[Mgs] Something (or things) leaks - how to locate the source?

[Max Heim]

Not familiar with all the external plumbing on a 1980, but here are some known sources of leakage, based on a 18GB engine:

OIL
Rocker cover (extremely common)
Side cover plates (very common)
Oil filter
Oil filter inverter base/oil cooler hose end fitting
Oil pressure hose fitting
Engine rear seal (oil draining from the hole in the bottom of the bell housing)
Engine front seal
Oil pan gasket

COOLANT
Lower radiator hose (common)
Upper radiator hose
Heater hoses
Thermostat housing
Water pump gasket
Water pump shaft seal
Heater valve

It is very hard to trace many of these unless the surfaces are clean and dry to start with. Putting clean cardboard or paper under the car while parked may help you find a starting place for investigation.

--
Max Heim
'66 MGB

> On May 31, 2019, at 4:14 AM, Dan DiBiase via Mgs <mgs at autox.team.net> wrote:
> 
> The coolant leak where it's gathering on the cross member seems to me to be a leak either from the lower radiator hose or the water pump. Have had both of those on my '76 and that is where the coolant tended to gather.
> 
> Dan D
> Central NJ USA
> http://dandibiase.cbintouch.com/ <http://dandibiase.cbintouch.com/>
> 
> On Fri, May 31, 2019 at 2:32 AM Steve Shoyer via Mgs <mgs at autox.team.net <mailto:mgs at autox.team.net>> wrote:
> After working on my 1980 MGB last summer I had the car running but it 
> was leaking.  I parked it on the lift and I'm just getting back to it 
> now.  It seems to be leaking both oil and coolant.  I'm hoping that the 
> leaks are coming from different places, but I'm not quite sure where to 
> look.  When the car was parked, I noticed some coolant seeping out (and 
> dripping onto the car parked under the lift) but I couldn't find the 
> source.  Today, while the car was running, I saw oil dripping from the 
> engine back plate.  It looks like some oil was escaping at the fitting 
> where the metal oil pipe that leads to the filter connects to the block 
> - I tried to tighten it as much as possible, but it was hard to access.  
> Oil is also dripping from the rim of the oil pan near the rear plate. 
> Most of the oil pan rim has oil on it, with green coolant around the rim 
> in spots as well.  I don't think that the oil and coolant are mixed 
> together - the oil dripping on the ground just looks like oil, and I 
> didn't see any foaming or anything other than oil under the cap in the 
> valve cover.  Still, it has me worried.
> 
> I watched some John Twist videos on finding leaks and he said that the 
> sump gaskets don't leak, so maybe the oil is coming from one (or more) 
> place and the coolant is coming from another and that's just a 
> convenient place for them to collect
> 
> I noticed some coolant around the lower radiator hose, so I tightened 
> the clamp to see if that would help.  Judging from the stain on the car 
> under the MG, the coolant seems to be dripping from the front 
> cross-member, but I couldn't see where it was coming from.  The coolant 
> leaked while the car was just sitting, not a huge amount but it was 
> noticeable when it dripped onto the other car's hood.  There were some 
> oil drips hanging onto many of the engine bay components, like the bolts 
> on the oil filter head, the starter, etc. - there was a drop on most of 
> the lowest points of the components.
> 
> Last year I pulled the engine to replace the cam and clutch, along with 
> the other standard things to replace when doing those jobs.  Because it 
> was my first time doing engine work, it wouldn't surprise me if I 
> screwed some of it up.
> 
> I picked up some UV dye to put into the oil, but is there anything else 
> I can do to figure out what's leaking?  Thanks.
> 
> --Steve
> 
> 
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