Help identifying oil leak, also destroy my theory.

[BenF]

It was the rear cam seal................ I think. I still have really slow leak, which I think has to be coming from the turbo lines somewhere, definitely small enough not to be urgent. I think the tiny turbo seal leak has been around since I have had the car ( 18 months ) and isn't a biggie, then the rear cam seal made it worse and I'm back to just a tiny leak again.

Anyways, I feel like I could see the turbo area better if I removed the heat shield which is visible from the top and the back of the engine, held in by bolts with springs... The first bolt I removed sheared off. How essential is that heat shield, can I tear it off and leave it off if I have to ???

Thanks

[BenF]

So it wasn’t the turbo line seal? I replaced mine about a year ago (when I dropped the angle gear to change the oil) and I’ve got a misting of oil that is eventually forming a slow drip on the driveway. Was there any particular guide you followed for this seal? I’m hoping to get under there and figure out what’s leaking this weekend.

I do think I have a similar sounding leak to yours, I think I'm going to need to take out the angle gear to fix it, how big of job was that, do you have a good you tube for it ?? Thanks

[NTXC]

I do think I have a similar sounding leak to yours, I think I'm going to need to take out the angle gear to fix it, how big of job was that, do you have a good you tube for it ?? Thanks

I was doing it over the course of a few days this week given the storms that came through and everything. Turns out I had seated the o ring improperly last time and it eventually sheared.

To do this it’s definitely easier to remove the angle gear (and while it’s out why not drain and refill with some new oil?) but it is a process. You’re going to have to drop the exhaust off the rear hangers to free up space in the front to get easier access to the bolts holding the angle gear to the prop shaft. I’m not a big guy and I don’t have particularly large hands but this made all the difference for me to get at the prop shaft. I kicked a tire under the car about halfway down the length for it to sit on and stress the front of the exhaust.

Once you’ve popped those off go ahead and pull the passenger side CV axle (it plugs into the angle gear).

From there it’s simply 5 bolts to get the Angle gear off, but the upper one is going to require using a long extension combo (wobble bits are your friend here) attacking from above the angle gear itself. The extensions will run more or less parallel to where the CV axle was, I used my left hand to guide the socket on, and my right hand on the other side of the Angle gear to do the ratcheting. You’re not going to see the uppermost bolt so this was the way I approached it for the second time now and it’s a time saver. You may accidentally remove one of the lower engine mount’s bolts because it’s right next to the one you’re looking for. If that’s the case, no harm no foul, you can reinstall it prior to putting the angle gear back in. That’s a real time saver too.

The last thing to remember is that while the Angle gear isn’t particularly heavy, when go you to remove it just be careful to keep it under control so you don’t smack your face or let it free fall.

I’ll see if I can dig up videos for these individual parts removal, once the angle gear is gone the tutorial for the turbo return line seal and gasket from FCP Euro is what I followed the first time I did this:

Seal
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6eypBfv3OEQ

Angle Gear removal
https://youtu.be/4gRSQozsluQ

Lastly, GET A MIRROR. I didn’t have one when I first did this job a year or two ago so I never inspected the seal. Turns out I never seated it properly originally. I broke 3 of them trying to use the FCP EURO method of putting the o ring on the part, then trying to insert as one into the hole. Every time I did this the seal pinched (which would eventually sheer with time). I ended up oiling the seal, and placing that into the hole taking car with the mirror to make sure it was sitting perfectly on the ledge that keeps it in place.

From there I oiled the end of the return line that mates with it and CAREFULL inserted it slowly. If you try to do it perpendicular to the ground beneath you it will NOT work. The hole for the oil return is on an angle away from the engine so try to run in line with that angle.

When seated properly you won’t be able to see the seal at all. I mention this specifically because the first time I did this I could and just assumed that’s how it looked.

Hopefully this helps. I’m 3 days with a bone dry oil pan after doing this job and I’m confident it will actually stay that way this time.

Buy at least 3 new seals, you’ll thank yourself should you pinch or tear one. I had to pay for next day delivery when I should have just bought extras the first time. Don’t forget you’ll need to replace the return line gasket as well!

[BenF]

I was doing it over the course of a few days this week given the storms that came through and everything. Turns out I had seated the o ring improperly last time and it eventually sheared.

To do this it’s definitely easier to remove the angle gear (and while it’s out why not drain and refill with some new oil?) but it is a process. You’re going to have to drop the exhaust off the rear hangers to free up space in the front to get easier access to the bolts holding the angle gear to the prop shaft. I’m not a big guy and I don’t have particularly large hands but this made all the difference for me to get at the prop shaft. I kicked a tire under the car about halfway down the length for it to sit on and stress the front of the exhaust.

Once you’ve popped those off go ahead and pull the passenger side CV axle (it plugs into the angle gear).

From there it’s simply 5 bolts to get the Angle gear off, but the upper one is going to require using a long extension combo (wobble bits are your friend here) attacking from above the angle gear itself. The extensions will run more or less parallel to where the CV axle was, I used my left hand to guide the socket on, and my right hand on the other side of the Angle gear to do the ratcheting. You’re not going to see the uppermost bolt so this was the way I approached it for the second time now and it’s a time saver. You may accidentally remove one of the lower engine mount’s bolts because it’s right next to the one you’re looking for. If that’s the case, no harm no foul, you can reinstall it prior to putting the angle gear back in. That’s a real time saver too.

The last thing to remember is that while the Angle gear isn’t particularly heavy, when go you to remove it just be careful to keep it under control so you don’t smack your face or let it free fall.

I’ll see if I can dig up videos for these individual parts removal, once the angle gear is gone the tutorial for the turbo return line seal and gasket from FCP Euro is what I followed the first time I did this:

Seal
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6eypBfv3OEQ

Angle Gear removal
https://youtu.be/4gRSQozsluQ

Lastly, GET A MIRROR. I didn’t have one when I first did this job a year or two ago so I never inspected the seal. Turns out I never seated it properly originally. I broke 3 of them trying to use the FCP EURO method of putting the o ring on the part, then trying to insert as one into the hole. Every time I did this the seal pinched (which would eventually sheer with time). I ended up oiling the seal, and placing that into the hole taking car with the mirror to make sure it was sitting perfectly on the ledge that keeps it in place.

From there I oiled the end of the return line that mates with it and CAREFULL inserted it slowly. If you try to do it perpendicular to the ground beneath you it will NOT work. The hole for the oil return is on an angle away from the engine so try to run in line with that angle.

When seated properly you won’t be able to see the seal at all. I mention this specifically because the first time I did this I could and just assumed that’s how it looked.

Hopefully this helps. I’m 3 days with a bone dry oil pan after doing this job and I’m confident it will actually stay that way this time.

Buy at least 3 new seals, you’ll thank yourself should you pinch or tear one. I had to pay for next day delivery when I should have just bought extras the first time. Don’t forget you’ll need to replace the return line gasket as well!

Thank you for the detailed response, that is awesome, it sounds quite do able when I get a round to it.