Oil leak from dipstick (1.7 ie 33)

[indycling]

Hi All

My 33 appears to be leaking from the dipstick (i.e. being pushed out the top)... and then dripping and being blown onto lots of hot engine parts which looks fantastic when you pull up at the lights after 50km on the freeway!

Done the google search (couldn't fine anything specific to the 33) and come up with possible blocked breather pipe or worn/damaged piston rings.

The seal on the dipstick is not tight - could this be the problem? I looked up the 33 manual and couldn't find the term "oil breather pipe" --- is there one?

Has anyone had this problem? What should I look at? 

Many thanks in advance!

Andrew 

[Evan Bottcher]

I'm not very familiar with the injected boxer, but I'll have a go.  The oil filler cap is on top of a metal tube rising from the back of the block.  Below the cap there is a point where a hose attaches.  This is where the crank case ventilation goes - on my carburettored boxers, this hose goes to a plastic junction then feeds two further hoses back into the inlet manifolds.

If this hose was kinked, or collapsed and blocked internally, then you'd get a build up of crankcase pressure due to blow-by.  This would probably push a bit of oil out of your dipstick I guess?

[indycling]

Thanks very much for your help... I'll check the pipes.

TA! Andrew

[Andrew Bose]

Andrew,
I have had two of these now and my previous one actually leaked through the centre id the dipstick and out of the top. I replaced the seal and it still did it so I used a spare one and kept mine only to check the oil or if you are lucky you can find a second hand one that does not leak.
Hope it helps
Andrew

[colcol]

Mine leaked as well and i couldn't find a new rubber seal, with age the rubber gets smaller and harder and won't seal, i put some round felt around the top of the dipstick and got rid of the rubber as it was useless, it stopped it leaking, but if anyone knows where to get these seals new, please tell, Colin.

[indycling]

Thanks guys.

The mechanic used a couple of O rings on the seal but to no avail. The plug for the oil sensor on top pf the dipstick does seem to get very wet so perhaps it is coming up through the dipstick. I think the rocker cover Is also leaking a bit also but think the dip stick is the main offender. Might have a play and reclean the engine and exhaust and replace the dipstick and see what happens ... May also get the mechanic to check compression --- would like to rule out the rings.

Again many thanks for your help!

[colcol]

It seems that you have one of those dipsticks that checks the oil level when you turn the ignition on, these are quite expensive, they were used on the early GCL 33's, and i remember being at Alfa City, circa 1985 and they were about $150!, then and the problems they used to have was they would stop working and or the computer would tell you that the oil level was low when it wasn't, and they used to leak through the centre, i suppose if its leaking through the centre then replacement is the only solution, these days all these parts are cheaper now on ebay, Colin.

[indycling]

Hi All

Thanks for all your help and suggestions!

Ended up swapping the dipstick with one out of a parts car I have --- problem solved no more leaks even though it doesn't sit very tight at all ... which means it was indeed leaking through the middle where the wires for the sensors go.

Will try and remove the top off the old one (thinking dremel tool and cutting the top off... first attempts at removing the aluminium top plate from the plastic body appear futile)... anyway once open and cleaned of all remaining oil I plan on using some kind of heat proof filler to fill up as much of the tube as possible and the top --- hopefully giving me a spare dipstick --- particually as the one that was leaking is from a series 2  that's done 140000km and the working one i took from the parts car has done 190000km unless it's been replaced at some time.

As for the rubber seal have a look for "fiat dipstick oil seal" on ebay --- looks very similar  --- presume you'd want to boil it before trying to fit it... not sure if even that would achieve a result --- but they are less than $10 so it might be worth the punt... good luck!

Thanks again!
Andrew

[indycling]

OK --- small screwdriver and a bit of force and managed to lever the top cover off from one side --- the wires are held in place by big blob of some black rubbery glue --- possibly silicone perhaps --- Will get some degreaser (and possibly some isopropal after to get rid of any residue) onto it and down the tube and then look at filling the tube and top with something impregenable to the oil --- will report back once completed and tested for a few weeks or more.

Andrew

[colcol]

Have you thought about going to a wrecker and getting a standard oil dipstick to replace your electronic leaker, Colin.

[Andrew Bose]

That is exactly what I did Col, remember to use the leaking one for measuring the level as there are different lengths.

Andrew

[colcol]

Why are the dipsticks different lengths?, i can understand the overall length being different, and that doesn't matter, but the critical min - max to where it seats on the engine block should be the same after all its not British Leyland, Colin.

[Andrew Bose]

No Idea Col,

I just had a Sud one in the spares pile and it is shorter, maybe the dipstick tube is different.

Andrew

[Frank Musco]

Andrew, yes, the tubes are different lengths, and I'd suggest that the different style with the tube are fitted to make it easier to check the oil with the fuel injection. The addition of airflow meter gets in the way of the short dipstick, which goes directly into the block.

Just like the wheel bolts, I've found 4 different oil dipsticks from suds/sprint/33's. 1. Short dipstick going directly into block, 2. then the electronic one, 3. 1700 8V ie with short tube with rubber seal where tube fits block, 4. and the same but sightly longer on the 1700 16V.

Also just found two electronic dipsticks and one looks nice and dry, so if anyone it looking for one, $30.

[meizhak]

Rubber seals available here

http://turinimports.com.au//index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2_41&products_id=1421