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Xflow Oil Leak???
Dick Axtell - 8/12/13 at 02:39 PM

Took my car off road, end of October, got tax refund etc. Bought new rear springs, removed coilovers and fitted new springs. So far so good. All this time, car has been up on axle stands, so I can get around underneath and check around.

Left everything for couple of weeks, and went back yesterday to finish off re-fitting rear wheel arches, seats and seat belts.
Shock - horror!! Discovered major oil leak, which appears to be from my xflow sump.

Because there has never been any noticeable leak from this area previously, am completely at loss to fathom why there should now be a leak, after such a lengthy pause. Only change I can think of is temperature. Anyone else experienced similar probs with xflow engines??

slingshot2000 - 8/12/13 at 03:39 PM

Yep, probably everyone that had one !

So similar to Land-Rovers, once they stop dripping is the time to worry; it means they are empty !

steve m - 8/12/13 at 05:00 PM

Have to agree, mine leaks, and I still cant find out were
so given up

steve

Paul Turner - 8/12/13 at 05:31 PM

No need for a x-flow to be leaky, mine never were. Used good quality gaskets when I built them, never had a problem. The Burton card sump gasket sd way better than the old cork ones but you need a sump in excellent condition to use one. Their twin lip oil seals work very well.

myke pocock - 8/12/13 at 05:32 PM

Yup, its designed to leak. Perhaps Ford had an interest in all the lubrication companies way back then. If yours has only just started to leak youve been lucky.

David Jenkins - 8/12/13 at 06:05 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Paul Turner
No need for a x-flow to be leaky, mine never were. Used good quality gaskets when I built them, never had a problem. The Burton card sump gasket sd way better than the old cork ones but you need a sump in excellent condition to use one. Their twin lip oil seals work very well.


Same for me - used a decent gasket set from Burtons, and checked that the sump edges were flat. No sign of an oil drip since then (touches wood, just in case! )

Dick Axtell - 8/12/13 at 09:59 PM

What an interesting set of replies. Many thanks for your comments and advice. But nothing helps to solve the puzzle - why has my engine only just started leaking, after being idle for a month!! It defies logic.

Will have to buy a spill pack - or cat litter.

perksy - 8/12/13 at 11:22 PM

Has it been sitting level on the axle stands ?
Also you'll have been jacking it up & down etc at an angle so the oil will have been moving around and the engine may have sat at an angle allowing the oil to find its way out.

Echo the comments above about using Burtons gaskets, they are very good.

A lot of x flows do seem to leak a bit and care needs taking when replacing the gaskets

Dick Axtell - 9/12/13 at 09:39 AM

quote:
Originally posted by perksy
Has it been sitting level on the axle stands ?

Yes. Jacked car up in 2 steps to minimise tilt angle, and no oil leak seen then (early Nov).

DW100 - 9/12/13 at 09:49 AM

You haven't actually said where it is leaking on the sump. Front, back, down the sides, sump plug or maybe a crack?

Clean it all down and find out where it is coming from.

jacko - 9/12/13 at 01:26 PM

I will go with a crack and weather temp but no doubt i will be wrong

Norfolkluegojnr - 9/12/13 at 01:42 PM

ours used to mark its territory wherever it went.

as mentioned if its not oily, thats more of a concern

elizaharry - 10/12/13 at 03:01 AM

There does look a lot of oil from that corner of the head down, but it also looks like there's some up and around the rear exhaust branch, above the level of the head?

Dick Axtell - 10/12/13 at 10:24 AM

More replies - thanks for your thoughts, everybody. Looks like its back to that cold concrete floor, to clean it up, and then to crawl across it - and recheck the precise source of the leak.