29 replies to this topic

[marsy]

Hi, can anyone help, i've got a fairly bad oil leak, I've tracked it down and it appears to be coming for the bottom of the distributor, not where it goes into the block or the seal, come about an inch up, and it seems to be coming from the bottom there, any ideas why? 

I presumed it was fully sealed, but there seems to be something there that is a small clip washer thing that moves about??? 

Anyone had this problem before?

Is it a matter of a new distributor? Or is there an underlying problem?

Thanks 

[rally515]

That sounds like it just needs a new rubber "O" ring

[marsy]

That sounds like it just needs a new rubber "O" ring

Is looks as if it could do with a new one, but it isn't leaking from there, not at the block, it's about an inch back from there, where the shaft goes into main body of distributor 

[rally515]

Not 100% i understand you, any picture or quick link to a descriptive picture ?

[KernowCooper]

Remove the rotor arm and try and move the distributor centre shaft, if you have play here it the distributor bush and oil could be coming up through the shaft, if its the rubber O ring then it would be coming out below the clamp area.

[marsy]

Pics any good? The pics are up side down, so amagine the bottom is where the distributor goes into block, in first pic bottom right you can see the o ring, but if you come up from there to the bottom of distributor that's where it seems to be leaking from, and you can just about make out the weird thing that sticks out the bottom of it too? It's hard to show a decent pic as difficult to get camera in there:) 

Attached Files

•  IMAG0735.jpg   23.09K   40 downloads
•  IMAG0737.jpg   22.5K   38 downloads

[marsy]

Remove the rotor arm and try and move the distributor centre shaft, if you have play here it the distributor bush and oil could be coming up through the shaft, if its the rubber O ring then it would be coming out below the clamp area.

Done, and the shaft seems nice and tight to me, hardly any movement,

[marsy]

Distributor now off, pic shows where the oil is coming out of that hole! What's that about? Thanks 

Attached Files

•  1367259820797.jpg   44.54K   48 downloads

[KernowCooper]

Thats the drain hole designed to do exactly whats its doing. must be coming up the shaft only way oils  getting in there

[marsy]

Thats the drain hole designed to do exactly whats its doing. must be coming up the shaft only way oils  getting in there

So is my oil pressure too high?  Or something else wrong? As its not just a little bit of oil coming out of there! Thanks 

[KernowCooper]

I would look at the distributor body and shaft its only splash oil at the drive bottom, you dont have excess crankcase pressure do you?

[marsy]

I would look at the distributor body and shaft its only splash oil at the drive bottom, you dont have excess crankcase pressure do you?

There is a tiny bit of play in shaft, but I would of thought that is normal? Or is it totally solid , very very minimal amount of movement? And there's lots of oil on block, dripping down on gearbox and on my garage floor! 

And how would i check for excess crankcase pressure?? I have the crack case breather with a small air filter on it, that's ok isn't it? 

Thanks 

[KernowCooper]

If you dont have lots of crankcase pressure then have a look at the shaft in the distributor, the earlier 25d used to have a lower oil seal behind the dog frive but as far as i remember the 45d did away with it, I'd drive the pin out the lower dog drive and strip the shaft out to see whats happening, my 45d has no play in the shaft and any movement can cause a pumping action and bring oil up, the only way oil can be in the body is for oil to be coming up the shaft so strip and investigate is what I'd do.

[marsy]

If you dont have lots of crankcase pressure then have a look at the shaft in the distributor, the earlier 25d used to have a lower oil seal behind the dog frive but as far as i remember the 45d did away with it, I'd drive the pin out the lower dog drive and strip the shaft out to see whats happening, my 45d has no play in the shaft and any movement can cause a pumping action and bring oil up, the only way oil can be in the body is for oil to be coming up the shaft so strip and investigate is what I'd do.

Thankyou very much for your responses! Much appreciated! It's a metro 1275 engine I've got in the car, electronic ignition, h reg metro, looking through the Haynes manual it looks as if it's a 65 DM4 distributor, looking at the exploded view, it doesn't seem to show a seal? But I could be wrong! But yes definately can see the pumping action make sense! Thanks 

[KernowCooper]

65DM4 has a external module on the outside and would be a O.E distributor for electronic ignition