New major oil leak- who can guess where it's from....

[Guest Anonymous]

Went out to start my 74tii last night, very cold outside, -12 F. She starts after a few cranks, no problems, oil lite goes out as normal, then flickers after a few seconds then stays on! WTF?! Must be a "cold thing", as I know there's fresh oil, etc. So I get nervous, better shut her down in case I really don't have any oil pressure. Check the oil, nothing on the dipstick! WTF?! After a few dazed blank stares in to space as to what I'm dealing with here, I look under the car to check, just on the one-in-a-million chance, if my oil drained out- and it did! Huge pool of Valvoline under the car. So, to my oil leak derby question- where'd such a catastrophic leak come from? Your guesses? I don't know as it's too dang cold to go outside and work on it, and nothing from the top down view seems to give me a clue. No other symptoms of trouble, was running awesome before this, so no other warning signs or failures. Oil plug is in and has no leakage visible. Leak appears to originate on the drivers side- fuel pump? Oil filter does not appear to have any leakage. Any guesses or similar past experiences appreciated 'til it warms up to at least above freezing so's I can get under it and check it out. Thanks!

Ron 74tii

[Guest Anonymous]

Maybe the oil supply line to the kugelfischer? An amazing amount of oil can spray out of that line if it breaks. Ask me how I know.

%0´ÖGthew Cervi

'73 tii

[Guest Anonymous]

If your oil isn't all muddy like mine you might miss the oil from this area...

also check the tranny bell - rear oil seal?

[Guest Anonymous]

"" Oil filter does not appear to have any leakage. Any guesses or similar past experiences appreciated ""

Under the circumstances (start-up in extreme cold) I'd still make the oil filter rubber gasket the most likely source.

Is it possible the rubber gasket pooched out on the side of the filter hidden from your view? Until you have really looked close at this part, I'm sticking with the "usual suspect". There are not many other failure modes that can produce a quick, pressurized dump of the sump like that filter can.

[Guest Anonymous]

I've seen oil filters come off before. In fact I was invisioning this very senario last night as I changed the oil on my winter car -it was warm, about 6 degrees last night when I changed it.

[Guest Anonymous]

(nt)

[Guest Anonymous]

(nt)

[Guest Anonymous]

An aluminum crush ring that you are supposed to replace each time you remove the

oil drain plug?

Honestly, tii guy, I think it is just too cold ttto eeeven get under the car (especially with valvoline under there already and check with good flash light and clean rag. That big mech fuel pump thing really makes it difficult to see what the story is..

Couldn't hurt to fill with more oil and see if it leaks out first without the engine running then, start it up and look under and turn off before running dry... another thing that might be usefull is a large piece of cardboard that is clean enough to detect the location of the drips. Place it under the suspect engine area and watch for dripps.

Afterwards you may fold the cardboard in half to make a really big 'rourchak' (sp) psych test.

Tell the board what you see so we will be entertained...

Cold weather. Ouch.

hth,

good luck,

John McA

[Guest Anonymous]

I agree with Matthew Cervi.. Definitely check the oil line to Kugg. If broken, that would dump the oil really fast...

[Guest Anonymous]

I would remove it and check the gasket, it could be leaking and not even show, when I started my 74tii this morning at +14 with 10-40 mobil one oil it pegged my 150 psi oil gauge at idle!!! I went for a long warm up before driving and looked for a oil spot in the driveway when I left.

[Guest Anonymous]

would make 150 PSI of pressure on a cold engine easily (my oil pressure guage only went to 150), and somewhere north of 170 PSI the oil filter gasket would fail. At road speed on a hot engine, I would easily read 90 PSI.

BMW changed the design around '70 IIRC, the old style allowed unfiltered oil to flow past the oil pressure regulator which would bind and seize.

I carried a case of oil in the trunk, 'just in case'

Cheers!

John N

[Guest Anonymous]

(nt)

[Guest Anonymous]

(nt)

[Guest Anonymous]

It was cute last night but, as so often happens, doesn't stand the light of day. Sorry!

[Guest Anonymous]

an oil filter in a hurry--esp if the filter itself either doesn't have a pressure relief valve (those meant for BMWs do) or the valve sticks. Pull filter: you'll either find a split case, failed seam or blown rubber gasket. Use thinner oil in serious cold; 20w-50 just don't hack it in -11 temps (ask me how I know!)

Cheers

Mike