New owner anxieties and advice

[Pebblefeline]

Wotcha all

So I have looked through the forum and seen some great advice and support.

I am getting ready to replace the filter housing gasket on my 1.9 (standard leak) but with no garage and the horrific weather this isn’t likely to be really soon.

My query:
the oil level is staying solid on the dipstick but the front and underside of the engine has a good coating of oil.( the belts are clear of oil)
My wife want to use the car for short runs while it is still leaking,

is this cool as long as the oil level stays good?

Is there anything catastrophic I should look out for?

Hoping to do the gasket next week once the weather improves.

Thanks for any advice

 

[Zephyr]

Yes. No problem.
clean it with a good spray of brake cleaner and check regularly for new leaks.
replacing the gasket is an easy task as long ans you have basic wrenching skills.

 

[colb]

Classic source of an oil leak is that small gasket between the oil filter housing and the engine block, you have to take the alternator out to get at the bolts to take the housing off to replace the gasket. Other usual source of oil leaks is the cam cover gasket easy on the 4 cylinder models bit more involved on the 6 cylinder engines with the coil packs requiring removal. Usual cause of leaks is the gaskets going hard and brittle as a result of age and repeated heat cycles over the years. 6 cylinder models with hardened centre plug well gaskets are known to leak into the plug wells and start filling the plug wells soaking the spark plugs and causing ignition problems, new gasket will solve that issue.
For the cam cover gaskets I use an Elring brand kit that includes the round rubber seals that sit under the cam cover retaining bolts. These go hard with age and its important to change these as they provide a good seal under the bolts and allow the gasket to be compressed enough to ensure a good seal when the bolts are refitted. Essential to maintain a good sealed vaccum system across the engines on all models otherwise any unmetered air getting in and oil getting out will play havoc with fuel trims and running. Always advisable to inspect all the rubber intake boots and all rubber and plastic vaccum hoses and pipes for splits and holes, replace any that are found.
Where are you located, without a garage you might be lucky and be near one of the Zedsheds run by members on here who could assist you.
Update your user details to show your location and car model, saves typing it in on your future posts.

 

[Peter1450]

As above ,fairly straightforward spannering if you’re reasonably confident doing this kind of thing.
Did the wife’s 3.0 yesterday, hardest part for me is my memory! Had to get a diagram to see how the belt went back on Also helps to locate other problems, the inlet rubber after the MAF was split but not noticeable until it was removed.

 

[Stevo7682]

As said common issue.
What i would add is on the 1.9 be careful with the top 2 bolts on the housing they are thin and quite long and can seize in place just be careful on the initial turns to gauge how tight they are.
Stephen