Author Topic: Bit of engine "juice" (Read 2338 times)

16v of E30 · « **on:** June 24, 2012, 02:42:52 PM »

When pushing my car hard, i find when i park it, i get a funny burning smell, (obviously hitting the exhaust) and there is a bunch of fluid dripping down the front of the engine and building up on the plastic sheild underneath... only finding it when im pinning it up a big hill, or just spririted driving in the upper rpms... what am i best to look at replacing?

91 m42 is the car

Nick_318is · « **Reply #1 on:** June 25, 2012, 11:34:03 AM »

Sounds like an oil leak. Take a look and see where it's coming from.

16v of E30 · « **Reply #2 on:** June 25, 2012, 07:25:45 PM »

yeah but the question i have is what, on the front of the engine would i be looking at thats leaking, profile gasket? waterpump? coolant?

keflaman · « **Reply #3 on:** June 25, 2012, 08:43:42 PM »

Your best bet would be to power wash the engine from top to bottom and fore and aft and then have a look. Most of the M42 engines I had leaked power steering fluid from the return lines where they hooked up to the reservoir...
or motor oil from the upper oil pan gasket...
...and the valve cover gasket...
...and the oil cap gasket...
...and from the upper and lower timing case gaskets...
...and the oil plug gasket...
...and the crankshaft seals...

Other than that, they're pretty tight and dry motors.

Seriously, clean the grime off the motor and then have a look. The motor I just pulled out of my car to reseal was leaking in all those places so badly oil was still leaking off the car three days later...with the motor sitting on a stand 15 feet away.

If it's a coolant leak check all the hoses and the plastic pipe on the left hand side of the block under the intake manifold and behind the alternator.