Morning all,

I've got an engine that oil leaks into the points box, what cure is there for this, as I don't think there is a changeable seal on the cam.

Normally pushed in by wind through the drain hole in the points box. If your crank shaft seal or any other seal is leaking oil, it is common for the oil to find its way in to the points box.

Wiltz,
often a syptom of a dead or dying breather and or worn rings/ bores. but check the timing, if its too advanced it can cause or rather increase likleyhood of oil leaks

as the cam is the only opening from the crancase that dosnt have a rubberized seal its more than likley excess pressurisation of the crancases will weep past the oil scroll that is the only means of oil controll in this area.

unlikley that a breeze would have wafted stray oil back up the oil drain hole

Sean

Not so sure Sean. The oil throw'er is very effective dispite a f.... oil breather.
Dry machines with a buggered breather don't have oil there. The push rod seals are the first seals to give in.

Here are 2 photos of the ''drain hole'' I meant. The oil is entering here and the spinding advance weights are like propellers pushing the oil inside the points box. The box has a tiny hole for the oil to drian through but not very effective.

Viking know what you mean about the thrower being effective but its the fumey oil mist that coats the internals of the points box advance weights chest-same as you get in the valve covers of a worn engine.


cant see how normal use the oil would run down the cases get blown into the hole you highlighted, up past the advance wights and thru the drilling in the back of the points box, by that logic the points would be full of rain on an almost daily basis up here

ive always found that there is general oilyness at the front on a car with worn breather before it starts to blow at the pushrod tubes

but i may be wrong....


Sean

Sean,
I doubt it...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/30132857@N06/4433147402/

ken

What strikes me the most by looking at the points boxes is, the interior and exterior have very similar environments oil or no oil. I wonder why?

not really- going from top left
1clean exterior, some deposits inside 2 clean in and out,3&4 dirty exterior cleaner interior

botttom row
1manky inside and out, 2clean outside some deposits inside, 3dirty exterior clean inside, 4 about the same inside and out

so you'd expect the dirty outside boxes to have messy insides if your theory stood, and the clean outers wouldnt be able to have any deposits on the inside

when really worn the engine is going to weep from the square drain ole you photographed and the fan is going to blow the oil about and if the breather is gone totally the crank seal may be weeping too adding to the general mess to the outside

not really up there with the great mysteries of the universe is it

Fair enough but please explain why some cars are dry as bone and at the same time the air filter housing is full of oil. If the breather is f....d and/or worn piston rings the points box and air filter housing should both be oily according to your theory.

Dunno! perhaps one is a result of worn breather/oil catch, the fumey points box the result of worn rings?

Sean