Oil leak

[dhubz]

Went for a drive tonight, when I stopped for a bit a had a puddle of oil underneath. Checked my oil it was still over half, so I drove home keeping an eye on my pressure. When I got home, the engine was hot, and oil is dripping pretty good. It's leaking on the front side (transmission side) right in the middle. Looks like it's coming front above and dripping off the sump pan. Any one have any ideas where it might be leaking. I will have to jack it up tomorrow to get a better look, just looking for a starting place, hoping it's not too bad

[dhubz]

So a quick Google search later, looks like it's the rear main seal. It's there anything else I should be looking at replacing while the engine is out? The car vehicle is new to me, it's been running well so far, I've put approx 650km since May.

[YDBD]

If it is the main seal, your clutch disk may be oil soaked as well.

You may need a new clutch disk, the pressure plate can be cleaned and reused.

You will have to pull the fly wheel to replace the seal, since doing that you can check with your FLAPS if they surface or turn flywheels and pressure plates for a nice surface.

Replace the throw out bearing-easy enough to do and worth the $30 to not pull the engine a 2nd time.

Check all transaxle mounts, boots. Clean and paint stuff. Check brake lines, e brake lines, fuel lines etc.

If you go a new clutch disk, back off the clutch cable about two turns and readjust once the engine is back in.
_________________
'56 pan Dune Buggy since '69
don't live in the past...but when I did:
'67 bug
'64 baja
'60 dune buggy
'73 Personenkraftwagen Type 182 "Thing"

[Q-Dog]

Also check the cam plug and the oil galley plugs.
_________________
Brian

'69 Dune Buggy
'69 Beetle Convertible
'70 Beetle

[Wolfgangdieter]

Also check the crank shaft shims. If there is too much play it will damage the seal and cause other costly internal damage.
_________________
CMC '57 Porsche Speedster Replica and Dolphin boat tailed full pan VW MOD-T Street Buggy

[mark tucker]

dont worry too much, get the engine out and then find where it's comming from.could be trans, could be crank seal, could be cam plug, could be case, could be gally plug....so no need to worry, just get it out and fix the issue what ever it is.

[oprn]

[dhubz]

Thanks for the suggestions. Lots of oil in the bell housing, I think I will put a new clutch in. When I said hot, I just meant from driving at 80-100kph. The oil was nice and warm, so leaking pretty good.

[dhubz]

I am curious about the gland nut torque, is there such a thing as too tight? From what I have read on multiple posts, the torque is 253ft-lbs. I don't have a torque wrench that big, and the torque multiplier kit is about $200 shipped. What I do have is a Milwaukee battery impact, high-torque. it had no trouble getting the gland nut off. The specs on the impact say up to 700ft-lbs, is it an issue just to crank it down with the impact? I do have a 36" breaker bar, is that the better way to go? about 80-90 lbs of body weight at 36"?

[oprn]

Take a look at the threads on that gland nut and you tell me if they will take 400 to 600 Ft Lbs of torque! Pretty tiny aren't they? VW says 250 on the stock one, I believe them and have never had one fail with stockish engines and normal usage. My feeling on the matter is the fit of the dowel pins and the flywheel/ crank connection condition is the most critical thing to keeping them together. The next most critical is how you respect the beast that bears you as John Muir would say. If you are the type that can't resist full throttle and dump the clutch starts then... good luck!

The guys that do the stupid high torque values are not using stock parts. Thier stuff is special alloys, even then at some point torqueing that high is going to leave the threads just a shock load away from failure. Too tight is often more dangerous than not tight enough. The failure is far more violent!

I like your breaker bar/body weight solution if you can't beg, borrow or steal a torque wrench! You can feel when you come to the end of the "squish" in the parts, movement stops and it gets solid, then you know you are getting close. My torque wrench only goes to 230 Ft Lbs. I take it to that and then give it just a bit more. It's worked for over 35 years and a dozen or more engines... That impact is a wild card that could cause more damage than you want to think about!

Oh! And lightly lubricate the threads to reduce friction and get a truer torque. Only use Loctite on something that is already damaged and you will sell to some other poor sucker!
_________________
We had the stone age, the bronze age, the industrial age and now we are in the age of mass deception and mind control for corporate profit. (The mass media age)

[dhubz]

Sorry, I should've been more specific about the impact. I am able to adjust the torque settings to a range, not specifically to 253, but I think I Can get close to 250. I've never actually set up the app that controls the settings for the impact. The tool has the ability to go up to 700lbs, which I agree is way too high, and no way the gland nut would hold up to that. Maybe my local garage mechanic can help out.

[Dale M.]

[jspbtown]