Common Oil Leak Points?

General discussion about our beloved Tercel 4WD cars
Post Reply
User avatar
Kozuto_98
Top Notch Member
Posts: 229
Joined: Fri Jun 26, 2020 3:45 pm
My tercel:: 1987 SR5 Wagon
Location: Nova Scotia, Canada

Common Oil Leak Points?

Post by Kozuto_98 »

I've been trying to track down an oil leak for the past few days after semi rebuilding my engine and I cannot seem to find it.
What I've replaced in terms of seals are:
- Front main seal
- Oil pump gasket
- Rear main seal
- Rear main seal housing gasket
- Cam seal
- Valve cover gasket
- Oil pan gasket (cork)
- Dipstick o-ring

I'm kind of at a loss of what else it might be, the leak seems to be coming from higher up on the block near the front driver side.
I've checked my oil pressure sender, but the leak is higher than that.

If anyone can give me some points to look for I'd really appreciate it. Right now the leak is about 2 cups of oil per day.
1987 Tercel Wagon SR5 4WD
1998 Honda Accord Coupe V6 J35 swap
1997 Acura CL (Sold for 4A-GE money)
RIP 2016 Civic (wrist pin recall)
User avatar
BaileySims
Highest Ranking Member
Posts: 626
Joined: Sat Aug 30, 2014 6:52 pm
My tercel:: 1983 Tercel SR5 4WD
Location: Texas
Contact:

Re: Common Oil Leak Points?

Post by BaileySims »

Distributor O-ring?
WAGON MAFIA.
Blood, sweat and beers.
User avatar
Kozuto_98
Top Notch Member
Posts: 229
Joined: Fri Jun 26, 2020 3:45 pm
My tercel:: 1987 SR5 Wagon
Location: Nova Scotia, Canada

Re: Common Oil Leak Points?

Post by Kozuto_98 »

It's possible. The o-ring that is on my distributor looked pretty good, but for the sake of ruling everything out I could try a new one.
1987 Tercel Wagon SR5 4WD
1998 Honda Accord Coupe V6 J35 swap
1997 Acura CL (Sold for 4A-GE money)
RIP 2016 Civic (wrist pin recall)
User avatar
NWMO
Highest Ranking Member
Posts: 1615
Joined: Wed May 20, 2015 1:08 pm

Re: Common Oil Leak Points?

Post by NWMO »

"the leak seems to be coming from higher up on the block near the front driver side.
I've checked my oil pressure sender, but the leak is higher than that."

Koz,

Where does the oil show itself? side of the block? under the timing belt covers? I forgot to adequately seal the main oil galley plug on the front of the block when I rebuilt and it would show at the bottom front. You list "oil pump" gasket, does that include the o-ring between the pump and block as well?

Chris
Psalm 37:4 "Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart"

In remembrance of my friend ARCHINSTL:

T4WD augury?
"Oh, do not ask, 'What is it?' Let us go and make our visit."
T.S. Eliot - "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock"

"Now and then we had a hope that, if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be pirates."
Mark Twain
User avatar
Kozuto_98
Top Notch Member
Posts: 229
Joined: Fri Jun 26, 2020 3:45 pm
My tercel:: 1987 SR5 Wagon
Location: Nova Scotia, Canada

Re: Common Oil Leak Points?

Post by Kozuto_98 »

Before I changed the cam seal it was both front of the block, and side of the block towards the front.
After a new cam seal it's on the side of the block towards the front, and has been a bit less oil.

I did put a new o-ring in when I did the oil pump gasket, I'll have to check the galley plug. although I never took it out when I had my motor apart.
1987 Tercel Wagon SR5 4WD
1998 Honda Accord Coupe V6 J35 swap
1997 Acura CL (Sold for 4A-GE money)
RIP 2016 Civic (wrist pin recall)
User avatar
Petros
Highest Ranking Member
Posts: 11930
Joined: Sun Jan 28, 2007 6:31 pm
My tercel:: '84 Tercel4wd w/extensive mods
Location: Arlington WA USA

Re: Common Oil Leak Points?

Post by Petros »

best way to locate an engine leak is steam clean the engine good, than look for freash oil at the suspected locations.

in my experiance, the most common sources of oil leaks, in descending order, are the following:

rear half moon plug in the valve cover, the valve cover gasket itself, the distributor oil o-ring, the fuel pump gaskets, the oil sender, the front main seal, the rear main seal, the front cam seal.
'87 Tercel 4wd SR5 (current engine swap project)
'84 Tercel 4wd (daily driver, with on going mods)
'92 Mazda MPV 4wd (wife's daily driver)
'85 Tercel 4wd DLX auto(daughter's daily driver)
'01 Honda Civic (other daughter's daily driver)
Post Reply