OIL COMING UP THROUGH DISTRIBUTOR!

[BRAD]

Hi, I had to buy a replacement engine recently because mine was shot.
I collected it a week and a half ago from The VW engine company in catford, everything was ok, so I'm still running it in then on Friday I had a bit of run on after turning the ignition off, so I opened the engine lid to have a look and F*** ME oil all over the tin wear on the left :evil:

It was my original vac advance distributor and once I'd cleaned the oil up I started to have a look where it was coming from, the short version is a checked the oil, run the engine while sitting there it was coming out of the actual distributor!! never seen or heard of that before.
It runs ok still, so shut it down, took off the cap and no oil in the cap but lots in the base of the distributor? on the inside?

Any ideas? :?:

I will have a chat hopefully with the Engine shop on monday as they were closed when I emailed them friday.

Cheers

Brad

 

[vinvan]

Can you borrow a distributor from someone and try that, if it still leaking oil you will know there is something wrong in the engine, also check the rubber "O" ring seal on the shaft
But before anything ring the Engine company
a mate of mine had a new engine from them and it started to spray oil all over his engine bay, they replaced it with a new engine

 

[BRAD]

Cheers Vinvan, not really what I wanted to hear mate, I bought a 1776 off them hopefully it is something as simple as a seal.

 

[Moseley]

There is an oil inlet on the bottom of your distributor which allows it in to lubricate the shaft. There are then various fibre washers along the shaft to stop the oil from getting into the main part at the top. These can break-up over time which will cause oil to get where it shouldn't be! Simple rebuild should sort it out. The fact that oil is getting in at least means that it will be well lubricated and the bearings won't have run dry.


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[Elliott99]

This is not a solution I would recommend, but it made me smile! A guy I worked with had this problem on an Opal, he "fixed" it by drilling a hole in the base of the distributor, and running a drain tube into the dipstick hole! Sorted!

 

[BRAD]

Er yeah :roll:
They said to bring it over on Monday morning and they will have a look and do the 500 mile run in service at the same time.
So hopefully it'll be sorted.
Sods law that now I've got it booked in with them the amount of oil coming out has subsided, or maybe the sump is dry :lol:

 

[vinvan]

"I know you won't" but dont run it over with a dry sump, will be good to know how you get on so keep us informed

 

[BRAD]

Well I took it over to the shop two weeks ago, got the 500 mile service, they replaced the distributor, fuel pump and after a little run while I was there had no oil coming out.
On the way home stopped at he services, and again oil coming out!.
FFS it seems to only happen if your doing over 45 or on the motorway or similar.

Anyway it seems to have stopped now all by itself but only when the oil is on the minimum level?

Weird.

Hopefully that is the last I'll see of whatever gremlin was in my engine, we'll see.

 

[sparkywig]

Sounds like a breather issue.
What breather system have you got fitted, stock or aftermarket?

 

[DubBGood2Me]

I would agree with sparkywig.

Sounds like the engine isn’t breathing enough so putting too much pressure on the case causing it to pass through the weakest point.

It happened to me when the breather pipe from the oil filler neck to the air filter wasn’t a big enough diameter

 

[sannabay]

Maybe a long shot but the first thing I thought of was the preasure in the crank case. The preasure rises as the temperature increases. This should vent out through the generator stand, down the pipe and out the rubber nipple ( :lol: ).
I wonder if the new engine had a plug or solid gasket left sealing the hole on the top of the crankcase. the next easiest ways to relieve preasure is past the fuel pump push rod or the up distributor drive. There should be a louvred steel vent in there.