My NC 5ltr is leaking alot of oil. i naturally assumed a rear main or sump gasket etc. after inspection i was shocked to see that it was all dry. the leak appeared to be comming from the base of the dipstick tube as its running from there onto the sump. i have heard that they seat in on an o-ring which can fatigue which i was planning to replace...

now heres the weird bit at the same time there is oil all around the yellow handle on the dipstick. it has sprayed all over the spark plug leads and is running down the dipstick tube, the chasis side of the engine mount is also covered in oil.

so i now assume that the dipstick tube is not leaking at the base and that its just running down the tube from the top to the sump.

is this common? whats wrong and how can i fix it?

i wouldnt have thought there would be enough pressure to do this? is the PCV stuffed? if so where can i pick one up?

thanks in advance!

Definately sounds like crankcase pressure sorry to say.

so i need to replace the pcv? whats the process of doing that in one of these?

Yep ill go the worn rings too, my eb does exactly the same thing and theres no way to fix it unless you freshen the motor. Just dont fill the oil up to the full mark but make sure its above the low mark, it did the trick for me.

did you have the same fault as mine? wjhy would shot rings be causing it to leak from the dipstick tube?

my car dosnt smoke at all though? damn it....

is it worth replaceing the pcv?

Yes replace your PCV valve first. Get a new grommet while your at it...they've usually gone rock hard.

Combustion pressure entering the sump via the bores and only being able to exit via the dipstick

Try removing the wire filter (cylinder shaped thing) underneath the PCV. They get blocked so the PCV can't work. Then you get oil leaks due to crankcase pressure.

If removing the filter fixes the problem, either replace it with a new one or soak and wash the old one in methylene chloride (dichloromethane). Just don't get and of this on your paintwork, it's the active ingredient in paint stripper.

good luck