Posted by Dick Pluta (68.164.202.205) on April 13, 2004 at 04:19:17:
I have been hunting a persistent oil leak in my Atomic 4, which is installed in my 1976 Pearson 30. It's a pretty serious leak and, after a days running, leaves a thick black skin in the bilge, not just a sheen, which I have been dealing with by using oil absorbing bilge blankets. That's fine for the environment but seriously offends my sense of neatness. I have ruled out the front slinger seal. Nothing drips from here. I don't think it's the rear seal. Here I would expect to see a ring of thrown oil around the engine compartment and there is none. I re-gasketed the transmission access plate and, unless I did a bad job, that hasn't stopped it. Could it be around the water pump mounting flange? I can't see that area at all and it will be a pretty big job, since I have to remove the batteries and work through the cockpit locker while standing on my head. Any ideas?
Dick