Huge leak crank seal when warmed up.
#1
01-01-2024, 07:02 AM
Huge leak crank seal when warmed up.
Hello, I am new to the forum. I really need help as there is no specific MINI mechanic close to where I live. This is what happened:
Crank seal had a very minor leak for years. Then, all of a sudden, the leak was heavy and the serpentine belt snapped due to the oil. I stopped the car, no overheating or any other damage. Some parts and cords of the belt where trashed behind the crank pulley in fact. With the help of a general mechanic I managed to replace the belt and the crank seal carefully abd cleaned everything. Starting the engine, everything was fine... I kept monitoring the pulley and seal before refitting the wheel so I could visually check if the new seal was not leaking. No leak whatsoever for some minutes but right when engine reached operating temperature (in Celsius is around 85 degrees), there was a HUGE leak from the inner side of the new seal! Dripping drops really fast. I thought it was a bad installation job (although the seal came with a white plastic guide to put it properly without messing up the inner lips). So, I bought a second new seal, took out the failed seal and pay utmost attention when installing and cleaning everything. Waited 24 hours just in case the seal needed to set in... Then, turned on the engine and at first, no leak at all! But when reaching operating temperature, AGAIN there was a leak, although it seems smaller than the previous leak... just some drops, but enough to start dripping fast.
I think it can't be that both seals just failed... it seems that right when the engine reached higher temperature, there is some higher pressure right at that moment and there is like a minor air leak just right before the leak of oil starts... It seems that the chamber where the timing chain is all of a sudden gets a higher pressure and the weakest way out is the inner part of the seal. So, my questions are:
1. Do you guys think that two seals could be failing and so, maybe with a third I'll have better luck? I am running out of money buying seals already.
2. Is it possible that when the engine reaches operating temperature the pressure gets higher near the timing chains and there could be an obstructed hose that doesn't let pressure to be released and so the crank seal is the one that ends up failing because it was never meant to cope with such higher that normal pressure?
I did not take out the second new seal yet. I allowed the engine to cool down and fired it up again and NO leak while the engine was warming up. Zero leak... But right when the temperature gets to operating level, there is like a small explosion of air immediately followed by the oil leak from the crank seal...
Please help me. I am at odds now and not even in YouTube I could find any videos or help. I followed all the instructions when fitting the first new seal and then the second new seal and the lips were not damaged, using the provided plastic alignment tool. But both failed when the engine reached operating temperature.
Is it a matter of an obstructed pressure release hose somewhere right when the engine gets to operating temperature? I think that the oil in the timing chain should only be like splashing, not under pressure... so that makes even more odd that when the temperature gets higher, the leak starts as if the oil were under certain pressure... it seems more of an air pressure somewhere not properly released.
Please, please, please help! It is our only family car and we need it for daily driving and this has been a real headache for a week now, bad year ending!!!
Please let me know your take on this and offer me all the alternatives that could be for this very odd situation. I do need your help, please!
Crank seal had a very minor leak for years. Then, all of a sudden, the leak was heavy and the serpentine belt snapped due to the oil. I stopped the car, no overheating or any other damage. Some parts and cords of the belt where trashed behind the crank pulley in fact. With the help of a general mechanic I managed to replace the belt and the crank seal carefully abd cleaned everything. Starting the engine, everything was fine... I kept monitoring the pulley and seal before refitting the wheel so I could visually check if the new seal was not leaking. No leak whatsoever for some minutes but right when engine reached operating temperature (in Celsius is around 85 degrees), there was a HUGE leak from the inner side of the new seal! Dripping drops really fast. I thought it was a bad installation job (although the seal came with a white plastic guide to put it properly without messing up the inner lips). So, I bought a second new seal, took out the failed seal and pay utmost attention when installing and cleaning everything. Waited 24 hours just in case the seal needed to set in... Then, turned on the engine and at first, no leak at all! But when reaching operating temperature, AGAIN there was a leak, although it seems smaller than the previous leak... just some drops, but enough to start dripping fast.
I think it can't be that both seals just failed... it seems that right when the engine reached higher temperature, there is some higher pressure right at that moment and there is like a minor air leak just right before the leak of oil starts... It seems that the chamber where the timing chain is all of a sudden gets a higher pressure and the weakest way out is the inner part of the seal. So, my questions are:
1. Do you guys think that two seals could be failing and so, maybe with a third I'll have better luck? I am running out of money buying seals already.
2. Is it possible that when the engine reaches operating temperature the pressure gets higher near the timing chains and there could be an obstructed hose that doesn't let pressure to be released and so the crank seal is the one that ends up failing because it was never meant to cope with such higher that normal pressure?
I did not take out the second new seal yet. I allowed the engine to cool down and fired it up again and NO leak while the engine was warming up. Zero leak... But right when the temperature gets to operating level, there is like a small explosion of air immediately followed by the oil leak from the crank seal...
Please help me. I am at odds now and not even in YouTube I could find any videos or help. I followed all the instructions when fitting the first new seal and then the second new seal and the lips were not damaged, using the provided plastic alignment tool. But both failed when the engine reached operating temperature.
Is it a matter of an obstructed pressure release hose somewhere right when the engine gets to operating temperature? I think that the oil in the timing chain should only be like splashing, not under pressure... so that makes even more odd that when the temperature gets higher, the leak starts as if the oil were under certain pressure... it seems more of an air pressure somewhere not properly released.
Please, please, please help! It is our only family car and we need it for daily driving and this has been a real headache for a week now, bad year ending!!!
Please let me know your take on this and offer me all the alternatives that could be for this very odd situation. I do need your help, please!
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