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Oil leak - Golf Mk3

Posted: Mon Oct 03, 2016 6:21 pm
by Ansell
Howsit okes,

Oil leak.

Any ideas? Seal? Gasket?

Shot chaps!

Image


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Re: Oil leak - Golf Mk3

Posted: Mon Oct 03, 2016 7:25 pm
by panic-mechanic
Yeah either the top seal on the heat exchanger or the exchanger itself.
Seal are loose available from GW when i checked last.

Re: Oil leak - Golf Mk3

Posted: Mon Oct 03, 2016 10:34 pm
by Ansell
Thanks panic. I'll check it out.


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Re: Oil leak - Golf Mk3

Posted: Mon Oct 03, 2016 11:15 pm
by dcmk4
Since you would be working around that area it's probably worthwhile to also change the gasket/seal that is situated between the block and the housing for the heat exchanger.
I speak from personal experience when I was changing the oring seal and heat exchanger due to a leak the gasket to the block was also leaking as the ridge in it that should form the seal was completely flattened on my mk3.

Re: Oil leak - Golf Mk3

Posted: Tue Oct 04, 2016 7:39 am
by panic-mechanic
Engine slant back so if it was leaking there it would not be on the heat exchanger.

Re: Oil leak - Golf Mk3

Posted: Tue Oct 04, 2016 5:02 pm
by Ansell
Well from the top of the engine there isn't any oil coming from the top of the cooler.

It seems that the oil is coming from the area where the housing connects to the block.

I'll have a look at the o ring as well on the cooler but there's a lot of a lot of oil around the flange on the block.


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Re: Oil leak - Golf Mk3

Posted: Tue Oct 04, 2016 5:12 pm
by Ansell
Here's a top view. Doesn't seem to be the o ring.

Image

Seems like the oil is seeping out from the flange on the block.

Image


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Re: Oil leak - Golf Mk3

Posted: Tue Oct 04, 2016 6:15 pm
by Howie-WP
Also clean area around the exchanger, so that you have a better idea of the source.

Re: Oil leak - Golf Mk3

Posted: Tue Oct 04, 2016 10:27 pm
by Ansell
I'll give it a spray will some cleaner and see where it seeps from tomorrow.

It's a real mess. Oil just runs everywhere. Had to put a pint of oil in today.

Hope to find the cause tomorrow.


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Re: Oil leak - Golf Mk3

Posted: Wed Oct 05, 2016 8:15 am
by panic-mechanic
And of course you checked that the filter is tight...and that you uave not left an old seal and put a new filter on so there are two.
..

Re: Oil leak - Golf Mk3

Posted: Wed Oct 05, 2016 12:16 pm
by Ansell
Yes. The filter seems to be fine. There's one seal on it.

Bought the housing gasket today at GW.

R17.00 was a bargain!


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Re: Oil leak - Golf Mk3

Posted: Wed Oct 05, 2016 12:36 pm
by Howie-WP
Ansell wrote:Yes. The filter seems to be fine. There's one seal on it.

Bought the housing gasket today at GW.

R17.00 was a bargain!


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Part #? I might need same at some point.....

Re: Oil leak - Golf Mk3

Posted: Wed Oct 05, 2016 1:00 pm
by Ansell
Sure thing.

Image

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Re: Oil leak - Golf Mk3

Posted: Wed Oct 05, 2016 1:23 pm
by panic-mechanic
Remember there are two versions of that. Depending on year so just check.

Re: Oil leak - Golf Mk3

Posted: Sat Oct 08, 2016 12:41 pm
by Ansell
So I have to replace my o ring on the cooler but can't get the cooler off the rod.

Please tell me that there's a way to remove the rod.

I really don't want to have to remove the coolant hoses. They're so difficult to get to.


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Re: Oil leak - Golf Mk3

Posted: Sat Oct 08, 2016 12:55 pm
by dcmk4
To remove the pipe is quite a bit of work as you don't want to damage the threads using pliers or something similar to that. Even though the coolant hoses are rather difficult to work with I found it easier to just remove them from the cooler and drop the cooler off that pipe. Then remove the other portion from the block with the pipe still inside.

Re: Oil leak - Golf Mk3

Posted: Sat Oct 08, 2016 5:13 pm
by Ansell
Yeah that was my biggest fear. Didn't want to damage the threads or anything.

Was thinking of locking two nuts on the thread and then removing the rod that way.

I'm going to have another look tomorrow.

I've thought of replacing the housings gasket on the block as well but everything is so awkward to get to.


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Re: Oil leak - Golf Mk3

Posted: Sun Oct 09, 2016 10:33 am
by dcmk4
Access to the bolts securing it to that block isn't that bad once the cooler is out of the way though.

Re: Oil leak - Golf Mk3

Posted: Sun Oct 09, 2016 11:41 am
by Ansell
I'm not replacing the housings gasket. I'm replacing the o ring on top of the cooler. That's why I'm removing the rod.


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Re: Oil leak - Golf Mk3

Posted: Fri Jun 19, 2020 9:21 am
by Ansell
I never managed to sort this out...still leaking today.
Can a cracked crankcase breather pipe on the block cause oil to drip down?

Re: Oil leak - Golf Mk3

Posted: Fri Jun 19, 2020 9:40 am
by UDC
Ansell wrote: Fri Jun 19, 2020 9:21 am I never managed to sort this out...still leaking today.
Can a cracked crankcase breather pipe on the block cause oil to drip down?
yes

Re: Oil leak - Golf Mk3

Posted: Mon Jun 16, 2025 8:58 pm
by Fiki
Hi there, I’ve noticed some leaks around my oil cooler. I just wanted to ask, would it be better to replace the entire oil cooler or just the seals?