Oil Leak from back end

[Fat Albert]

Hi all, my car's oil consumption has stepped up from the usual pint every fortnight (she has around 4 niggly oil leaks) to a litre a week, as most of you know she is a low-mileage Garage Queen....not!

Occasionally when I come to a halt I get a wisp of smoke oil from the rear of the right hand side of the bonnet, and the tailgate is covered in a light oily speckled residue. When my Wife was following me the other day she said that she couldn't see any smoke from the exhaust when I floored it.

After I got home from taking my daughter to Hockey on Saturday I could smell burnt oil (as usual nowadays) and popped the bonnet to find whisps of oil smoke rising from the very back of the engine, this was then condensing on the bonnet and dripping down into the housing around the brake master cylinder.

Is there any common culprits at the very back of the engine that like to throw a little oil out? or is it likely to be the turbo seals? Any thoughts greatly appreciated before I put it into TWG for a thorough poke with a sharp stick (my wallet as well as the car...)

 

[edh]

gasket at rear of cam box?

get in with a light & see how high up the engine the leak is starting - I guess it will be dripping onto the exhaust

 

[Fat Albert]

Hi EDH, yes I will try that, I had a new cam cover put on last year due to a crack in the old one dripping oil onto the exhast on the side, so I would hope that the gasket would still be good...

 

[simdel1]

ORIGINAL: Fat Albert

before I put it into TWG for a thorough poke with a sharp stick (my wallet as well as the car...)

Indeed...

 

[sulzeruk]

The cork gasket at the back may need replaced or tightened up. It is quite common for one of the bolts to disappear from here so make sure there are 3. The cork gaskets compress quite a bit.
Alasdair

 

[Fat Albert]

Thanks Sulzeruk, where exactly is the gasket/bolts?

 

[sulzeruk]

Right at the back of the cambox. It is the blanking plate for where the cam tunnel is line bored. If you have a look right at the back you will see it. Will get a pic if I can later.
Alasdair

 

[Fat Albert]

Thanks Alisdair, will get in there with a torch tomorrow night

 

[Fat Albert]

I had a quick check when I got home today, it is not the cork gasket on the back of the head, it is coming from far deeper down near the bottom end....

Any likely suspects?

 

[barks944]

Rear crank seal?!

 

[Mike_Pollock]

Could be head gasket, if its lower than the cambox and more likely than anything below
Rear crankshaft seal usually comes out of the clutch housing
May be worth checking oil filler housing, being plastic they can crack