oil l leaks ,what is normal on a 97 cooper
Discussion
normal places really diff outputs, gear selecter, timing chain, the copper washer on the sump plug if its near been changed.
I have seen the odd one where the rocker cover gasket has not been fitted properly and leaks down the back of the engine. you did not say how long you had the car i have only seen this on cars i have bought or fixed for other people
I have seen the odd one where the rocker cover gasket has not been fitted properly and leaks down the back of the engine. you did not say how long you had the car i have only seen this on cars i have bought or fixed for other people
To be honest, there really shouldn't be any of note.
If you have any leaks which are noticeable, you should correct the problem. The main one on the later cars seems to be always from the gea linkage seal, and that's easy to change. A very, very slight 'weep' from the driveshaft output seals is common, but it should not result in big drips showing on the drive shaft inner joints. The bottom of the timing cover may show some slight oil traces and this is either the timing cover oil seal or the timing cover gasket. If it's the gasket it's usually the result of over-tightening of the cover bolts which have split the gasket. This is easy to sort out and if you do need to do this it's wise to change the timing chain whilst the cover is off the car.
Should you have a leak from the bottom of the transfer gear/clutch housing it's the 'red' seal at the end of the flywheel which is leaking. This is quite a big job to change as the flywheel/clutch assembly have to come off. However, if this is the case, to leave it will cause clutch slip and clutch failure quite quickly and it really must be changed sooner rather than later.
If it's a leak from the rocker cover gasket, just change the gasket. The best way to do this is to 'glue' the gasket to the cover, after thoroughly de-greasing the cover, with RTV sealant, then when it's dry after an hour or so, re-fit the cover to the engine. Of course, it's a good idea to re-set the tappets when doing this.
I hope this helps.
If you have any leaks which are noticeable, you should correct the problem. The main one on the later cars seems to be always from the gea linkage seal, and that's easy to change. A very, very slight 'weep' from the driveshaft output seals is common, but it should not result in big drips showing on the drive shaft inner joints. The bottom of the timing cover may show some slight oil traces and this is either the timing cover oil seal or the timing cover gasket. If it's the gasket it's usually the result of over-tightening of the cover bolts which have split the gasket. This is easy to sort out and if you do need to do this it's wise to change the timing chain whilst the cover is off the car.
Should you have a leak from the bottom of the transfer gear/clutch housing it's the 'red' seal at the end of the flywheel which is leaking. This is quite a big job to change as the flywheel/clutch assembly have to come off. However, if this is the case, to leave it will cause clutch slip and clutch failure quite quickly and it really must be changed sooner rather than later.
If it's a leak from the rocker cover gasket, just change the gasket. The best way to do this is to 'glue' the gasket to the cover, after thoroughly de-greasing the cover, with RTV sealant, then when it's dry after an hour or so, re-fit the cover to the engine. Of course, it's a good idea to re-set the tappets when doing this.
I hope this helps.
One other source of oil leak I have encountered is where the engine and box have been separated and the front main oil seal has not been properly seated and has rotated slightly when the engine was dropped back onto the box.
I usually fit this seal onto the engine and use RTV to hold it in place until I drop the engine back onto the box. If you allow a few hours for it to set slightly, it's usually not a problem. A bit of light grease on the gearbox mating surface helps and make sure the engine is absolutely vertical above the box and in-line before slowly lowering it to mate. Ideally make it a 2-person job. Even my wife has helped with this in the past, and that's really something!
I usually fit this seal onto the engine and use RTV to hold it in place until I drop the engine back onto the box. If you allow a few hours for it to set slightly, it's usually not a problem. A bit of light grease on the gearbox mating surface helps and make sure the engine is absolutely vertical above the box and in-line before slowly lowering it to mate. Ideally make it a 2-person job. Even my wife has helped with this in the past, and that's really something!
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