Oil Everywhere!

[n/a]

Hi everyone
I've been doing a lot of high speed driving in my 230 SL lately and the car is just fantastic on the highway. However it has started to drop a lot of oil on the garage floor. I had the car serviced two weeks ago and my mechanic could not find any obvious leaks but said it was likely to be a blocked breather pipe, which he cleared. This has not fixed the problem and the oil still appears to be coming from high up on the motor. Is it being blown back through the dip stick pipe? If so, what should I do now?
Thanks as always for the good advice.
Mark

1965 230 SL

[ja17]

Hello Mark,
Sometimes an old brittle valve cover gasket will split and begin to leak. The valve cover gasket should be soft and pliable. Clean everything up and keep a close eye on the engine for the leak.
Joe

Joe Alexander
Blacklick, Ohio

[n/a]

Thanks for that suggestion Joe
I've had the valve cover off and everything appears to be OK on the top end of the motor. Do these models have a problem with blow back from breather pipes? I've noticed a drip of oil from the little breather assembly on top of oil dip stick.
Mark

1965 230 SL

[ja17]

Oil leakage from compression blow back is not a normal problem. A clogged breather or some mechanical problem may cause this condition. clean everything up and keep an eye out for leaks.

Joe Alexander
Blacklick, Ohio

[hands_aus]

Exactly where under the car is the oil?
I was getting an oil leak from the oil bath air filter unit. It is at the very front of the car. Initially I thought it was leaking from the front oil seal on the crank shaft.
Since most of the oil has leaked out of the oil bath air filter unit, I don't get that leak anymore.
I remember reading that if the Breather pipe is blocked it is possible to get oil coming out of the Tachometer.
If you were getting a lot of oily blow back but still had a clean breather pipe you could look in the front of the BIG flexible hose between the air cleaner and the inlet manifold for excess oil.

Bob(Brisbane,Australia)

[n/a]

Bob
The oil seems to be mostly on, around and on the floor under the fuel injection pump. This is directly beneath the dipstick. I'll check on your suggestions however.
Thanks
Mark

1965 230 SL

[Naj ✝︎]

Bob,
Does this mean you're driving around dusty Australia without any oil in you oil bath air filter??
naj

naj
'Kloines Scheisserle'
65 230SL
68 280SL

[hands_aus]

Hey Naj
There is oil in there but the level is low.
I am thinking of putting a paper filter in there after cleaning out the unit.
The oil bath filter is made up of 3 levels of wire mesh that were quiet oily when I looked at them last week.
By the way, I live in the city and I bet it is no more dusty than any other city in Australia.
Also I never go off the bitumen.

MarkR, can the filter in the top of your dip stick be cleaned?
Also is there a flame preventive device in the top of the valve cover that connects to the breather hose? It might need a clean too??
Did your mechanic change the oil in the Inj pump when he serviced the car? You can check the oil level in your Inj Pump.


Bob(Brisbane,Australia)

[Naj ✝︎]

Hi, Bob,
Just checking!!
Any unfiltered air that goes into the engine gives me the creeps - could be due to my 'agricultural' training.
I have an oil bath filter on my 280sl (I think it was built for Africa). A paper element will not fit in that housing as there is a wire mesh on the top cover that would not allow effective sealing.
Let me know if you find a solution.
I did get a K&N filter that fits directly on the throttle valve body but then what about the idling air circuit? I would not like that using unfilered air.
naj

naj
'Kloines Scheisserle'
65 230SL
68 280SL

[ja17]

Hello Mark,
Check the level in the injection pump. If it is overfilling itself it will be forced out!

Joe Alexander
Blacklick, Ohio