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oil leak SP250

Posted: Sat Mar 02, 2019 4:20 pm
by Sydsmith
My SP250 V8 engine leaks a small amount of oil, about half a tea cup full when laid up during the winter. It drips some oil from the hole in the bottom of the flywheel housing at all times, leaves a ten pence piece size drip when parked up after a run.

An irritatingly trivial but none the less inconvenient leak.

I suspect it is coming from the rear crankshaft oil seal, which, looking at the workshop manual, I presume is at least a gearbox out job, if not an engine out job.

Any suggestions please, I do have access to a car lift.

Re: oil leak SP250

Posted: Sat Mar 02, 2019 5:29 pm
by A.N.Other
The crank is the most likely but it could also be the cam shaft core plug. It may also be coming from the oil pipe banjo fittings, the rocker covers or the distributor base area. Before you start ripping the engine or gearbox out check the areas mentioned. How thick is the oil that is dripped? Check the gearbox oil level.

Re: oil leak SP250

Posted: Sat Mar 02, 2019 8:53 pm
by Sydsmith
Many thanks for the quick response Colin.

I have to admit this has been a problem for some time. At first I thought it was a rocker cover problem and fitted Wilf Stevens "O" ring cure which cured a front oil drip but not the one in the gearbox area.

Without doubt the oil is coming out of the quarter inch hole in the bottom of the gearbox housing and I have to admit to not checking the oil level there since the summer of 2017 so that will be next port of call, I guess you are suggesting main shaft oil seal? Syd

Re: oil leak SP250

Posted: Sat Mar 02, 2019 10:39 pm
by A.N.Other
Yes but only as a check. The mating surfaces between the engine, back plate and gearbox are large areas that don’t have gaskets. There is nothing to say that oil is not ingressing through the faces. I hope that makes sense?
I can’t remember but could the sump seal be the culprit or is that too low to bridge the back plate hole for the crankshaft?