Oil leak on 96 Astra 1.6LS

Hi all,

Just purchased my third Astra this week off ebay...thought it a bargain at
£550, 119K, lots of MOT and Tax, very tidy. Four days in and I'm ready to
jack it all in! There's been a persistent leak of oil from the front crank
seal area, and I can't make out where exactly it's coming from. Put it this
way - it's losing about half a pint in 50 miles. Now I'm not the worst
mechanic in the world - quite keen - but my questions are:
1) Is this a common fault?
2) Is changing this seal an engine-out job?
3) Could it be anything else?

I noticed when I bought it two things which in retrospect make me
suspicious...firstly it has an aftermarket oil pressure gauge - I haven't
seen one of these in a road-going car since I ran Austin 1100s! Secondly the
breather pipe had been taken off the rocker box (to stop crankcase
compression? Would this make the leak worse?)

Sorry to bombard with questions - I'm at my wits' end!

Wonderboot
Liverpool

 

Could be crank seal or if it is a 16 valve version more likely to be the oil
pump gasket. It might be that the breather was taken off to try to make the
oil leak slow down and if you get it sorted you can put it all back together
and it will be fine. Wonder if oil gauge was fitted
to remind the previous owner to top the oil up (when the pressure drops).
Oil pump gasket is quite a big ( and common ) job and if you are not very
mechanically minded I would let a garage do it.

 

Crank seals are no problem provided its the one at the belts end, its a 5
min job after you get the pulley off, it could also be a cam shaft seal as
well, although for the amount of oil you are losing it would almost be there
is no seal rather than a worn seal.

One other thing to look at, where is the oil pressure gauge connected, if
they had to replace the standard oil pressure switch they may have cracked
the pump housing doing it up to tight and that will leak badly, best thing
to do is jack it up and get underneath to have a look with a good light.

 

Hi all again,

A quick trip to the local grotty back-street garage later...and me panicking
past myself. Union on the oil pump housing going to the oil pressure gauge
leaking. One original switch later...leak sorted. Thanks everybody for your
quick replies anyway - I do like a happy ending!!! (I tend to think the
worst case scenario is going to happen, and life's a series of pleasant
surprise that way!)

Wonderboot