Oil Leaks! - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

crojack · #1 11-28-2012, 10:30 AM

I've got some pretty bad oil leaks in my 220, and it's hard to tell where from.

It doesn't leak while it's sitting, and when it 's running the oil gets thrown all around in the engine bay. So, I can't really tell where it's leaking from.

I'm pretty sure it's in the front of the engine, down low, certainly the belt is covered in oil.

Any likely places these old 4 cylinders leak? And hopefully easy fixes

Topher39 · #2 11-28-2012, 10:53 AM

My timing chain tensioner gasket leaked like mad when I got my 220!
Check your valve cover too, though that far forwards it may not be. Get some engine degreaser and clean her up and watch for the leak, that's the first step to seeing what your working with.

Topher

crojack · #3 11-28-2012, 04:31 PM

Thanks, I'll check the TC pensioner gasket. Is that on the front of the block behind the belts?

I have cleaned the block with degreaser, but no oil leaks out while it's sitting. And after running the engine, oil is all over the place and I can't tell where it's dripping out of.

dirtyharry · #4 11-28-2012, 08:13 PM

could be oil line to the gauge on the dash, line is made from plastic I believe on that vintage of benz. I haven't seen too many mercedes front main seal leaks, even from engines that were sitting for a while.

crojack · #5 11-29-2012, 12:30 AM

THanks for the tips!

Luckily it wasn't raining tonight and I was able to clean the engine and hose it down. It looks like it's actually leaking in the back of the engine, probably the seal between the engine and the tranny? OR is there something else back there that might be leaking? I didn't have time to fully get under the car.

Is this hard to replace?

crojack · #6 11-29-2012, 12:31 AM

Also, Simple Green HD from Home Depot works great and is ok for aluminum (regular SG isn't apparently)

Cleaned the heck out of the engine bay with just spraying it on and hosing it off after a minute or two.

Topher39 · #7 11-29-2012, 01:05 AM

95% sure my Oil Pressure Line on my '69 220 is metal - but if that is crimped or leaking, it would spray.

You must be spraying oil for it to start in the back and work it's way to the front! Now that it is clean, let it fully dry. Tomorrow in the light, start the car, hood open, flashlight in hand and throttle up the engine from the carb and watch what happens, if it is spraying, you will see it. You could have a bad valve cover gasket, leaking oil out the rear of the cover, especially since the engine slopes back towards the rear of the car. Keep watching!

Govert · #8 11-29-2012, 06:14 AM

The crankshaft seals can leak, but they usually don't spray oil, it is more of a gentle seep, slowly covering the engine in oil.

Is it engine oil? Or transmission oil? Manual transmission or automatic?

dirtyharry · #9 11-29-2012, 09:04 AM

if the leak is in the rear I would suspect it be the oil filter housing, although I'm not particularly familiar with the the M115? I had a lot of trouble keeping the housing O-ring on my w11o sealed. I assume its a similar setup.. could be rear main...
pretty sure that oil line is plastic, should be a feed either from the filter housing or the front of the block/head. I've seen a lot of them crushed.

meltedpanda · #10 11-29-2012, 09:42 AM

ok lets think about this, if you get it only when running, its pressure related. look at hoses to from oil filter housing, oil filter, lines into dash. And your sure its motor oil and not tranny fluid or power steering fluid? Oil flying all over is a concern. How much are you loosing? How is oil pressure? can you rev engine and see any leaks?

crojack · #11 11-29-2012, 10:33 AM

Let me see if my brain is awake enough to answer these

I don't think it is "spraying" oil. I think it is dripping in a place that somehow causes the oil to get thrown(?) around the engine bay causing a big mess and making it hard to tell where it leaks from. That's why I thought maybe up near the fan and belt. It's also caused a huge mess on my garage floor.

It's a manual tranny and no power steering. I'm pretty sure it's engine oil.

I checked all around the oil filter housing and didn't see any leaks there, it's low on the block on the driver's side. I think the oil line is coming out the front of the block and looks ok, but I need to trace it back through the fire wall.

After cleaning it and bringing it in the garage and letting it run for a bit, I did not see anything leaking. After shutting it off and leaving it, the only leaks on the floor were from back where the tranny and engine come together. Is that the main seal?

I'm not sure I let it run long enough though and today after driving to work, etc. should be a better gauge of how bad it is.

I get good oil pressure, after the car is warm it drops a little. Of course I check the oil almost every day and generally need to put about a quart a week into it.

Thanks for all the help!!!

Palolo · #12 11-29-2012, 11:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crojack

Of course I check the oil almost every day and generally need to put about a quart a week into it.

Even my brain is awake enough to go

On some of my vehicles, it is easier (and really much cheaper) to just top up the fluids that weep out of it--cough, cough, ahem, Land Rover 110*, I am looking at you--than to replace the "so-called-seals", but a quart a week of engine oil isn't a leak, it is almost a Valdezian hemorrhage that does require identifying.

Post some pics of the oily mess... It is amazing what a pinhole leak in a pressurized oil line can do. Worst case, it can introduce an oily aerosol mist in to the engine compartment, otherwise, it will make wide surfaces oily and sticky. (your car isn't power steering, but those hydraulic lines are often neglected after decades...on some engines (V8s, notably, with exh manifolds on both sides) a misty stream of p/s fluid aimed at the exhaust quickly leads to flames--being fed by a high pressure pump of oil-a "leak" of globby oil would be preferable to the easily ignited fine spray)

Leaky or open-vented crank breather lines are not quite as bad, but on some older engines where the rings aren't as tight, blowby can force oil droplets out of the breather and the fan blows them around the place.

*On the LR, the "leaks" are actually a "feature" called Chassis Lubrication, which applies a film of rustproofing to underbody surfaces, rear window, brakes, etc. Dry areas of garage floor are a matter of concern. Oh, how different a four-wheel-gasoline-propelled vehicle it is from its German fleetmates.

meltedpanda · #13 11-29-2012, 05:56 PM

Oil pan gasket? Oil pan drain bolt?

gear-head · #14 11-29-2012, 08:03 PM

Take a good look at the crank seal on the front of the engine, behind the "harmonic balancer" (torsional dampner) or whatever your favorite name for what the lower pulley for the belts bolt to. Yeah, that seal and it also sounds like you may be right on track with the rear main seal leaking too...
That front seal will sure make a nice mess all over the engine bay too if its leaking, don't ask me how I know

crojack · #15 11-30-2012, 01:52 AM

I got it home tonight and checked it out. A lot of the engine is still clean, around the oil filter and around a lot of the small metal covers on the front of the block.

There is quite a bit of oil nastiness down below the lower pulley. But I can't see behind it really. There is some kind of flywheel weight thing on there. Is that correct?

Is there anything up front on the passenger side that might be leaking? That seems the dirtiest. I didn't get a chance to check it out too much, had to figure out why my wipers would only come on when my right turn signal was on.

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode