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MG MGA - Oil Leaks

Been poking about the new car, trying to see what's what.

I changed the oil and cleaned up the underneath so I could keep an eye on leakage.

Appears to be fairly encouraging so far.

1) Front seal seems to have some seepage, but pretty minor.

2) Two oil pan bolts seem to be leaking so I'm hoping tighten will help that. (how in "bleep" do you get to the bolts in the front under the cross member running to the control arms in order to tighten them?)

3) there seems to be some leakage at the end of the oil filter bowl. Any suggested

4) and of course the rear seal has some leakage.

Now here's something that has scared the heck out of me. At a corner of the rear seal there was a drip of oil forming, but at the very end of the the oil drip was an emerald green tip of antifreeze. Earlier in the week I replaced the heater valve and had to top off the antifreeze so I'm hoping against hope that this is a result of some antifreeze coming out the overflow valve......but just in case; what should I be looking out for in the event that somehow antifreeze is getting into the oil system?

Thank you
Tysen

Tysen
The oil at the oil pan bolts is probably coming from the front crank shaft seal or timing chain cover and running down. Check for oil on the fan as well as on and above the front shocks and across the unside of the hood. My seal is leakng and I am getting a lot of oil in these areas. To tighten the front oil pan bolts you have to unbolt the motor mounts and place a jack under the front of the tranny and jack it up.
Kris Sorensen

Timing cover seals: http://mgaguru.com/mgtech/engine/cs201.htm
Can convert from felt to rubber seal.

Front oil pan bolts: http://mgaguru.com/mgtech/engine/of106.htm
It's a matter or finnesse, but you shouldn't have to fiddle with the engine mounts.

Oil filter bolt seals: http://mgaguru.com/mgtech/engine/of100.htm
Items 16 and 17.

Crankshaft rear seal: http://mgaguru.com/mgtech/engine/cs202a.htm
Not recommended unless the leak is very bad.

If you have coolant in the oil sump you will generally get sludgy white scum forming inside the valve cover.
Barney Gaylord

Tysen:

If you recently changed your oil, you would probably have noticed any coolant in the oil. The antifreeze drip on top of the oil drip could have landed there from the radiator overflow tube, or from your heater valve replacement. If you recently topped-up your radiator, my bet would be on the overflow tube. I find that my cooling system never holds all the coolant I put into it. On my first run after a top-up, a fair amount of coolant comes out the overflow pipe.

Regards,
M.D.
'57 Coupe
M. D.

Thanks all. I appreciate the tips.

I'm feeling better about the anti-freeze, based on your comments it occurred to me that it would be very unlikely that the oil and the antifreeze would be able to separate out again after having been churned together in the crank shaft.

Tysen

This thread was discussed on 15/08/2005

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This thread is from the archive. The Live MG MGA BBS is active now.