Just wanted to see if anyone has a second opinion on where I could be getting an oil leak.
Lots of possibilities, since I just had much of the engine stripped down, but I think that it's the turbo drain.
Why "think"? Because I can't actually see the source of oil.
I installed an oil filter relocation kit. I also changed out the turbo, so this means that the oil feed and return lines were also done. When the car is started, and the oil pressure comes up (Which it does, nicely. Seems better than before the relocation kit, but is at least the same.) there is a steady drip from the bottom of the exhaust side motor mount. (There is also a slow drip from the drain plug, even though I installed a brand new copper gasket on the drain plug. Frustrating as Hell! I guess I'll have to drain oil, and use a neoprene gasket or something.)
I can't actually see the turbo return from anywhere with things assembled. I can see the oil feed, and the relocation fitting. The NPT fittings appear to be dry, and the AN fitting for the turbo oil feed also appears dry. It's also fairly distant from the motor mount, and I can't see a way that it could get oil there without getting it a lot of other places as well.
I suppose that a flaw in the O ring for the spin-on adapter for the relocation kit could squirt oil at the motor mount. Does anyone think that this is possible without there also being oil dripping further forward? (Seems unlikely to me, but I want to cover my bases.)
This leaves the turbo drain. It has a fresh paper gasket, and as far as I know that fitting shouldn't be under pressure, since the oil drain is straight to the pan, and a much larger line than the feed is.
My thinking is that I must have gotten the paper gasket folded under the oil drain, allowing oil to flow fairly freely out onto the motor mount. It will obviously have to be replaced. Does this sound like a reasonable hypothesis? Is there anywhere else that I might have caused a leak which would come from the motor mount area?
For a remedy:
1. I need to confirm the source of the leak. I plan to go buy a mirror on a stick, so that I can observe the fitting while the engine runs. (I'm going to drain the oil, and I'm getting good pressure, so I don't see the harm in idling the engine like this.)
2. Assuming that I'm right, I'd like to be able to get to that fitting from underneath. Is it possible (or reasonable) to remove the motor mount (1990, round style) from underneath without having the tear apart everything? I was thinking that I could suspend the motor on the exhaust side, unbolt the manifold brace, unbolt the mount from the subframe, then the 4 bolts holding it to the block. If the mount can be removed in this manner, I believe that this would get me clear access to the oil drain, and I should be able to repair the leak. With the larger turbo, it's difficult to get to the nuts for that drain from above. I suppose that it's possible (though I think unlikely) that I just didn't get them tight enough.
So... Am I off my nut?
Lots of possibilities, since I just had much of the engine stripped down, but I think that it's the turbo drain.
Why "think"? Because I can't actually see the source of oil.
I installed an oil filter relocation kit. I also changed out the turbo, so this means that the oil feed and return lines were also done. When the car is started, and the oil pressure comes up (Which it does, nicely. Seems better than before the relocation kit, but is at least the same.) there is a steady drip from the bottom of the exhaust side motor mount. (There is also a slow drip from the drain plug, even though I installed a brand new copper gasket on the drain plug. Frustrating as Hell! I guess I'll have to drain oil, and use a neoprene gasket or something.)
I can't actually see the turbo return from anywhere with things assembled. I can see the oil feed, and the relocation fitting. The NPT fittings appear to be dry, and the AN fitting for the turbo oil feed also appears dry. It's also fairly distant from the motor mount, and I can't see a way that it could get oil there without getting it a lot of other places as well.
I suppose that a flaw in the O ring for the spin-on adapter for the relocation kit could squirt oil at the motor mount. Does anyone think that this is possible without there also being oil dripping further forward? (Seems unlikely to me, but I want to cover my bases.)
This leaves the turbo drain. It has a fresh paper gasket, and as far as I know that fitting shouldn't be under pressure, since the oil drain is straight to the pan, and a much larger line than the feed is.
My thinking is that I must have gotten the paper gasket folded under the oil drain, allowing oil to flow fairly freely out onto the motor mount. It will obviously have to be replaced. Does this sound like a reasonable hypothesis? Is there anywhere else that I might have caused a leak which would come from the motor mount area?
For a remedy:
1. I need to confirm the source of the leak. I plan to go buy a mirror on a stick, so that I can observe the fitting while the engine runs. (I'm going to drain the oil, and I'm getting good pressure, so I don't see the harm in idling the engine like this.)
2. Assuming that I'm right, I'd like to be able to get to that fitting from underneath. Is it possible (or reasonable) to remove the motor mount (1990, round style) from underneath without having the tear apart everything? I was thinking that I could suspend the motor on the exhaust side, unbolt the manifold brace, unbolt the mount from the subframe, then the 4 bolts holding it to the block. If the mount can be removed in this manner, I believe that this would get me clear access to the oil drain, and I should be able to repair the leak. With the larger turbo, it's difficult to get to the nuts for that drain from above. I suppose that it's possible (though I think unlikely) that I just didn't get them tight enough.
So... Am I off my nut?
I felt like an addict getting a hit.