 4th, 1955 / an early 56: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=610438

[saw2]

I also had a oil leak on a fresh rebuild that took me a while to find. Charged cylinder in area of oil leak with air. Got out spray bottle soapy water this is what I found. Casting flaw in a new AA 88 thick wall cylinder. Couldn’t see it on inside of cylinder. First time I’d ever seen that.