Fix for minor oil leak???

[eze2bme]

My 1979 MDJE 7.5kw genny has a very slight oil leak. About 1/4 cup every 15 hours and only while running. It drips into the pan inside the sound shield and I've been using a Kotex pad to catch it (yeah I know - yet another use for those female products!). I can't find where it's leaking from but it accummulates right under the oil filter ... but there is no oil on the underside of the filter. This has been an on going problem for the last few years but since I normally use my inverter the genny is seldom run. Oil (40 weight) and filter are changed once a year - usually about 30 hours a year. Genny has 460 original hours.

Would anyone suggest trying an off the shelf "oil stop leak" product that is sold at all auto stores? If so, which one?? And how much??

Everything is so tight near the genny that I can't get down and try to look under it as it's running. I'm going to try my laptop and video cam as I can aim it along with some light and maybe see something.

Any other thoughts? Thanks in advance.

 

[Passages]

First thing to do is get you "Man Card" reinstated by stop using feminine products. Buy the oil sorb pads aka 'boat diapers". They will cover a large area and may help pin point the source of the leak.

WRT the stop leak potions - try to avoid them. They are only a temporary bandaid fix and may cause a small problem to get worse if it gums up your lube oil or the patch lets go suddenly.

Oil leaks can be a devil to find and fix. Usually it's a 50 cent gasket that the rest of the engine is built around.

 

[yachtsmanbill]

WHATS WRONG WITH ELEPHANT KOTEX's??? LOL Check the oil pressure sending switch/fittings. I think they were right by the filter... ws

 

[REBrueckner]

I would not trust any oil stop product in a well running genny....just too risky unless someone here can recommend a product from experience.

All you can do is place a clean oilsorb under the genny...run the genny a few minutes until a drip or two appears....then the fun starts...trying to trace the oil leak back to its source, in dark,in cramped quarters.... which might be on the other end or other side of the genny. If the video approach doesn't work, try a mirror, perhaps even a tiny one on a wand....I sometimes waited until cool weather until trying to trace something so I did not sweat and burn myself climbing and poking around.

Since it sounds like you've had this leak a while and don't run your genny full time I'd be inclined to let it go and not worry. I had a 1/4 cup or so per month raw water drip on my 12KW Onan raw water pump for 11 years...it seemed to drip the same at the end of that period as the beginning...At 50 or 60 annual hours running I found other things to tinker....The water evaporated enough so that I only emptied the plastic cup under the pump at the end of the cruising season....

 

[yachtsmanbill]

Once again I am gonna reccomend flourescent dye that goes in the oil. One little bottle, a black lite, and the results are INSTANTANEOUS! ws

http://www.riskreactor.com/Fluoresc...SB_K175_Orange_Liquid_Petroleum_Tracer_UV.htm

 

[SKYCHENEY]

Once again I am gonna reccomend flourescent dye that goes in the oil. One little bottle, a black lite, and the results are INSTANTANEOUS! ws

http://www.riskreactor.com/Fluoresc...SB_K175_Orange_Liquid_Petroleum_Tracer_UV.htm

Wow, that's some pricey stuff at $25 for 3 ounces.

 

[ppat324]

That was just a quick google and a paste... you can probably get it at the motor parts store for way less... ws

 

[fissioneng]

When I can't see something, I have made great use of my camera. I can usually aim it various places on the piece of equipment without using its screen, take the pictures, then download to my PC and enlarge, change contrast, etc. If you take enough pictures, you should be able to see something useful. Sometimes I go back for more pictures if I see something suspicious.

This of course is only possible if you can at least get your arm and hand near everything.

Now fixing the leak that you couldn't see...........