Oil in engine compartment

[traveno]

I opened up the engine compartment today to be greeted by a pretty dusty engine. One of the intake tubes is nice and saturated with oil. Any ideas on why this is?

[Starter986]

No, but get that nicely cleaned up so you'll have a baseline for next time. Be careful with the hoses and plastic lines... as they can become brittle over time and... you don't want them breaking.

Be patient... cleaning one piece at a time. Patience.

[traveno]

Originally Posted by Starter986

No, but get that nicely cleaned up so you'll have a baseline for next time. Be careful with the hoses and plastic lines... as they can become brittle over time and... you don't want them breaking.

Be patient... cleaning one piece at a time. Patience.

Started tackling it piece by piece last night. Called it a night once it got dark, but it’s starting to look better. Lots of sand in there, the previous owner lived in Arizona.

[Starter986]

Originally Posted by traveno

Started tackling it piece by piece last night. Called it a night once it got dark, but it’s starting to look better. Lots of sand in there, the previous owner lived in Arizona.

That is looking great!

[TRP]

WOW. Quite the transformation there. Keep after it.

Ted

[BYprodriver]

Originally Posted by traveno

I opened up the engine compartment today to be greeted by a pretty dusty engine. One of the intake tubes is nice and saturated with oil. Any ideas on why this is?

Loose fitting oil filler tube is the usual cause.

[Geof3]

You can hose the engine down from the top as well to really clean it. Make sure to cover the alt etc, and of course protect your interior from the overspray. A clean engine is not only a nice looking engine, but it will run cooler. Even though these engines are "water cooled" they get significant cooling from air flow. The cleaner the better. Also, there are several nooks and crannies on top of the engine so make sure you dry everything as much aa possible. An air compressor is your friend here... wear eye protection... thank me later.

[traveno]

Originally Posted by Geof3

You can hose the engine down from the top as well to really clean it. Make sure to cover the alt etc, and of course protect your interior from the overspray. A clean engine is not only a nice looking engine, but it will run cooler. Even though these engines are "water cooled" they get significant cooling from air flow. The cleaner the better. Also, there are several nooks and crannies on top of the engine so make sure you dry everything as much aa possible. An air compressor is your friend here... wear eye protection... thank me later.

I might just do that. My pops showed me his “WD40 detail” a whiles ago so I figured I’d try it here. It’s giving good results so far, as you can see. I’ll give it a more permanent solution down the road.

[husker boxster]

While you're in there, don't forget to check your power steering fluid level.

And don't think it's been mentioned - don't use high pressure when washing your engine. Lot's of issues can arise when you do.

[traveno]

Originally Posted by husker boxster

While you're in there, don't forget to check your power steering fluid level.



And don't think it's been mentioned - don't use high pressure when washing your engine. Lot's of issues can arise when you do.

Checked it the other night, there’s some in there, but it’s not even reaching the bottom of the dip stick. Thanks for the heads up.

[por356c]

Absolutely beautiful job. Wow - what a transformation! I just got an 04 SE last fall and this project is on my list when I get her out of storage.

But tell us please, what was the cause of the oil leak?

[Fiddlebog]

If you struggle to find the source, you could try throwing some UV dye in the crank case, then checking before it gets everywhere so you can trace the source.
Obviously, you would want to try to identify the kind of oil it is before adding dye.

[traveno]

Originally Posted by por356c

Absolutely beautiful job. Wow - what a transformation! I just got an 04 SE last fall and this project is on my list when I get her out of storage.

But tell us please, what was the cause of the oil leak?

I'm flattered haha. I only cleaned what I could reach with a shop towel! It does look good though. I'm gonna get around all the nooks and crannies this weekend. I haven't found the cause yet, but I've cleaned up the oil nicely so finding the source should be easy if it continues to leak.

Also, what headlight is on your car in your profile picture? Looks nice.

Originally Posted by Fiddlebog

If you struggle to find the source, you could try throwing some UV dye in the crank case, then checking before it gets everywhere so you can trace the source.
Obviously, you would want to try to identify the kind of oil it is before adding dye.

Interesting. I'll put that on my list of things to try.

[por356c]

I'm flattered haha. I only cleaned what I could reach with a shop towel! It does look good though. I'm gotta get around all the nooks and crannies this weekend. I haven't found the cause yet, but I've cleaned up the oil nicely so finding the source should be easy if it continues to leak.

Also, what headlight is on your car in your profile picture? Looks nice.

I am lucky enough to have an 04 Silver Anniversary Special Edition and it comes standard with many items that are usually options. What you see are the factory Litronic Headlamps with auto leveling and cleaning (washing).