Oil leak at front of engine

[A TR7 16V]

I've got a bit of an oil leak - about 1pt/100miles -, and it seems to be slowly gettin worse from the state of the driveway. As there's a hosepipe ban comming I need to do something quickish.

It seems to be at the front, on the left side of the engine, above the level of the sump - there's a big vertical bolt hole through a small flange sticking out of that corner of the engine, and the top that is blathered. 

I'm guessing that's the timing chain cover gasket, and propose to get the bits to replace. But is there enything else I should consider or look at first?

Graham

 

[glang]

well first of all I would try tightening every sealing bolt and screw you can get to as they have a habit of loosening and allowing leaks. Dont over do it as some items like the sump pan, rocker box and timing cover can be distorted if their fixings are over tightened. Also the lowest timing cover bolt plus corresponding two sump bolts screw into an aluminium bridge piece not the iron block so are delicate!

Then try to clean the engine as much as possible to identify exactly where the oil's coming from as its deceptive so could be timing cover/seal, front plate, head gasket or rocker box. In fact I believe some people have even tried talcum powder to locate the source.....

[A TR7 16V]

I've looked a bit more closely, and pretty much all the oil is low down on the front left corner of the block. I can't find any sign it's weeping from under the chain cover and I think it's comming from somthing further back. There's no oil to speak off from the higher up except a very slight weep from the back left corner of the head gasket that the greybeards at work suggest is almost a given.

But it looks like I need to pull the rad to see what's happening, so I'll get a bottom end set ready. Any recommendations on where to get a set of bolts n set screws?

Gaham

[glang]

Well it could be from the front plate gasket. Its a large flat sheet of steel with quite a few fixing bolts and is fitted between the timing cover and block. Unusual to leak there unless its screws are loose and I dont see any need to replace them with new ones, at most you could replace the spring washers as these lose tension over time and dont hold the bolts tight.

Of course if its been leaking for some time the gasket could be damaged and no amount of tightening will stop it but as its a fair job to change you need to be pretty sure its the culprit...

[Pete Lewis]

Do keep a record of what screws go where the sump and others into the alloy block are shorter, if long get used then they bottom out and you strip the alloy sealing block that bridges the front main brg.

There is a mixture of long shorter and  cheese head set screws  each has a place

If the alloy block is stripped you may resolve with a retap to M8 or even M10  , being more like unc ,  

It suits alloy better than unf.

 

 

[Howard]

Quoted from A TR7 16V-

I've got a bit of an oil leak - about 1pt/100miles -, and it seems to be slowly gettin worse from the state of the driveway. As there's a hosepipe ban comming I need to do something quickish.

But is there enything else I should consider or look at first?

Graham

 

Cat litter is a good way to absorb the puddle :)