[Healeys] Does synthetic oil leak more?

[Robert Begani]

My problem is leaking from the brass drain fitting in the bottom of the
overdrive.  When I used motor oil eventually by tightening the fitting, the
drips would stop.  With the synthetic oil the drips will  not stop.  Over
the summer, while the car was sitting in the garage, there was a puddle in
the plastic container I placed under the fitting before leaving for cooler
weather.  I just tightened the fitting a little more and the drips are
reduced to 2 per day.  Am thinking about using a thread sealant on the
fitting and RTV on the gaskets.  Or, is there a silicone gasket available?

 

Also, is a silicone gasket for the valve covers worth the expense to stop
leaking?  Or, a combination of silicone gasket and Ultra Permatex?  I have
aluminum alloy valve cover.

 

Bob Begani

From: Healeys <healeys-bounces at autox.team.net> On Behalf Of Harold Manifold
Sent: Saturday, January 11, 2020 11:51 AM
To: warthodson at aol.com; 050.rpl at gmail.com; healeys at autox.team.net
Subject: Re: [Healeys] Does synthetic oil leak more?

 

Hello,

 

All of your observations are a factor. Here are some comments from an
article about synthetic oil leaks:

 

Synthetic oil WILL NOT cause leaks. It may however make already worn-out
gaskets/seals more evident, by leaking past them, and/or cleaning any sludge
and other gunk that was sealing the existing leak. This is because Synthetic
oil has much better cleaning properties, flows much better than conventional
oil, and hence also lubricates much better than conventional oil (This is a
good thing).

 

I use a GL-4 synthetic gear oil in my transmission and it leaks. Believe it
not not one of the leak mechanisms is from the interior along the bolts and
drips from the bolt head on the exterior. I am changing the gaskets on my
transmission and trying bonded sealing neoprene washers on the fasteners.

 

I may be pursuing the impossible dream of a leak free Healey.... Harold

 

  _____  

From: warthodson at aol.com <mailto:warthodson at aol.com>
[mailto:warthodson at aol.com] 
Sent: Saturday, January 11, 2020 7:24 AM
To: manifold at telus.net <mailto:manifold at telus.net> ; 050.rpl at gmail.com
<mailto:050.rpl at gmail.com> ; healeys at autox.team.net
<mailto:healeys at autox.team.net> 
Subject: Does synthetic oil leak more?

I am not a leak expert, but I find this hard to understand. For there to be
a leak there has to be a hole. Is it because the synthetic oil molecules are
smaller than the non-synthetic oil molecules? Given that the "holes" come in
different sizes this seems illogical. Is it because the synthetic oil is
more slippery? How is that measured? How much more slippery is it?  

Gary Hodson

-----Original Message-----
From: Harold Manifold <manifold at telus.net <mailto:manifold at telus.net> >
To: 'R. Lindsay' <050.rpl at gmail.com <mailto:050.rpl at gmail.com> >; 'Healey
List' <healeys at autox.team.net <mailto:healeys at autox.team.net> >
Sent: Fri, Jan 10, 2020 7:55 pm
Subject: Re: [Healeys] Rear Axle Oil


The biggest difference you will notice with synthetic gear oils is they leak
more than non-synthetic. 

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