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Model specific boards => Golf mk3 => Topic started by: Ninj on 19 February 2012, 19:00
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Hi all,
Clutch started to slip the other day and [I think it was] the crankshaft oil seal which was causing a big leak into the flywheel. So clutch changed as it was knackered anyway together with the seal.
All seemed well but noticed a drip on the bottom of the flywheel cover this morning. Drip got much worse on the motorway and it's all over the place now.
Could almost be the sump gasket but it seems to be higher up, front nearside, dripping down back nearside of sump and round the front into the bellhousing between flywheel and case.
Could this still be the crank oil seal or something else? Where does that leak tend to show itself ? Unfortunately I didn't see where the original leak was coming from.
Also, in photo 3, should that green collar not be flush at the gearbox end of the driveshaft, doesn't look like it's sitting right and cant say I've noticed it before!
Thanks in advance
Photo 1 - what is the right angle looking sensor at top arrow? Crank angle sensor? A bit of oil around it but hard to tell if that's the culprit. Oil seems to be tracking round by bottomw arrow and pooling in bellhousing.
(http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b343/Ninj43/IMG_0629.jpg)
(http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b343/Ninj43/IMG_0634.jpg)
(http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b343/Ninj43/IMG_0631.jpg)
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anyone?
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If you have ensured its not comming from above the gearbox area (that you can see from above) Its either the sump or crank seal, seals can be a pain sometimes if they arnt put in exactly straight, can you get a torch up there and try to see if the oil is comming from above the sump gasket? would rule out the seal again. Sump gasket if not, its deffo engine oil not gearbox??
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Hi mate, thanks for the reply.
Yes definately engine oil not gearbox. There is oil higher up than the sump gasket Im pretty convinced but not sure how far up it would get blown when driving :undecided:
If it as the crank seal, where would it be showing up mostly? Theres every chance they havent put it in properly, not a VAG tradesperson who did it :sick:
Id like to rule that out I think otherwise Ill just get on with changing it. I assume, gearbox off and sump too for access?
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i remember speaking to a guy he had an 8v gti that would ruin the crank seal every couple months,he done this 3 times before he broke the car up , :sad:
not somthing you want to here,but i cant see wot there is to go wrong without haveing other problems,
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Was it blowing it out or something?
The car has always had a leak which you'd smell when you stopped after a longish drive. I put the blower on recirc and got over it though, it's a 140k motor :)
Only after the clutch started to slip with associated (or possibly coincidental...) oil loss was the seal replaced.
It seems to have got worse and then been barely any better after the seal was replaced so I have my doubts that it was done right, it literally could have only done 10 miles around town before the motorway journey when it started honking out.
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Sorry meant to say, yeh from above its not without staining but nothing that would equal a major leak. This is a drip every 20 secs type rate and theres not a run or anything from the head
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he used to top his up with oil till the clutch went,replaced seal and clutch this was the first time then he noticed oil leaking again replaced the seal ,still leaked after a while so left it till the clutch went and broke her,somthing like that ,i remember saying that sounds like 2 much ball ache when a new engine is about £70 ,
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Yeh, this is the way I'm thinking; although if all this engine needs is a seal, then better the [high mileage] devil you know, but if it's going to be a proper PITA and I had an engine hoist, I'd be tempted.....
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were abouts r u?theres a guy in croydon selling a agg engine for 50 on ebay,iv bought a few bits of the car it came out of and seems to be looked after\,plus hes a fellow dubber as he drives a vr6 ,
plus just had a cambelt put on her,
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http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/150752314703?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649
never sold been advertised a few times
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There seems to be a real "if theres a problem with the engine, replace it" flavour arround here at the moment, Yea they are cheap, but is it any better? As a mechanic my self it hurts me to think people would put in another engine for the sake of a seal :grin:
I think this is a case of diagnose and repair, if a seal keeps blowing, there is an underlying problem that needs fixing, not always a simple task but we're not taking multiplexing faults here, were talking an oil leak from a seal.
Initially it needs cleaning up thorougly and have it running up in the air where you can see under try to ID the leak.
If you can't confirm the leak or you can confirm its the seal, its box off again, seal out and identify what has failed and why, most likely some one has hit it back in with a mallet or something and damaged it, they can be tight but also very delicate. While in there, carefully check the face of the crank end for marks that could be cutting into it, sometimes people use picks to pull them out and scratch it up. They also allow the metal bands to slip off which keeps the rubber lip pushed against the crank. If its all good, replace with a genuine item, i say genuine at this point as most are fine but we dont want to risk it for the sake of a few more £.
While the box is off, do the sump gasket and investigate further into posibility of any other leaks, if you couldnt find one anywhere else before its most likely the crank, while the box is out, its the best time to find a leak so even if it turns out it was something else, the box was comming out anyways, so no labour lost at this point. If all looks good, replace and try again, you then know new genuine seal correctly fitted with no other reasons for failure, new sump gasket and no signs of other leaks. Problem solved.
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Couldn't agree more, I was saying I was considering a transplant as this has got high miles on it now, but I also said better the devil you know! Your'e spot on, you could easily be buying into different issues by replacing an engine.
I've run the car on ramps a few times now (as you'll see from the pics) and just cannot see where it's coming from. I'll give it another jetwash this afternoon and have a final check other than that I think I might have to change the crank seal on spec. I have my suspicions about so it's the obvious place to start.
Where does it normally show up? I'll concentrate around there but if it's bone dry, rather pointless to pull it all apart again.
Yep, genuine parts whatever happens -cheers
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Well, further investigation reveals there is a lot of oil pooling directly under the crank position sensor (that is the component in the photo?)
(http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b343/Ninj43/IMG_0646.jpg)
The back of the oil filter and front engine mount are wet too; with the engine running and oil temp over 100 degrees ish, there is a regular "spit" of air/oil from here, on the sump side where the bottom engine mount bolts through....
(http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b343/Ninj43/IMG_0642.jpg)
Rather more disturbingly is the actual oil level, it's way over the top level - christ knows why they filled it so high (although I suspect they've noted the leak and compensated!), but the car was hot the other day when I checked so let it go..... :embarassed: Bet the cat isn't happy :undecided:
Could this still be the crank seal? Am I right in thinking if it was knackered, and cos theres no actual seal between engine and bellhousing, oil would show up all around where the gearbox bolts to the engine? There is oil on the starter motor side of that joint too.
thinking about it, the bloke who "fixed" it referred to the crank gasket, I wonder if all they did was replace the gasket on the oil seal housing - guess I wont know until I get into it :angry:
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the only reason i would say swop the engine over as its got 140k onit ,hes having to pull the gearbox off her so hes half way there \,u can get a pretty much repliable engine for less that £50, y not .
i would not \,but then i would not be posting pictures asking were my oil leaks coming from,
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the only reason i would say swop the engine over as its got 140k onit ,hes having to pull the gearbox off her so hes half way there \,u can get a pretty much repliable engine for less that £50, y not .
i would not \,but then i would not be posting pictures asking were my oil leaks coming from,
Problem is that engine may be leaking also, especially for under £50. I think £100 - £200 is the price of a well cared for, reasonably low mileage, serviced engine. Problem with buying engines on their own though is that you don't get to hear them running, so it's best to buy from a donor car, were you can also check vehicle history (check for clocking/engine swaps in the past).
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i would not \,but then i would not be posting pictures asking were my oil leaks coming from,
eh?