Advice for Newbie on 328 purchase re oil leak

On a car that has sat for a long time with little use its most likely leak(s) from a cam seal and very common.

These are normally changed as part of a major service along with valve adjustment, new rocker cover gaskets and timing belts and tensioners etc:

Most common other area for leaks is the shift shaft seal and oil pan gasket around the bolts. To get a true oil level reading the engine needs to be run, warmed up and the dipstick checked within 15 minutes off engine turned off as per factory and owners manuals..

Even a major service on a 308/328 isn't an engine out job like most later models..

Compression and TK leak down test will show any issues and an overheating 328/308 is not easy to hide.

Make sure car has its books and both toolkits....critical and if its a GTB it's not an Oz delivery (they were never officially imported, only GTS models.

And remember the old saying "There's no such thing as a Cheap Ferrari".

Grim

 

If you are used to E-types, the same principles apply to 3x8s.

I've been hunting oil leaks on my 308 for years.

 

Unless the car has just been resealed, if it’s not leaking then it’s out of oil. Ha. They all seem to weep a little and usually the can seal, valve cover, dipstick o-ring, oil pan gasket/nuts, etc. My 89 328 has leaked a drop or two every time I shut the car off since I have owned it. Mine is the front valve cover gasket at the corner. I just live with it until my next major probably next year. Then it will probably leak from the back one. These cars love to be driven so get it and don’t look back.

 

I'd just steam clean it and look for new leaks after. My GTS has seeped from -somewhere- for the entire 16 years I've owned it. Chasing the leak just moves it.

 

I doubt it is a head gasket leak, there are lots of other more common leak areas as noted, and your car appears to be running fine.

Don't forget the leaks at the seals at the driveshaft's attaching to the differentials, they leak and fling the oil in the areas you have described. I am replacing mine now, its not that bad a project with a few tools an tips, and best done if renewing the driveshaft CV boots at the same time.

You should also simply get a socket and ratchet and tighten up many of the bolts on the engine, the cam covers, etc., as some of these loosen up over the years.

Get some degreaser and a rag, and clean things up a bit and then you can have a better chance of seeing exactly where some new oil leaks might be weeping from. I would not recommend steam cleaning or using water based degreasers that require you to spray things down, the electricals in these cars are not waterproof, and you don't want to frazz a computer or sensor with excess moisture. Just swab things up with a rag, or perhaps some aerosol brake cleaner or a similar evaporating degreaser (on a cold engine) sprayed carefully on the dirtiest areas.

 

The worst thing about stem cleaning or cleaning with any soap or degreaser is it destroys the grease in the tensioner bearings and other sealed bearings on the motor. Neither should ever be used one one of these. Seals on bearings were never designed nor are they capable of protection against such cleaning methods.

 

Agree.
The cam seals tend to leak when they sit around for ages.
Had mine replaced a few weeks ago with valve clearance checks and timing belts done.
Not a drop on the garage floor.

 

As above, most likely culprit is the cam seal area. Could be the seals themselves but equally likely the O ring round the seal housing or even just the cam cover gasket where they ajoin the seal housings.

The design of the whole sealing system round the front of the cam cover is best described as "unfortunate" .

There is a lot of air moving around in a 3x8 engine bay when the car is running (and some moving parts (driveshafts etc) so anything that leaks gets flung everywhere by default!

 

You can chase the leaks or you can drive your car, you decide.