Hi,

I have had a slow oil leak for a little while but recently it has started to pick up. Time to do some repairs.

Unfortunately, I was unable to trace the leak and I assumed it was the rear seal. Lacking the skill to drop the transmission myself, I took it to the shop.

Well apparently they are no better at traking leaks than I am. They said that it is more likely to be one of the following's gaskets.

1) Valve cover gasket (which I highly doubt as there is no oil above the turbo level)

2) Turbo return line.

3) Breather Box

4) Turbo Extension housing

5) Oil filter monting bracket gasket



They want 750 dollars to do all of this. 92 dollars an hour is pretty steep so I want to do whatever I can myself.

Here are my questions:

1) How would you rank these in terms of most likely to be the source of the leak?

2) What is a Turbo Extension housing?

3) I checked my flame trap a while back and it was nearly perfect. Since all of the oil is on the turbo side of the engine is there any reason to suspect the breather box?

4) I am certainly able to replace a valve cover gasket, but I am no mechanic. Since my Haynes doesnt even mention an extension housing, how hard are these going to be?


Thanks so much!

In most of the shops I have worked in it is called the oil filter extension housing and since it is only found on turbos I am sure that is why they call it the "turbo" extension housing. I have always replace everything on them, two large O rings, two smaller aluminum washers, one large aluminum washer. When I take it apart I
1. pull the oil filter
2. loosen the nut that retains the pipe that the filter screws on to
3. insert an ease out into the end of the pipe and remove the pipe
4. pop loose the big banjo bolt that goes through the housing into the block, I use a 12"x1/2' extension, impact swivel, and socket to get it. Go in from the front under the sway bar and behind the P/S pulley and you can get on it.
5.loosen the mount screw that goes into the engine mount and secures the mount bracket for the ext. housing.
6. Unscrew the mount bolt enough that the support bracket is loose, reach in and spin the big banjo bolt out by hand.
7. With the banjo bolt out you can lift the rest of the ext. housing out.
8. Put it in a vice with rags to protect it and pop the nipples off of it and replace the crush washers underneath, put a little white grease or something in the O ring grooves to keep the O rings from popping out while installing it.
9. With the oil delivery pipe out and the ease out stuck in the end of it I usually put it in the vice and drive that ease out in as far as I can without screwing up the external threads. This will help insure that it is tigt when you screw it back in.

And remember, "assembly is a straighforward reversal of the above procedure"


Rule 308

The two most likely places to leak oil are the distributor shaft oil seal, and the o-ring at the junction of the block and the oil cooler adapter. The oil cooler adapter is on the turbo side. I can guarantee that your engine leaks oil from there if the o-ring is more than five years old.

You should make sure the oil trap is clear so the crankcase is not pressureized.

Old turbos have a tendency to ooze oil. The only solution is to have it overhauled. Take care of the distributor shaft oil seal leak, and the oil cooler adapter leak. See the 700/900 FAQ for lots of information.
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john

Sounds like the turbo oil line is the place to start.
I looked at the distributor and since the tranny is directly below it one would expect to find a bunch of oil on the bell housing. I found nothing, so either its not leaking there, or its dribbling a different direction.

Can you tell me what a turbo extension housing is?

Thanks!

There is no such thing as a trubo extension housing. They probably mean the extension for the oil cooler adapter, used on turbo engines. Generally the two pieces (oil cooler adapter and it's extension) are refered to as the oil cooler adapter. The joint near the oil filter usually does not leak, but the joint at the block leaks plenty on older engines.
--
john

The biggest culprit is the oil return tube. It has a paper gasket at the top and a silicon O-ring gasket at the bottom. It has two bolts (I think 10 mm) holding it on to the turbo. Can be changed easily if you have a long extention on your ratchet. Like 18-24 inches coming from underneith the car. While over there you could replace the O-ring seal on the oil filter bracket extension.
The biggest oil leaker is the oil return tube from the Turbo to the engine block.