7 years ago, when I had my Datsun roadster, it leaked oil from a bad rear seal
on the pavement in the parking garage. I offered to put a pan down under the
leak each day, but they kicked me out of the garage anyway, made me park under
a couple hundred year old maple tree, so I used my wife's cake pan anyway (THAT
one is still a bit of a secret around the house).
Fast forward: I rebuilt the TR3 engine with particular attention to oil leaks,
and frankly had it pretty well under control. Drops only.
But, after I installed the alternator conversion last weekend, the car started
leaking oil like a sieve...in my slot in the same parking garage I was kicked
out of before. I mean ample oil. A puddle.
I recently took the car up to 90 mph in a passing lane this week, so thought it
might be a blown head gasket, albeit the car runs like a top and no water in
the sump.
But the more I thought about it, the more I wondered: I had to lose the
generator bracket because I couldn't get it to fit back on. Therefore the
three bolt holes into the block have no bolts in them. This seems to be about
the level and location the leak seems to be originating from as well. So, I
just took a wire tie to the car, and fed it into the middle hole of the
bracket, and guess what...goes all the way through...and came out with oil
coating the tip.
Hmmm...and whoo hoo! No laborious long headgasket change. Am putting some
threadlocker on three bolts, tightening them down, and moving on. Oh, I might
replenish the oil in the sump that leaked.... :o)
Now, next to obsequiously suck up to the building parking garage maintenance
people. If I go in, clean the oil from my reserved spot with Simple Green, and
evidence no more leak, I may not be banished to the outside again.
Terry Smith, '59 TR3A
New Hampshire
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