Crankcase pressure and related oil leakage

[Mileso]

Welcome any updates - my S4 has similar issues (oil spray on left in vast quantities) and going into the workshop soon for a compression test etc as a starting point. Was asked if I have the correct dipstick in place - how on earth would I know without doing drain down and fill with the designated volume of oil (say 4.5 litres from memory)?

[The Veg]

Re: vacuum leak- yes, I removed it. There is nothing in the car at present that needs vacuum.

Good suggestions about cleaning and leak-finding. After a few days of dripping I'll probably give them a go.

[2cams70]

Suggest you clean well around that cylinder head oil gallery blanking plug that can be seen just above the number one cylinder exhaust port. It could have come loose or the aluminium sealing washer under it’s head is in poor condition. There’s one at the rear of the cylinder head near the number four port too. I’d be checking both but number one looks more likely given where your leak is coming from

[oldelanman]

Welcome any updates - my S4 has similar issues (oil spray on left in vast quantities) and going into the workshop soon for a compression test etc as a starting point. Was asked if I have the correct dipstick in place - how on earth would I know without doing drain down and fill with the designated volume of oil (say 4.5 litres from memory)?

The correct dipstick is a Ford part and the part number is stamped on the blade. The FULL and FILL marks are 225 mm and 245 mm respectively from the "knuckle" where the stick rests on the top of the tube, a replacement non-Ford part should obviously measure the same.

You should also check that the dipstick tube is inserted to the correct length in the front cover.

[TBG]

I may be being stupid but if the car is spraying that much oil a prolonged garage run at say 3000rpm, after the engine has been cleaned off, will surely show where it is coming from..............?

Now here is a super place to stay. In La Chartres sur Le Loire and used to be the base for Ford GT40s and Astons and so on running in the Le Mans 24.

[rgh0]

Blow by increases dramatically with the engine under load so not easy to tell by just running the engine under no load at 3000 rpm whether you have a crank case pressurisation problem causing oil leaks. But its an easy test so worth doing

You can add a fluorescent die to you're oil (as they do for air conditioner systems) and then use a UV light to more easily see the leaks. But if your clean off everything and then drive with the engine under load for a few minutes you should get enough clues about where the leak is from without the die

cheers
Rohan

[Mileso]

I may be being stupid but if the car is spraying that much oil a prolonged garage run at say 3000rpm, after the engine has been cleaned off, will surely show where it is coming from..............?

Now here is a super place to stay. In La Chartres sur Le Loire and used to be the base for Ford GT40s and Astons and so on running in the Le Mans 24.

France 2015 (49).JPG

Agreed, but its also of a question of why its blowing hence compression test etc.

Many thanks for dipstick info Roger.

[Hawksfield]

Hi
The amount of oil loss with the improvements to sealing visible leaks suggest to me that it is crankcase compression due to problems with cylinders rings and pistons. maybe a compression test would help to Identify possible problems over a leak test.

Just as suggestion as I feel a lot of pressure is required to pump out so much oil

Good luck in getting to a solution

[2cams70]

Frankly speaking if it's losing that amount of oil it really should not be very difficult to determine where it's coming from. I thought a leakdown test very early on established that cylinder blowby was not excessive.if you really want to be sure give the engine a compression test as well. If oil is squirting out at that rate it's unlikely to be blowby. You have a serious oil leak somewhere.

Since you've had the head off i'd be very carefully checking around that cork gasket between head and timing gasket also - that one is a real PITA. Assuming of course that you've eliminated the previously mentioned cylinder head oil gallery plugs. The front cylinder head gallery plug is under full engine oil pressure and will leak like crazy if not properly seated.

[MrBonus]

If he's losing oil from multiple places, it might not be so easy to determine where. It seems these cars do like to leak from a myriad of fun spots, made more difficult by questionable cam cover seals that tend to create a slow rolling oil film down the entire block.

[The Veg]

If he's losing oil from multiple places, it might not be so easy to determine where. It seems these cars do like to leak from a myriad of fun spots, made more difficult by questionable cam cover seals that tend to create a slow rolling oil film down the entire block.

The cam cover is one thing that I have positively eliminated as the source, which is disappointing in a way as it would be so easy to fix.

[The Veg]

One tangential question did just occur to me: since the alternator is getting fairly doused with oil, should I have any worries about it getting inside the thing?

[69S4]

You don't have an action cam - a GoPro or a $25 Chinese copy for example - that you could bolt somewhere convenient and video what's happening when you go for a drive? At least them you'd be able to observe the leak in action.