Help with oil leak
 

For some unknown reason my engine has started to leak oil from out of the bellhousing,It has been stood for about 6 months in a garage and when I looked underneath there was oil all over the floor.(it was fine before)
The first suspect is going to be the rear crankshaft oil seal which in it's self is no small job,but before I remove the gearbox could it be something else like a blocked breather pipe for instance causing a pressure build up in the sump and forcing the oil out. ( Do scoobys suffer from breather problems?? )
The car is a MY95 UK type with 42000 on the clock,any pointers and suggestions would be greatly received.

Same engine as yours a while back, had to do the crankshaft and camshaft seals along with the rocker cover gaskets. Wasn't pretty underneath, nor on the road it had been parked on!

I hear exactly what you are saying it's a pain just thinking about it,but the engine must have some sort of breather system on it and I would like to eliminate that before going any further (it has been run very little in the last 2 years and could be blocked ???) Trouble is I don't know where to start looking so any help would be much appreciated.

oil leask
 

i loath oil leaks ......boing to the top for fresh ideas...

good luck pal :thumb:

If the car has been stood for a while,i would think the seal has hardened/perished and is leaking when the engine is started.
The main crankcase breather is located to the right of the turbo and is linked to the PCV valve.
Make sure the oil leak is not coming from somewhere else higher up from the bellhousing ie turbo oil return pipe or cam cover gaskets.

Mick

Thanks for the info Merlin,I will have a look now I know where it is.

If the car has not been running the oil level will be below the crank oil seal so I don't see that it could come from there regardless of the condition of the seal.

Thats an interesting point,never thought of that,but it is definitely engine oil that is coming from the bellhousing.