Oil leaks ?

[Gsaps]

can I ask some advice.. I'm looking at a car in the US, no oil leaks mentioned and looks to be in very good condition 3.2l 

One of the photos shows this... looks pretty oily, is this a redflag

thanks 

[symsy]

Depends on where that leak is coming from , some cars weep along the bottom edge but that looks like it up high.

There are so many places you can look. pulley areas,  cam covers , I would be asking for a lot more photographs.

Looks quite wet, you may even be better off getting aclean down and then hgetting it checked  after its been taken for a drive. 

Sometimes like on my  my TT, it could be the silliest of things,  I hadnt noticed that the filler neck had completely perished 20 years on,  on the blind side so every time I did a small top up  it would pool weep down the back of neck, later and after a few months of driving , I thought I had all kinds of issues , turned out to be almost nothing .

[Peter M]

They all leak eventually.

Sometimes the fixes are real easy and cheap, sometimes you have to do a number of degreasing to actually find the source that takes time and sometimes you will need to drop the engine out to repair.  Sometimes and fortunately more rarely, the heads, barrels and even the cases will have to be split to completely resolve.

Consequently its pretty hard to give a definitive answer without at least one cycle of degrease, drive and inspect to get a better idea of the source(s).

If the car still looks like a bargain after you factor in the cost of an engine drop and partial reseal, buy it.

If it's marginal in value, maybe ask for an specific estimate or opinion when the PPI is done rather than the usual "Plentiful oil engine oil leaks" most PPI's simply state to give you a better idea of what your up for.

[Gsaps]

Thanks for the advice guys, I guess if it's a slow leak there's no rush to fix it, as long as the oil levels are monitored ?

[Mike D'Silva]

I'm betting its a combination of leaks around the timing chain area...

There is a large viton o ring on the camshaft flange and also a gasket between the chain box and the camshaft tower.. this is meant to stop the oil from getting outside the chain box. 

The other gasket is likely the gasket between the chain box and the engine case itself. 

Good news is that the gaskets are cheap.

Bad news is that there is a lot of labour to replace these gaskets...

Just keep checking the oil level and wipe it dry every couple weeks till you want to drop the motor for a full refresh.

[Peter M]

.... I guess if it's a slow leak there's no rush to fix it, as long as the oil levels are monitored ?

Nah, it will probably burn more [in the combustion chamber] than it will leak!

Generally the leaks will not be more than an annoyance.  However if you are seeking to register it here, it is usually one of the items that is checked as part of the roadworthy check so just be aware of that risk.

[Coastr]

Easy to get through the roadworthy unless it is gushing out.  Just degrease in the shortest distance away from the inspection place and it will pass.

You have front and rear leaks here by the stains and it looks like it has been there for a while.

Personally I'd be wanting to get a good idea of the scope of the problem before takign the plunge.  If you're buying remotely you are going to feel very nervous unless you can factor a good strip down and rebuild as part of the buying budget.

 

 

[Gsaps]

Thanks again guys, good advice all round