Identified Oil Leak. Need advice on how to Fix!

Post by **davesm** » 11 Sep 2006, 08:56

Hi,

We have cleaned up the engine to locate our oil leak and we have two on our Westy 1.6 TD LHD(1990).

1) Oil is leaking out of the dipstick area and is running down the side of the engine onto the sump and dripping onto the floor.

2) One of the bolts on the sump (side nearest exhaust) is leaking slightly.

This is our first camper and would appreciate it if someone could explain how to fix these or whether it is a job best left to a professional as we are no mechanics? We can't get hold of a Haynes manaul for our van so have ordered the JK version. Are these leaks something that need to be sorted ASAP or can be left a while as we are now brassic?!!

Thanks

Dave

Post by **R0B** » 11 Sep 2006, 13:24

the leak on the dipstick is prob just a seal that needs replacing...
as for the other i take it you have tried to tighten it...either way just keep an eye on your oil level.its not that serious...

Post by **Mocki** » 11 Sep 2006, 13:36

Like Rob says, dipstick will be the seal, and the sump bolt more than likely cured with a paper gasket or a finger of sealant...

you are not in any danger, a wee dribble here and there isnt worth getting the bank manager involved, i have known some with leaks big enough to worry about needing to put more than a pint in evey 50 miles, running like that for months and months........... its 16 years old, its not unusual to have the odd leak on a van that age....

keep an eye on it, bet you hardly need to top up between oil changes,,,,

Post by **davesm** » 11 Sep 2006, 14:39

thanks for putting our mind at ease. You mention using a bit of sealant as a possible cure to stop the oil leak from the bolt on the sump. Which type of sealant do I need?

Thanks again.

Post by **Mocki** » 11 Sep 2006, 15:28

well i didnt answer before because you didnt say where the leak was from, once you gave us a clue i knew you would get answers.........

i'd thy gasket goo type sealant, after ive tried checking it is tight, and that the threads are all good - do NOT over tighten it tho......

is it the one "on the end"?
maybe a copper washer would do the job?

Post by **davesm** » 11 Sep 2006, 19:11

Looking at it, I think it is leaking from the drain plug.

Post by **max biaggi** » 12 Sep 2006, 07:15

I take it you fitted a new copper / crush washer when you last drained the oil?

Apologies, if that's stating the obvious by the way.

Post by **davesm** » 12 Sep 2006, 08:37

We haven't changed the oil yet - we have only owned the van 10 days (it is our first camper). All we have done is cleaned up the engine to identify where the leaks are coming from.

I have the JK manual now so will have a bash at changing the oil soon when I build up my confidence!

One thing I am not sure how to do is changing the seal on the dipstick. I can find no mention on how to do this on the forums or in the manual. Can anyone provide any guidance?

Thanks

Post by **R0B** » 13 Sep 2006, 00:27

get the engine nice and hot before doing your oil change.hotter=thinner=better for draining...and my td hasnt got a copper crush washer.so i doubt very much yours will..and if you E D I T your profile to say where you are.a member close to you might be willing to help you out.

will have a bash at changing the oil soon

Post by **davesm** » 13 Sep 2006, 12:54

Hi there, thanks for the tip and I will go and update my profile. If anyone is ever passing through sunny Aberystwyth we are right by the sea!

Post by **davesm** » 17 Sep 2006, 19:59

I'm trying to find out where I can order the seal for the dipstick as highlighted in the diagram below but I am not having much success. We are new to the scene so I am not sure of what suppliers are out there. I have tried JK without being able to find the part. I am also trying to get hold of a sump drain plug seal.

Can anyone point us in the right direction? We own a T25 1990 1.6 TD JX.

Thanks

Post by **HarryMann** » 17 Sep 2006, 20:43

Looking at it, I think it is leaking from the drain plug.

Blast we were in Aber week before last (and noticed a lot of T25s int hat area) - beautiful, isn't it, though a bit of water in some of the big reservoirs might be handy, one was as good as empty up behind Llanidloes.

Anyway, I've had both these problems. In fact all three if its the drian plug and not one of the sump bolts.

Dipstick 'O'ring:The dipstick tube is forced into the hole in the block by the releatively long lever arm from the setscrew that supports it from the cambelt backplate, or thereabouts.

Take this off and remove the dipstick tube. Its likely muck will be in the area where it goes into the block, so be careful and draw it straight out.
Vacuum the area, to clean it thoroughly so better to see what is what down there. You may find wither a broken/split O ring, or a mess of sealant that prevowner has used to try to seal it. Clean it all up (think about doing thjis before changing the oil, for obvious reasons.
Inspect; think, look closer and think why it was leaking.
It maybe not just because of O ring, maybe the tube has been deformed so that it isn't really pushing well in ot the hole. Do a trial install without the O ring - is there enough compression on the tube to hold it firmly inot hole? If not, either deform it carefully so it enters at the correct angle, or deform or washer out the bracket so that it pushes it rearwards slightly more, it should be lightly sprung intot ehe hole.

If you cannot find yourself able to order the correct O ring form VW (N 900 322 03, about 80p) then just buy a normal O ring from a Motofax shop that is as clsoe to 7.3mm dia. x 2.4mm thickness (about .1"). It should push onto that portion of the tube withot being loose.
With it all clean (index finger, rag, twisty twisty, till rag come away clean) then go for an install, so the lip on tube is holding O ring firmly into the counterbore of the hole. If it all seems too sloppy, or is seriously misaligned, review instructions above, re-adjust shape of tube (very cautiously and minimally) or just apply a good sealant (RTV should do), refit and don't disturb for a couple of hours - and keep your fingers crossed. Mine was mess and it now seals OK, very slight leak possibly, but then its been messed with by PO as wella s me.

Oil drain plug leak:
There could be a much bigger problem here. That is, the threaded steel bos/insert that is a plain bush/interference fit into ehe ally sump, might be loose! If when you try to undo it, then bush truns (weatch carefully the thin edge of this as you start to undo nut (14mm spanner) - if the whole thing turns then Oh, Ohhh! get back to us..

If the drain plug comes then indeed, fit a new copper washer, and inspect edges of that bush fro scratches, kncoks/damage. Do not overtighten.

Sump bolts: You need to say which area of sump this might be, lets hope none are stripped (the block, not the screws). Torque is something like 7 ft-lbs, you may need a good 1/4" socket set (Halfords do a nice) with the special SPZ1 bits, and an extra extension to get to some.
If one is stripped, then VW or a T25 beraker leek Syncrospares should be able to send you a couple - obviously re-insert carefully with some gasket sealant.

Do the oil change after the dipstick tube and sump bolt check/fix, but before anything see if you can genuinely loosen the oil drain plug.

Good luck
let us knwo what you find

Post by **davesm** » 18 Sep 2006, 08:29

Hi thanks for the help. Aber is indeed beatuiful in the sunshine. I live out towards Borth and Ynyslas so we are only two mins away from the beach! Wherabouts in Aber were you?

I will take some pic's of the leaking bolt and work out how to post them up on the forum so I can be sure that I am talking about the drian plug or rather a sump bolt.

Post by **HarryMann** » 18 Sep 2006, 09:00

Went to Borth, a quite unexpected sea front arrangement, demands strict 20mph along behind those houses I should think, and then onto the dunes opposite Aberdovey, and that Friday and Saturday night the tides were the highest for 20 years. Was told 4-wheel drivers occasionally drive too far out and get bogged, and that estaury has quicksands.
Very beautiful indeed, and quite a wildlife sanctuary, so we then drop up the valley alongisdee the railway and North of Macynlleth? and Corris (CAT) on the edge of Snowdonia. Aren't these superb roads, whetehr A, B or the real backlanes... CAT needs cleaning up, all good stuff but quite run down and 'scuzzy' there now, yet they're building a multimillion £ new research centre .

We stayed in a family members flat just below the hospital, walked into town a lot, I thought it was full of interesting shops and cafes with prices much better than around here of course, whether its nuts and bolts or a cappucino and cake... And went up to Devil's bridge on that narrow gauge railway, chuff chuff, puff puff, 1' 11 3/4" gauge and the engine is nearly 8ft wide!... but mainly drove several hundred miles on back-lanes, right down and around the big Res that supplies Swansea, south of Strata Florida; that one was well down, but it is that time of year I suppose.

You'll have to try getting that drain plug out sometime, use a long ring spanner and ease it loose after wiping all a round it. Just look for that very thin shoulder under the plug's head, if its like mine, and see if the plug loosens or the whole thing turns in the sump.

The drain plug faces rear on a 2WD sump, at the lowest point, whilst the sump bolts and all face up into the block and have much smaller cap heads needing a Torx style bit (TZ1 I think)

Post by **davesm** » 18 Sep 2006, 09:41

you were about two mins away from me! I live in Dol-y-Bont a tiny village off the main Borth, Bow st rd. You have to be careful with those sands at Ynyslas as motors do indeed get stuck and there is quicksand about - tide is pretty fearsome at times to.

A good place is to go through Aberdovey up towards Towyn and hang a right towards Tal-y-Llyn railway (not sure if I spelt it correctly). Lovely scenery and walks round there. Follow that road along the valley floor and it brings you at the foot of Cadar Idris, turn right and you are in Corris. It is one of my favourite cycle routes.

There's superb walking around Rhayader (3/4 hr south of Aber) and the Elan Valley with big old Victorian dams that supply Birmingham I think.

From your description I think it is the drain plug.