Help identifying oil leak? | FerrariChat

Help identifying oil leak?

Discussion in '308/328' started by Erol, Apr 22, 2021.

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  1. Erol

    Erol Karting

    Sep 1, 2020
    136
    New York, USA
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    Erol
    Hi All

    First time with the car out today! Spotted some oil pooling directly under the oil filter. Doesn’t seem to be coming from the filter itself but possibly oil pressure sender below? Was going to try to lightly tighten but wanted to check here first. Sorry for the poor side of the road picture.

    Oil pressure/temp gauges seem to be working fine.

    Thanks
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  2. Steve Magnusson

    Steve Magnusson Two Time F1 World Champ
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    Jan 11, 2001
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    No harm ensuring it's tightened correctly, or even replacing the copper sealing washer, but these sensors also have some formed sealing joints that can develop leaks (so would need to be replaced if that's where it's leaking). Also, the gasket 22 could be leaking, or even the oil filter's gasket:

    https://www.ferrariparts.co.uk/diagram/ferrari/308-gt4-dino-1976/015-lubrication-system

    Bottom line is you need to better locate the source of the leak.
     
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  3. Erol

    Erol Karting

    Sep 1, 2020
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    This diagram is super helpful thank you. I’m still learning and trying to figure all this out so appreciate the help.
     
  4. mike32

    mike32 F1 Veteran

    May 13, 2016
    5,828
    Isle of man- uk
    Nothing stopping you cleaning up the threads in the block and on the sender, then use a couple drops of loctite nutlock on the threads along with a new sealing washer.
     
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  5. morcal

    morcal Formula Junior
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  6. Erol

    Erol Karting

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    Erol
  7. morcal

    morcal Formula Junior
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  8. morcal

    morcal Formula Junior
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    #8 morcal, Apr 24, 2021
    Last edited: Apr 24, 2021
    If you do not buy a new line but go the way of having it re-done at local plumber shop few tips. Sorry if may appear obvious or redundant but could save lot of headaches and money.

    1- Make sure you have the right wrenches to open/close the fittings. 26 mm for the banjo bolt, 32 mm for the fitting on the oil cooler. You MUST have on hand a bicycle flat wrench 30 mm to hold the male fitting to avoid damage of the oil cooler.
    2-PRIOR of disassembling the fittings mark with a marker the positions on the old rubber line. When disassembled the fittings may be loose and rotating ( rotation means no longer sealing ). At the shop they may assemble the new line wrongly if the correct angles are missing.
    3- Do not look for a HVAC shop but, as indicated in the thread, shops working on high pressure hydraulic lines. Possibly mechanics working on planes, tractors, earth moving machines, Caterpillars . To them is a routine 15 minutes job to make a 40 cm line with 2 fittings. Usually workers enter the shop with a collapsed line and go back after a little while with a new one.
    4-Ask for a Teflon 10 bar line with metallic outside wrapping otherwise ( by just looking at the size of the old Ferrari line ) they will make for you a 300 bar heavy duty pipe difficult to be bent between oil filter and cooler.
    5- Have on hand the right copper or aluminum seal rings ( buy at same shop) for the banjo bolt and start assembling smoothly by hand the fitting on oil cooler side first. Make sure this fitting is absolutely aligned with the male thread , it is made by aluminum with fine ( 1 mm pitch) and can be easily damaged ( $$$$)
    6- Put in place seal rings and banjo bolt on the filter side ; it will be not easy if you have big fingers and the new line will be reluctant to bending. If fittings are well aligned in the threads , you may tight by hand half way both. Now you can use the 32 wrench on the cooler side by holding the male fitting with the slim bicycle wrench. You may apply before final tightening some Loctite 577 for optimal sealing .
    7- End tightening the fitting on oil filter side. Job done, wait 24 H (curing time of Loctite) and enjoy your GT4 again, looking to spot the next oil weeping somewhere underneath the engine

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  9. Erol

    Erol Karting

    Sep 1, 2020
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    Not redundant at all!! This is incredibly helpful thanks for taking the time to write it all out. Much appreciated.
     
  10. GordonC

    GordonC F1 Rookie
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    Excellent guidance from morcal. If you don't want to go the hydraulic shop rebuild route, Superformance (www.superformance.co.uk) offers the lines for less than anybody else - check the 308 Engine General section http://www.superformance.co.uk/308/eg.html , scroll down to the Oil Cooler and Pipes section - I used their i/QV pipes on my 84 Euro QV a couple of years ago, they fit perfectly, current listed price for the pair is £123.24 and £139.72, a bit less for a carb 308. Check the part numbers for your particular car (year, market US vs Euro, use the parts diagrams at https://www.ferrariparts.co.uk) vs. the Superformance part numbers to make sure they match, some cars for markets had the oil cooler in different locations.

    It was just much easier and more convenient for me to order from Superformance than have to search locally for a hydraulic shop that would rebuild the original hoses.

    Oh, also - consider replacing both oil cooler hoses while you're taking care of the one that currently leaks!

    Gordon
     
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  11. Erol

    Erol Karting

    Sep 1, 2020
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    Thanks for this. I read some mixed reviews about the superperformance hoses on this longer thread. https://ferrarichat.com/forum/threads/weeping-oil-cooler-line.250464/

    I take it you had no issues?

    Thanks again
     
  12. Erol

    Erol Karting

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  13. GordonC

    GordonC F1 Rookie
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    #13 GordonC, Apr 25, 2021
    Last edited: Apr 25, 2021
    I see that thread is from ~2009, and I recall reading that when I was researching the oil cooler hoses. I bought mine in fall 2018, and had no problems with them. It's possible, even likely, that they have a different supplier for these hoses now. The new banjo bolt and hose end were slightly different thickness/lengths, but using the new hose fitting with the new bolt had everything fitting correctly and sealed.

    Here's the lower hoses, new from Superformance above leaky seeping old:
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    Those are actually the same length, and the new hose curved and fit into place without problems.

    Here's the two banjo bolts to show the differences (One washer below, one washer above the banjo hose fitting):
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    The new lower hose bolted nicely to the engine block:
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    New upper hose, banjo fitting to oil filter housing:
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    Cheers,
    Gordon
     
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  14. morcal

    morcal Formula Junior
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    #14 morcal, Apr 25, 2021
    Last edited: Apr 25, 2021
    Erol,
    this is the line fabricated on the spot by the hydraulic shop, price 35€. The Superperormance route was my B-solution
     
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  15. Erol

    Erol Karting

    Sep 1, 2020
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    Yes good point! Hadn’t seen those posts were so dated. I imagine they’ve made changes since then.

    The opening diameter in the new banjo bolt looks much smaller (almost by half?) than stock. No issues with pressure there?

    Haven’t been able to locate a good hose shop near me so will likely need to go w the superperformance hoses. (I’m in CT if anyone knows of a vendor around here!)

    Thanks again
     
  16. Kidasters

    Kidasters Formula Junior

    Oct 4, 2013
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    Good luck on the repair. I was going to swap that hose a few years ago, and was unable to break the fitting on the oil cooler loose. Decided to only replace the copper sealing washers, and it's been trouble free.

    Also - you are lucky it's just the copper washers. I had a leak on my oil pressure sending unit, and that was a bit of a circus. Turns out, the sending unit had two thread adapters on it to get back onto the filter housing. Because of that - it stuck out so far that the only way to remove it from the filter housing was to remove the entire thing.
     
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  17. thorn

    thorn F1 Rookie
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    Dropped mine off at a local hydraulic shop in the morning, by lunchtime they'd finished rebuilding - even included the cloth outer covering. I think they charged me around $38. Still leak-free 2 yrs later.
     
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  18. ginoBBi512

    ginoBBi512 F1 Rookie
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    Great photos, Its cool to see stuff repaired on these cars, especially ones that I can understand .

    Thank you
     
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  19. Erol

    Erol Karting

    Sep 1, 2020
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    Erol
    Hi all. Does anyone know the thread dimension on the female ends of these hoses? Found a place that can make them but they were concerned they might not have the right female ends.
     

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