Oil Leak! where is it coming from?

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Angelic

Oil Leak! where is it coming from?

Post by Angelic »

I have recently purchased a Fiat spider. the car is losing a lot of oil there is a puddle of oil where the spark plugs sit. When the engine is running you can see bubbles coming around the spark plugs (2 plugs). I don't know how else to describe it.every 15 miles I Drive I have to stop and put some oil in the car. Does anyone know where the oil leak is coming from Exactly?
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Angelic

Re: Oil Leak! where is it coming from?

Post by Angelic »

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seabeelt
Patron 2019
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Posts: 1614
Joined: Tue Feb 19, 2008 4:22 pm
Your car is a: Fiat Spider - 1971 BS1
Location: Tiverton, RI

Re: Oil Leak! where is it coming from?

Post by seabeelt »

First things first. Take a rag or paper towel or something and clean all of the oil off the top of the head and from around the plugs. Use a little carb cleaner or something similar to get it really clean. Then start the car an look for oil tracks toward the center of the head. If its leaking that much oil, I would suspect the bottom cam gasket, but could also be coming from the upper valve cover gasket, or even the oil cap. Oil cap is easy to check to make sure the rubber seal is in place and OK. Also a good time to check to make sure it's on correctly and tightened all the way. Second, is the car running hot? This would cause the oil to bubble around the plugs, but a more likely cause is that your plugs are not tight and you are getting combustion leakage around the plug. Pull the plugs and check the threads in the plug hole to make sure you have sufficient threads to tighten the plug properly, if so reinstall the plugs and tighten.
Michael and Deborah Williamson
1971 Spider -Tropie’ - w screaming IDFs
1971 Spider - Vesper -scrapped
1979 Spider - Seraphina - our son's car now sold
1972 Spider - Tortellini- our son's current
Angelic

Re: Oil Leak! where is it coming from?

Post by Angelic »

You know what? As soon as I posted this i took out the spark plugs and realized that they were not tight at all. I Tighten them back up and there's no more oil Puddles. BUT for some odd reason there is still some oil leaking on to the exhaust there for a lot of smoke. I also noticed that the valve cover gasket on the passenger side has a few deformities I'm going to replace that next week I already ordered them. I think I'm going to get an entire head gasket set and replace everything right away. I just hope is not too difficult.
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azruss
Posts: 3659
Joined: Sun May 30, 2010 12:24 pm
Your car is a: 80 Fiat 2000 FI

Re: Oil Leak! where is it coming from?

Post by azruss »

the seal at the base of the dizzy is a common source for an oil leak on the manifold.
profcucchi
Posts: 248
Joined: Sun Oct 23, 2011 2:12 pm
Your car is a: 1979 Fiat 2000
Location: Toronto, On

Re: Oil Leak! where is it coming from?

Post by profcucchi »

I have the same problem here, no?

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I hope it's just spark plugs and not a gasket. The difference of about $500 is painful.
1979 Fiat 2000 "Luigi"
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