Isuzu 1.7 engine - Oil leak

[Station]

I have an Astra with an  X17DT - it's a filthy engine, you do anything and guaranteed to have filthy, oily hands/arms by the end of it. Even the bonnet panel is filthy.

 

The engine is leaking oil from somewhere - I think it's mostly at the front, but can't be sure. Are there any common areas where these leak? I think think it's the typical Vauxhall leaking sump gasket, as it's running down the front, but as the engine is filthy, it's hard to tell. It leaves a large spot whenever it's parked up anyway, and I have to keep topping it up now.

 

It's also leaking water from somewhere, but want to stop the oil leak before I put my hands round the back of the engine.

[bub2006]

Rocker cover perished if its all over the rngine/? Highest point and running down.

[daverapid]

Check the servo pump driven from the alternator.

[Rusty_Rocket]

These always seem dry in my experience, don't think I've ever seen a particularly oily one.

 

I would echo what daverapid says above- the vacuum pump on the alternator can leak and as it has a pressurised oil supply, I would check there first.  In particular look at the oil return, the small rubber hose not far from the exhaust downpipe.  Treat it to a jetwash too

[Cavcraft]

Rocker cover or oil filter the most likely causes.

[twosmoke300]

Oil pump drive or lwr crank seal is a fav on Suzi 1.7s . the cambelt flicks it allways

[Station]

I'm going to have a look under it later in the garage, which is always like a really grim version of Pat Sharp's 'Fun House'.

I don't think the rocker cover is bad tbh. I've had a Corsa with these engines in and the alternator pump did fail on that, the o-ring is £25 + VAT from Vauxhall. Oil filter is on the back of the engine (the cleanest part of the entire car)(apart from the interior).

 

It also takes ages to warm up (10 - 15 minutes of normal driving), is this normal with ancient diesels? Could be the heater matrix is blocked thanks to using only water (it leaks!). I have a love/hate relationship with the car, I 'saved' it from languishing in a pub car park in Llandudno, and have done 30,000 miles in it since last February, to France, and Germany and Holland a few times and it is refusing to die or even complain, lol.

[sierraman]

Can also leak from breather at the left hand front just above the sump flange. The oil filter is right around the back access being a swine, could be leaking there right down the back.

 

Diesels do take longer to warm up anyway so what you are saying sounds about right particularly this time of year.

[skattrd]

It also takes ages to warm up (10 - 15 minutes of normal driving), is this normal with ancient diesels?

 

Yes. My boring takes 6-10 miles steady driving to warm up in cold weather, and that's with the heater off.

 

OT but the XUD 2.1 and Merc OM605 are the only exceptions I've had for older diesel engines warming up quickly in cold weather.

[Lacquer Peel]

Taking an age to warm up isn't normal for an indirect injection diesel, but par for the course for modern direct injection diesels (the Sprinter 2.1 I'm driving at the moment takes a good half hour to warm up fully) replace the thermostat, preferably not with a shit 'Quinton Hazell' aftermarket one.

[Albert Ross]

These are prone to leaks from the cam cover gasket, especially around the cam front seal carrier,  where it bolts to the head/cam carrier. It requires sealant. Also, cam seal, crank front seal, and as pointed out, oil pump seal. The oil pump sprocket is also prone to falling off, although most have done that by now. 2 piece sumps leak from both seals. As for the servo vacuum pumps, they DO leak, and in the worst cases, the leak pressure feeds hot oil into the back of the alternator, and onto the live brushes, with resultant conflagration. 

[twosmoke300]

Something in my mind says that replacing the oil pump housing on these is a bit strange. Isn't there a step in the casing that needs a large bead of rtv sealer to seal properly

[phil_lihp]

Is it actual engine oil or diesel?  Not sure if it's a common problem but we had a Mk4 1.7TD at one of my previous jobs which had a regular habit of splitting injector pipes and the engine was caked in a layer of diesel oil from every time they'd gone bad.  

 

It smelt so bad that passengers complained, my colleague managed to persuade the boss to get the engine jetwashed in the end but I'm pretty sure it never had an oil leak despite over 150k miles.

[skattrd]

It might be an idea to get the engine bay cleaned if it is covered in oil, that way you should be able to see where the leak is coming from.

[Rusty_Rocket]

I thought the crank pulley/ oil pump/ cam carrier problems were a later thing, Y17DT in Astra-G/ Corsa-C onwards?  X17DT was a much simpler affair in comparison.

Only problems we used to encounter when they were current was terminal piston/ bore meltdown due to people continuing to drive them with no coolant, usually due to a split hose at the back to the oil cooler!

[Station]

Yes x17dt is much simpler.mthey don't have oil coolers either I think. Spent the night welding my MR2 so didn't have a look but have jet washed the engine, might take a trolley jack down to sainsburys in the morning and give the engine a good clean underneath.

[HH-R]

SCRAP IT.

[Station]

"LOL"

 

Here's engine, two of the bolts at the gasket are weeping slightly, but don't know how much this would contribute to the mess it leaves underneath:

 

 

ps This had a brand new engine from Vauxhall in about 2007 (receipt for about 4 grand).