KarmannMarco
Adventurer
Hi guys. The truck in questions is my 1996 2nd Gen SR.
It's a bit of a read but I would appreciate some feedback.
Yesterday I noticed my oil pressure was lower then usual and I could hear the lifters ticking so I though to myself its burned a bit more oil the usual and its low ( my truck does burn and I usually need to add a quart every 3-4 weeks )
So I decide this is a good time for an oil change and fill up. Upon examination I noticed the whole underneath of my truck is coated in oil. So I drain the oil and only about 2 quarts come out. Oh oh.
I cleaned the whole underneath , put a new filter on there and filled up with 5 quarts.
Check underneath and all seems dry.
As soon as I start the truck , within 10 seconds it starts drippin constantly. About a drip every second , non stop.
So I shut it off , I clean it up again and try to determine where the leak is coming from.
Again I start the truck and this time I crawl underneath to spot where the dripping is coming from armed with a flashlight.
After a few seconds I can see drips coming down from the edge of the oil pan. Particularly on the front / passenger side of the pan.
Even with a flashlight it's hard to tell if its coming from the edge of the pan or dripping onto it from above.
Here's what I know. 2 years ago / 20K miles ago I changed the timing belt , water pump , main seal (cam seals were dry so I left them ) and crankk pully bolt like everyone should do when they buy a Montero with fresh OEM dealership parts. I've never had any oil leaks that I've noticed in the past two years. The only thing the truck does is burn oil but I've always kept a close look at my oil level.
Also , my other 1997 2nd gen leaked from the cam seals and it coated the alternator with oil which I had to replace because of this. The alternator on this truck is dry and clean and anyways I don't see any oil dripping from the front or the timing belt cover area.
So I'm 95% sure it's not coming from the front of the engine.
I've has many cars in my life with leaky valve cover gaskets and I've never seen or heard of a constant heavy leak coming from the valve cover gaskets. It's usually just grimy and oily around the valve covers so I'm 95% sure its not coming from there.
Rear main seal Is a small possibility but I can't see any dripping coming from the rear of the engine.
So I'm pretty sure It's coming from the oil pan since it's sees constant amounts of oil and the leaks seems to come from there.
Unless I'm not thinking of something.
Would you guys tend to agree with me based on the above info it's leaving from the oil pan ? I've never seen such a big leak from any oil pan but it's the most logical place it's leaking from. Have any of you guys replaced this seal ? How many hours should I expect to set aside ? Any info or suggestions are helpful. This is currently my only vehicle besides my Karmann Ghia which is not a very practical family car and would like to address this quickly and correctly on the first shot.
Thanks in advance guys.
Marco
It's a bit of a read but I would appreciate some feedback.
Yesterday I noticed my oil pressure was lower then usual and I could hear the lifters ticking so I though to myself its burned a bit more oil the usual and its low ( my truck does burn and I usually need to add a quart every 3-4 weeks )
So I decide this is a good time for an oil change and fill up. Upon examination I noticed the whole underneath of my truck is coated in oil. So I drain the oil and only about 2 quarts come out. Oh oh.
I cleaned the whole underneath , put a new filter on there and filled up with 5 quarts.
Check underneath and all seems dry.
As soon as I start the truck , within 10 seconds it starts drippin constantly. About a drip every second , non stop.
So I shut it off , I clean it up again and try to determine where the leak is coming from.
Again I start the truck and this time I crawl underneath to spot where the dripping is coming from armed with a flashlight.
After a few seconds I can see drips coming down from the edge of the oil pan. Particularly on the front / passenger side of the pan.
Even with a flashlight it's hard to tell if its coming from the edge of the pan or dripping onto it from above.
Here's what I know. 2 years ago / 20K miles ago I changed the timing belt , water pump , main seal (cam seals were dry so I left them ) and crankk pully bolt like everyone should do when they buy a Montero with fresh OEM dealership parts. I've never had any oil leaks that I've noticed in the past two years. The only thing the truck does is burn oil but I've always kept a close look at my oil level.
Also , my other 1997 2nd gen leaked from the cam seals and it coated the alternator with oil which I had to replace because of this. The alternator on this truck is dry and clean and anyways I don't see any oil dripping from the front or the timing belt cover area.
So I'm 95% sure it's not coming from the front of the engine.
I've has many cars in my life with leaky valve cover gaskets and I've never seen or heard of a constant heavy leak coming from the valve cover gaskets. It's usually just grimy and oily around the valve covers so I'm 95% sure its not coming from there.
Rear main seal Is a small possibility but I can't see any dripping coming from the rear of the engine.
So I'm pretty sure It's coming from the oil pan since it's sees constant amounts of oil and the leaks seems to come from there.
Unless I'm not thinking of something.
Would you guys tend to agree with me based on the above info it's leaving from the oil pan ? I've never seen such a big leak from any oil pan but it's the most logical place it's leaking from. Have any of you guys replaced this seal ? How many hours should I expect to set aside ? Any info or suggestions are helpful. This is currently my only vehicle besides my Karmann Ghia which is not a very practical family car and would like to address this quickly and correctly on the first shot.
Thanks in advance guys.
Marco
