find the leak please

[Cabriolet]

did just my tensioner die or is it the Headgasket?


20130527_111338 by Eric Berger, on Flickr

20130527_111344 by Eric Berger, on Flickr

20130527_112715 by Eric Berger, on Flickr

[Todd Black 88]

Degrease the area, wash it all off, and go for a drive.

[Cabriolet]

the engine isnt running all that smooth so im a bit worried to drive it. kinda like ticking sound

[the imitator]

Tick is better than a knock, imo clean off the pre exisiting oil as described above and just sit there and let her idle and see if you can track where the blood is coming from.

[Boostesi]

id hit it with some brake parts cleaner, and blow it dry with the compressed air if you have a compressor/ blow gun. if not, loosen the heavy with a wire brush and hit it with some good quality brake parts cleaner and it will look all new and shiny, then let the car idle, you dont have to take it for a drive. your car maintains oil pressure at idle and if you let it run long enough will start to leak again.

[7pilot]

Clean the area up.
Adjust the valve clearances. This may be a reason for your ticking.
Upgrade to the E36 tensioner wth a new ring.
Don't over tighten.
If it still leaks, change the cam cover gaskets.

Replace that water hose, it has been cut almost clear thru....The clamp has been waay overtightened.

If the ticking is absent at cold start but comes in as the oil warms up, you'll need to check the rod bearings.

m

[Cabriolet]

it was the tensioner but got to it 1 mile too late. lost all 4 qts in 1/2 miles. now cyl4 has valve tick that i will have looked at next week.

[reelizmpro]

Just saw this...damn that is a mess. S14's aren't the cleanest engines as they do tend to leak but that's excessive. Hopefully, it's just the tensioner washer and not the timing cover as well. Hopefully the low oil pressure didn't damage anything in that 1 mile. Many years ago, when I first bought my M3 it was leaking from both pan gaskets, timing cover, valve cover as well as the oil pressure switch. Oil was seaping through the switch itself. I was running low on oil and the engine started smoking at idle. So I took it easy on the way home which was a few miles and after all that, the engine turned out to be alright.

[Cabriolet]

Barry the car is at a shop getting the valves adjusted. cylinder 4 has a bad tick and i'm hoping it will be fixed. otherwise im looking at a full top end rebuild.