Slick Engine, Bad Head?

[Hegamon]

Want to be weekend mechanic starting a long road with the old family van which has been layed up for a bit due to NYC living and no finances. However, I've got a new job decided to get caught up on the work that needs to be done. So I crawled under my van and saw

I am assuming bad head gasket, but would just like some thoughts. It is rather close to the point where the engine meets the transmission.

The transaxel being that wet has got me a little worried too

and while i have your attention...what is causing the 'moistness' under my distributor cap, I don't see a gasket or seal in the bently

[AtlasShrugged]

The good news..it does not look like a headgasket...it looks like grease from the CV joint. Check the CV joint and be sure the joint bolts are torqued. They will lose grease when loose. The body of the CV joint is very messy...it looks like that is the problem. It will throw grease when running.

Be sure the CV boot is intact too. No splits.

Could be the small plugs between the CV flange and the holding bolt..that seal the transaxle lube from the CV joint.

If the CV bolts are tight..then the plugs/seals may be leaking. A cheap part and easy to replace.

The "O" ring at the base of the the distributor is hard and not sealing. Cheap part. Many are in the same condition. Easy to change and you will need to check the timing if you pull the distributor.

Congratulations on the new job..no small task in this economy.

[90Doka_Guy]

Yo dude,

Good to see you on here keeping your Westy alive.

As the above poster suggested, the transaxle "wetness" is from either a CV boot or the output shaft seals. Definitely no head gasket issues, and not necessarily a show stopper. It would be worth while to inspect the CV's/output shaft seals though. My vote is on bad output shaft seals. Make sure your transmission oil level is OK.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=249639&highlight=final
boom.

As for the wetness under the distributor, I wouldn't worry about it. That amount of oil loss is peanuts IMHO.
_________________
-'87 Westy
-'90 Tintop
-'90 DOKA

[Wildthings]

Could be the caps that keep the tranny fluid out of the CV joints are either missing or pushed out of their proper place. This will cause the CV joints to weep gear oil. Not really that big of a deal. Just need to pull the axles at some point, service the CV's, and replace the caps. If there is any doubt as to their condition, do the output flange seals at the same time.

[BillM]

It looks like your seal on that axle is leaking. It's not a big
deal to change. Depending on the amount of miles on the tranny
though it might be a worn bearing that created the movement
that damaged the seal. You will want to check to make sure the
vent is not clogged up either. It's a small 1/8" hole on the top front
part of the tranny. I would drain the fluid first and see how it looks.
If its full of metal you have a rebuild in your future. I would
also look at how much came out so you can be sure it hasnt
been run dry.
The distributer has an o-ring in it that can dry up over time.
I would just degrease and see how much reappears before
going any further.
Most important though is how do your fuel lines look? Sitting
doesn't do them any good and replacing is cheap insurance.
_________________
Bill M
87 Westy

[Wildthings]

[IdahoDoug]

Agree with WT, just replace the drive flange seals and the caps. That's a few hours work and these seals simply wear out from normal use. Checking for worn bearings causing a seal to wear out would be uneconomical. Just did this a few weeks ago. It's a good time to also replace the boots and service the CVs since the axle will be loose to perform the seals.

DougM
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1987 2WD Wolfsburg Vanagon Weekender "Mango", two fully locked 80 Series LandCruisers. 2017 Subaru Outback boxer. 1990 Audi 90 Quattro 20V with rear locking differential, 1990 burgundy parts Vanagon. 1984 Porsche 944, 1988 Toyota Supra 5 speed targa, 2002 BMW 325iX, 1982 Toyota Sunrader