Hi,

I've put a large PVC banner underneath my car because I know it leaks some oil here and there.
The oil leak is right where the engine and the transmission meet. I can not lift the car, I can only lay beside the car and see...
Anyone has an idea what could be the cause of the leak?

How can I determine if it is transmission oil or engine oil? How can I check the level of the transmission oil?
Greetz,

Frederik

 

Ok, i've figured out how to check the transmission fluid level. It's on the driver side. I took the gauge out and it sows there's a redish fluid in there. One side of the gauge says hot, the other side cold.

The engine is cold and when messuring the level it seems like it is filled even over tp level of the hot side??????

The oil under the car is thus engine oil leak...

 

Oil leak ideas just for starters:
Cam cover rear half moon seals,
Cam cover gaskets,
Join between tappet block and head,
Cam oil feed pipe banjo unions,
oil pressure senders,
Sump/block gasket
Sandwich plate gasket

No danger of boredom!

Greg

 

To check the transmission fluid level you need to do it with the engine running and it is best if it is up to normal temperature.
Additionally make sure that you cycle through all of the gears (including reverse) before checking.
If the fluid is reddish that's a good sign!

 

Hey Steve,

Yes it is a real clean reddish fluid, looks a bit like grenadine

 

I thought that Grenadine was green?

 

Before you start raisning the car and imagining where the leak is from, let's start at the most leakable place that makes the most mess in that area. Open bonnet and use a flashlight and look behind the engine down from the firewall. On top between the cams is the oil pressure sending unit and oil lines to the back of the cams. Check and see if the sending unit is leaking ( a spot that does a lot of rear seal mistakes ).
Not real costly, hard to get a wrench on, you will need some offset 3/8" drive in about a 9/16". If not leaking there or the rear of cams, look farther down and see if cam housing is leaking between them and head.
Transmission fluid is red, oil is black.
If no apparent leaks above then go below and check o-rings around the oil filter housing and take off inspection panel under bell housing and look for a mess of oil ( if there it would be rear seal).
The trans seal is not a real hard job. Trans can be removed in an hour. Seal replaced and trans re-installed in 2 hrs. I did the job on ramps in less than 4 hrs.

 

 

Hi Steve, here in Belgium grenadine is a red sirup we add water to and then you have limonade

Greetz frederik

 

I think that I was thinking of this one. (Apologies for hijacking the post!)

 

I prefer Ricard though to add water to tastes better than limonade

 

80% of the time if the is motor oil leaking where motor and transmission meet it's the oil sending unit on top of the motor at the rear just above where these two meet.

 

Hi Greg,

I've been thinking about the possible oil leaks you sugested. The car is leaking oil while standing still so can it be pressure senders or cam cover gaskets? They sit on higher side of engine and when the car stands still, oil sinks to the bottom no?

 

The problem is that once oil starts leaking, it continues to drip down the engine for weeks afterwards.

For example, the outer side of the tappet block / head join is "downhill" so there is a little valley full of oil all the time that can slowly leak down the outside of the engine.

When I had my engine out I redid as many oil gaskets as I could (sump, sandwich plate, cam covers, half moon seals, timing chain access hole) and just about stopped the leaks. But I stupidly did not change the oil pressure senders and one of these failed and shoved oil out in a huge quantity during a 5 hour journey! A few CCs per minute for 5 hours = 5 litres of synthetic blown out, whole of underside of car covered in oil, dripping off everything. New senders in place, but my lovely clean engine covered in the finest synthetic, and now that is covered in dust etc, so the thing does not look too wonderful in the V any more!

c'est la vie....

Greg

 

Yes indeed, that doesn't make you happy, I understand...

I wish I was able to lift the car inside my garage an lay under it so I could inspect properly... My car is not Taxed or MOT so I can not drive it around to a garage...

Best regards,

Frederik

 

I'm a new owner of an XJS and haven't started looking in earnest for my oil leak. As I layed underneath the car, and thought about other posts on leaks, I could not help but think how appropriate it was that kitty litter is used to soak up oil on garage floors.

 

I have 2 gaskets part number NBC-2525AA that do not fit my 1996 XJS. They are about 1/2 inch too long and about 3/32 inch too wide. Can someone give me assistance as to what part number to buy that fits?

 

That is the correct part number.

Does it have the two half moons attached to it (not separated)? If it does, you have the right part.

It's not meant to stretch into place. There are tabs built into the gasket that fit into gaps along the engine's camcover. It'll all fit nicely once they all line up.

Seemingly a bit loose, but nice.

I hope you bought the six rings for the plug holes...you'll want to make sure those get replaced as well.