Oil...again....any ideas?

[andyc]

Got a bit of a leak and can’t figure out where it is coming from. Same leak happened at Tut Towers track day and found oil on engine under tray. Have been hearing a slight whine noise when backing off the accelerator at speed and this prompted me to remove the tray and check the gearbox oil (oil check is tonights job). I can’t see where the oil has came from at all. Driveshafts and gaiters all seem fine and dry. Car drives fine and gear changes seem normal….apart from the whine noise….which may have always been there but couldn’t hear it over the stereo! If you have any ideas from the pics then please let me know but it is quite hard to see anything really. Maybe someone knows of a seal above the area shown in the pics that is prone to leaking or something. Pics all look the same but thought I’d just post them all up incase one of the pics shows something that the others didn’t show.
Thanks in advance.

Ali/Alan…might need that spanner sesh soon or I may have to see if I can take the Cupra on track on 19th instead!

[Shug]

Tough to make out, but my money would be on a weeping driveshaft seal.

[andyc]

That's what Ali Crozier and Alan Gourlay (my local gurus!) reckoned too. Time to call the garage then.....time is running out before the 19th.........why do I always have something happen to my car around trackdays?!? Grrrr.....

[robin]

If it was gearbox oil it would smell very different to your engine oil.

If it's gearbox oil then it could also be an overflowing breather, though if the car is more than a few years old already I doubt it. Some S2's were a bit overfilled and when run in hot ambient (or on track - same difference) would spray some gearbox oil out of the breather.

After that it really is most likely to be a driveshaft seal, though it could also be the seal on the gear selector (never seen this leak, it's not under pressure and is only splash lubricated I think, but it is the gear selector linkage that's covered in oil, hence I mention it).

If it were engine oil then the rear camshaft seals are one option (you would see the evidence of this by looking at the exposed section of block above the gearbox; it's more obvious on a K16 than a VVC).

Rear crank seal is the killer (labour wise) as you need to split the gearbox and engine (by removing the gearbox, probably). Rear crank seal would probably lead to a sort of spray pattern coming off the engine side of the flywheel.

Cheers,
Robin

[andyc]

Update: had it at the garage after work. Looks like the oil is coming from where the speedo drive enters the gearbox. Car getting booked in next week for a service so will get the gearbox oil changed at the same time and further investigation done on leak. Driveshafts look nice and dry so the seals there should be ok.
In pic 1 you can see the White bolt head type part in middle of pic. Speedo drive is a little further back from this and out of view.

[andyc]

The o-ring shown may be the problem. Will update once car fixed to let you guys know.

[Shug]

Jings - that's a new one on me. Elise doesn't even use it (not that that matters to the seal, as it's still there.)

[Rich H]

Read about that before... shoudl be an easy fix...!

[Gourlay83]

Too easy Andy, you own a Lotus. No chance its a 50p seal

As per Robin's post. The Gearbox oil smells like cat Piss and oranges, where as engine oil is odourless.

Alan

[tut]

Not even going to ask how Alan knows that.

tut