Trying to locate the source of leak from the engine. I have located the highest point where the leak seems to be coming from. I have attached a pic. Can someone help identify what part this is? And how to repair the leak?

 

Hard to tell from the photo, the higher leaks are usually valve cover gasket or cam sensor o ring.

 

Where would the cam sensor located?

 

Here
Also your oil filter housing is pictured so maybe that is leaking.

 

If you see the bolt tip to the right of the oil filter housing on the pic, that is the part where I think the highest point where there is wetness. Notice the oil on the bottom tip of the bolt.

 

See pic attached for another view from the top. It is the part with the 2 bolts where I think the leak source is. Can anyone help identify what this part is?

 

I believe those two bolts simply hold on the backside of the upper engine mount - so they don't have any oil in their threaded holes. (There are two matching bolts on the front side of the cylinder head, right?) Anyway, the cam position sensor resides on the upper end of the cylinder head, under/behind that engine mount. So either your valve cover gasket is leaking or the cam sensor O-ring is leaking (which is my own current issue).

 

I'd say it's the valve cover or the oil cooler [edit: see below].

 

Where is the oil cooler located?

 

This is the older style oil filter design, but it shows #5 - the oil cooler (or heat exchanger as it's called on real OEM) and how it interacts with #1 the oil filter housing.



looks like this:






Check around that and see what it's looking like. No guarantees, but it's a known leak point.

 

The oil cooler is on the backside of the engine, attached to the filter housing on passenger side of rmanual r53's. Looks like a little finned radiator with two coolant hoses coming out. A common leak sure, but I don't think that's the issue here. The cam sensor Oring is probably your surest bet. You'll have to take the upper engine mount off to get to it, and if you're gonna go that far might as well do the valve cover too. Good chance you'll get it with those...

 

Very good description of the part. His image clearly shows the Oil Filter Housing and the leak in that vicinity (like the cooler or the valve cover)


The Crank Position Sensor (CPS) is on the front of the engine under the SuperCharger. That's not the area he's illustrated (but, I'm willing to bet it's also leaking as well)

 

The leak is at the back of the engine and appears to come from higher than the oil filter housing. Is the cam sensor in that area?

 

There's a remote chance it's spraying higher than the cooler - but also why I think it may be the valve cover gasket.



The CPS is at the front of the engine (#8 called Pulse Generator, crankshaft) under the supercharger:

 

There is both a CAM-shaft position sensor and a CRANK-shaft position sensor. The crank is the sensor on the front under the supercharger as you describe. A known leak, but not the issue here. The cam is on the passenger side, on the timing cover, behind the upper engine mount...my guess is it's leaking, and dribbling back to the oil cooler/filter housing, particularly if the oil filter housin bolts are dry...

 

Here's the location of the CAMshaft sensor (#8 called Camshaft position sensor) as iamfarha has noted. My mistake for not noticing the difference as he mentioned in his earlier response.

 

It's the valve cover gasket.

In the second pic you posted, I can see wet oil to the right, under the v/c bolt, and more towards the middle of the cover.

 

Thank you all for the responses. I went and looked at at again and it.is most likely the cylinder cover gasket. Will need to buy the kit.

 

Hi banyan!

Here is some good information regarding both the valve cover gasket AND spark plug tube seal replacement, which our R53s need as they get up there in age

http://new.minimania.com/MINI_Cooper...al_Replacement




Drive Hard. Drive Safe. Keep Grinning.

 

Were you able to find the oil leak??

 

With so many different points of developing a leak you'll need to elaborate on where you are seeing oil at.

Most common:
*Valve cover gasket
*Crank sensor O-ring
*Front crank seal
*Oil cooler gaskets
*Oil filter housing gasket
*Cracked valve cover due to improper length coil pack bolts
*Worn oil pan drain plug
*Oil being blown by that leaks from the green gasket between the SC and black plastic intake duct

 

It was the valve cover gasket which I have replaced.