oil leak resolving itself ?

[Tappy]

Ok this sounds to good to be true. Seems like my oil leak is getting smaller bye the day Can it be that the new gaskets and seals have to have some setting time ? I tought i read somewhere that syntetic oil takes alittle longer for seals to "set" and yes i checked the oil levels so i'm not running out of oil ...

edit found the article :

http://bestsyntheticoil.com/dealers/amsoil/seals.shtml

[mbouse]

takes a while for all the oil to leak out of a Spider's engine.

be patient, eventually, the entire underside of the car will be coated with synthetic oil.

[manoa matt]

Does your oil pressure also increase? As the oil ages and you drive more, it picks up more carbon deposits which slightly thickens it and increases the pressure. New oil is thin, old oil is thicker.

[Tappy]

Does your oil pressure also increase? As the oil ages and you drive more, it picks up more carbon deposits which slightly thickens it and increases the pressure. New oil is thin, old oil is thicker.

oil pressure ? can tell i suppose i have some , but no instrument to see ,is there a way to test this ? i guess theres nothing else left then finding the leak and fix it or problems will stay , fade and come back on nect oil change

[TX82FIAT]

Anyone know how this was resolved. I rebuilt engine and put synthetic in after break in and rings set. Now running redline 10W30 and noticed a leak by a seal next to the dipstick. Don't think the leak was there before. Imagine it has something to do with waiting for the seal to set/swell, thickness of the oil over time given use or Lubricity of a synthetic. In any case, A lot of folks think this will resolve itself in time.

Thoughts?

[eddy314]

Interesting article as I too have been fighting a mysterious oil leak that seemed to sprout up shortly after switching to synthetic Castrol oil. See thread "mysterious oil leak". I tried the oil dye from Napa and using a black light (I had left over from the 70's), I was able to tell where the leaks were coming from. Pretty cool. The good news is that the main seals or the cam seals were not leaking. Most of the seepage came from the oil pan gasket, the valve covers, the dipstick seal and the Oil fill cap believe it or not. I was just starting to wonder if switching to synthetice was related when I read this article.

I guess the fix will be to give it more time and maybe add some oil leak and gasket sealer additive. Any idea how I can fix the oil cap? Are there replacement gaskets for those?

[TX82FIAT]

I think there is more to this as always. On rebuilt engine replaced gaskets and seals and some of the leaks just refuse to seal. One of the problems may be the older OEM gaskets used asbestos and the new ones do not. I think this is a small problem that may be multiplied by the use of a synthetic. The syn has the same weight for the oil. However, it has much greater lubricity giving it the ability to get into smaller places. Good for older engine like ours but bad if you have a leak. options:

I'm going to add a little lucas oil stop leak to see if that helps with the flexibility of the gasket.

I'm going to wait and not need an immediate answer. Why, because the synthetic may take longer to seal a leak. I'll know more about 500 miles after adding the lucas stop leak and more oil.

Finally, if that does not work. I can switch back to Dino oil. Have already replaced gaskets and seals twice with proper torque. I'm pretty certain the Dino oil will seal the miniscule leak if the syn and stop leak do not over time.

Anyone else experience this or have any suggestions.

[Kevin1]

If the leak stops with dino oil, why not just use dino oil?

[DUCeditor]

I've driven Fiats since I bought my first car - a 1500 'spider' - in 1967. Oil leaks have been part and parcel with the experience since day 1.

Today the thought of an oil leak is troubling. Back then (when most of our cars were made) they were so common one simply took them for granted.

Motorcyclists back then knew the importance of staying out of the middle of the lane - especially any place where vehicles stopped even for a few moments (the oily slipperiness of toll booths was then the stuff of legends.)

My old `77 leaks from an infinite number of places. Too many to even try to discover. As another poster puts it the entire underside of the car is covered with oil. (Maybe that is why the car remains largely rust free?)

I'm sure that with infinite care a Fiat can be rebuilt to be leak free. Although to an old time Fiat guy like me thats like saying a women can be helped to be fat-free and helped to a nice, taught, thoroughly shapeless low-mass body. To which I simply say "what's the point in that?"

-don

[ga.spyder]

Oil leaks that ''appear where there wasnt one before'',is a very common complaint with synthetic oil in older motors.I have been working for a parts house part-time and we hear it every day.It does make you wonder if it is the best thing for the motor,even with the enhanced lubricity.When synthetics first hit the market,we were told not to put them in a motor that had always run on dino.Wonder why??

[joelbert2k]

I once had a CH-57 (that's an army helicopter with a rotor in the front and one in the rear) pilot tell me that if I ever rode on one that I should check the gear boxes as I got on (they're overhead). If I didn't see any oil dropping off them I should look for another ride. No oil leaking means it's empty!
I sometimes think the same thinking applies to Fiats.

[Razooli]

My Fiat engine had no leaks ... Just the rear seal on the trans. I bottomed the car and needed a new oil pan and pump. The mechanic refilled it with synth. Now, the bottom of the block is covered with oil and it drips off the drain plug. I cleaned the engine and it was back in a week. I'm due for a change so I think I'll go back to good ol' Castrol.

[TX82FIAT]

Well, I have a gallon of Redline oil in the garage. I really do think it is a great product outside of the oil leak. last night I added some Lucas leak stop and I'm going to see how that works. I've had really good luck with Lucas products in the past and do not think this measure will harm the car. it states it is compatible with fully synthetic oil. If that does not work then back to Dino oil it is in a couple weeks.

[DUCeditor]

I have found that the products that swell the gaskets do make a difference, at least for a while. Although that may not be true if the gaskets have been replaced by ones made with more modern materials.

The best answer I have found (and it is one I've used for the 23 summers I've driven my car) is to use a heavy dino oil. 15-50 or 20-50. I also add the `60s automotive equivalent of the Elixir of Life -- the original "STP." What the ads for that stuff used to say is true, that they contain "Viscosity Enhancers." Yup. Just the thing for an older, high-mileage, motor with gaps almost thing enough to stick your finger in.

-Don

[ga.spyder]

The dino oils that are formulated for 'High Mileage' vehicles,also contain ingredients that swell seals and gaskets.I have had really good luck with Lucas oil stabilizer,and put it in with every oil change on the Spider.I used Valvoline 15-40 Racing Oil this time,as it has zinc content that is missing in some oils and is neccesary in our engines.I have always had a slight leak that seems to come from the front seal.I always thought the car was just marking its territory