Newbie here so be gentle..

Just picked up last week my 1st 1980 Spider, was originally a FI but the engine was switched out to a carbed version (year unknown at this stage as still doing some digging).

Bodywork is great, few cosmetic issues inside and out but will chip away at those over time.

Biggest issue is the oil leaks, seems to be leaking from every possible orifice... and a decent amount too.

Obviously I plan on changing out as many gaskets and seals as possible but my general question is, will I be able to solve the majority of these with the engine in or
due to the unknown history of the engine should I just plan to remove it and plan a bigger overhaul?

Engine pulls strong and I would say from driving it for a week or so that there does not appear to be any obvious issues but.... I know it’s pointless trying to polish a turd, so should I just bite the bullet and plan to remove the engine in the fall?

Does it leak oil? Burn oil or smoke out the tailpipe? Any odd noises? And best to do a compression test and report back the results here. Make sure throttle held fully open while doing it. In general, it is very difficult to really clean up the engine compartment properly with the engine in....

Definitely leaking oil, which I know is not unusual for a car of this age, no strange clouds of smoke from the exhaust on start up of while driving and no real strange noises, apart from a slightly annoying 'tinny' rattle which I figure is a loose screw in a heat shield or similar, certainly no knocking or banging that I can hear.

Compression test is on my list of things to do this weekend, along with a good clean up of the engine bay to see if I can determine where the leaks originate. Looks like for sure I have one of the rear engine seal where the engine meets the tranny and one top end (valve cover?) as there was a little oil in the #1 and #2 spark plug wells.

Anything else I should check while I am at it this weekend?

Neil

Oil around #1 and 2 plugs is a good sign of a leaking seal on the oil filler cap. An easy fix.

kilrwail wrote:Oil around #1 and 2 plugs is a good sign of a leaking seal on the oil filler cap. An easy fix.

Thanks, those are 2 words I love to hear!

I'm in a similar situation. I've been doing oil leaks one by one in the last year or so. If you tally it all up (especially if you factor in the oil pan gasket replaced in situ) it would have made more sense to just pull the engine and re-seal it.

It's not that hard to pull the engine and it's infinitely easier to work on when out. To pull it is probably an afternoon's worth of work (say 4-6 hours). Add up the leaks you have to fix and figure that each one will be easier if the engine is out. If there are more than a few leaks to fix and if any of them are in ugly places (the oil pan comes to mind) then it may be worth investing the time in pulling the engine.

As Pete suggested, having the engine out also makes it much easier to clean (and fix) other things in the engine compartment (brake booster, steering idler, come to mind).

However pulling it will also lead to scope creep as you come up with more things to do while the access is good!

Perhaps if you post some if the leaks it will be easier to advise

Typical culprits
The already mentioned oil filler cap
Cam upper gaskets
Sometimes lower cam gaskets but I haven’t seen those that much
Cam seals ( at the cam pulleys and at the rear - rear is easier with engine out)
Crank and Aux gear front seals - easier out but doable in
Oil pan. Pita in. But doable Much easier out
Distributor seals. Leaks and drips on exhaust
Oil sending unit ( new crush washer and some black permatex)
Dip stick gasket.

Anything else requires an engine out solution

Where does yours leak specifically??

If you have the space and an engine hoist and the ability lift that engine out. Get a fresh start, I watched parts of your video, That engine needs some refreshing. I noticed too your thermostat is missing.
I just sent my engine out to Fun Imports and had the lower end refreshed new seals and whatever else was needed. I would go that route again.
Get a fresh start

TheGaffer wrote:Definitely leaking oil, which I know is not unusual for a car of this age, no strange clouds of smoke from the exhaust on start up of while driving and no real strange noises, apart from a slightly annoying 'tinny' rattle which I figure is a loose screw in a heat shield or similar, certainly no knocking or banging that I can hear.

Compression test is on my list of things to do this weekend, along with a good clean up of the engine bay to see if I can determine where the leaks originate. Looks like for sure I have one of the rear engine seal where the engine meets the tranny and one top end (valve cover?) as there was a little oil in the #1 and #2 spark plug wells.

Anything else I should check while I am at it this weekend?

Neil

If the rear main is leaking then you have to seperate the transmission from the engine so if there are other leaks then likely removing the engine the rest of the way will be the better choice.

If you remove the engine look over the crossmember and the frame where it attracts really good. I know this is more work but if it needs attention it will never be easier. One of my Spiders and the Coupe have no engine oil leaks. They can be leak free it just takes a while to get there.