Oil leak. Advice needed please

[poorpeet]

When the car was up on the lift for it's MOT my heart sank as it looked like it was leaking oil every where.
Now I have it up on axle stands & have had a proper look it seems to be a small leak from where the oil pressure sensor screws into the top of the oil filter housing. The oil is then blown back all over the underside & makes it look like a major gusher.
What I'd like to know is can I unscrew the sensor in order to put ptfe on the thread without draining the oil? (It seems fairly high up in relation to the sump) Or am I likely to have a couple of litres of 10/40 pour out & then have to prime the oil pump etc, etc.

[ian8542]

The problem is likely to be the switch itself if this is the location of the oil leak.
Renew the switch and it will cure it.

[pies]

ian8542 said:

The problem is likely to be the switch itself if this is the location of the oil leak. Renew the switch and it will cure it.

Ditto, had the same on mine but not as bad. The garage took the sensor out without draining the oil, but the car was jacked up on that side

[chimtvr]

car doesnt need to be jacked up you without the engine running virtually nothing will come out just have the new one ready dont use ptfe tape its a tapered thread so it will self seal dont overtighten as you can crack the houseing
Good luck

[PeterC]

You need a small ball of blue-tac or plasticine or similar. Simply remove the oil pressure sender and plug blue-tac over the hole. The blue-tac will depress into the hole by a couple of threads and this is enough to hold it in place, but is easily removed without leaving bits behind.

You need to plug the hole as in my experience the oil will continue to trickle out and you risk emptying the oil pump which may lead to damaging low oil pressure when you next restart the engine.

[pzero64]

I hope I am talking about the right thing, but mine had a silly little brass connector on the oil pressure sensor break. It only cost £3.00 from a TVR dealer. PTFE tape used when re-fitted.

[spend]

Some of the early cars have a brass adapter bush between the sender and housing, this commonly shears - and is a possible source of your leak. Be careful removing as getting a sheared off piece out of the housing is not easy.

Dave

[poorpeet]

Mine has what I took to be a brass locking nut on the threaded shaft. Is this a visible part of the adapter?

[spend]

Exactly, IIRC @15mm long, when mine broke managed to get out combining tapping with punch and aralditing pieces together..... Then factory replacements (quoted as bad batch but no others in stock) had wrong thread pitch!

Dave