?Oil mist from where (ex police TR4)

[John Mellor]

Hi folks, just noticed what appears to be a fine oil mist/spray  over right inner wing and a "straight line" close to leading edge of the bonnet. It's only done a few hundred miles over the last 5 years and this summer ( bought in March ) in the dry i've put about 800 on the clock. Changed fluids after I bought it 

Is this normal for an early TR4, doesn't seem right to me. Oil level steady, has needed about 250 mls coolant top up

[Malbaby]

Vertical or horizontal?

[John Mellor]

Across bonnet between inner wings and a very light (?)spray more generally over the inner wheel arch

[rcreweread]

John - could it be fine grease coming from the water pump if it has been over zealously greased, assuming it has a grease nipple.

cheers Rich

[ctc77965o]

Something getting thrown off the belt or pulleys... Could be water pump grease or oil from crank seal...could be belt degradation...could be contaminated water from a failing water pump (glycol not oil?)

[John Mellor]

Dave, definitely not glycol, dark and oily, coolant looks as it did after I changed it 600 miles ago. Something thrown from belt or pulleys seems to fit with straight line pattern on bonnet

Rich, did give pump one "squirt" of grease few months ago. 

Now winter is here won't get much use so guess I'll have time to sort it - or seek help

Thanks. John

 

 

 

[ianc]

Many water pumps nowadays are sealed for life (or death!).

I would suspect that the single squirt of grease has disturbed the seal, and the pump may be expelling the excess.

Since the pump is packed with grease when new, and the grease cannot escape (unlike the suspension joints), there seems little point in pumping more grease in since there's nowhere for it to come out other than past the seal.

If the pump feels OK (not wobbly on its bearing), I suggest you keep wiping up the mess until the leakage ceases.  Although messy, the grease won't do any harm and it is easy to remove with petrol, paraffin or white spirit.  And don't grease the pump again!

Ian Cornish

[keith1948]

Hello John

Is it oil leaking from the fan pulley shaft where it goes through the timing chain cover? Mine is weeping a bit from there at the moment. Maybe needs a new seal? I have used Wynnes engine stop leak successfully in the past to 'revive' oil seals and is a cheap fix if it works. They also do a power steering stop leak that I used a few years ago on my Mini One and it has worked fine ever since. No idea how they work but seems to do the trick. Obviously the 'correct' solution would be to fix a new seal but in an emergency or a cheap fix then give it a go.

Keith

[John Mellor]

Thanks folk, looks like it is grease from the water pump, back of the pulley shows a surface of grease which I guess is spun off as it warns up, shame it's a bit of a mess but will clean up. Simply followed Triumph service regime of one squeeze of grease gun per service

Once again thanks for help

[rcreweread]

John - if it’s an original OE pump which had been rebuilt at some point with new seals and bearings, many of them are fitted with sealed bearings which require no greasing but the grease nipple is preserved for authenticity- if you grease these pumps , the grease has nowhere to go inside the pump so gets forced out into the inside of the pulley where it then gets thrown out, as will any overgreasing pf an ordinary pump

Clean it up as best you can and leave it well alone and it should stop 

cheers

Rich