Hello All,
I recently purchased my second Cooper S but it had 87k miles on it. It looks like I may have a oil gasket issue but I figured I would give everyone the symptons before I start ripping my oil pan and valve cover off.

It looks like there is a fair amount of oil on the serpentine belt, alternator, and pulleys. Would this be from the valve cover or possibly coming from somewhere else that is common?

I also noticed a fair amount of oil on the pan below the engine, tierods and that whole assembly (need more coffee as I can't remember the name of the shafts that go from the tranny to the wheels). Would this be from the oil pan gasket? Any other possible areas this may be coming from I haven't thought of?

The car is not dripping or even leaking oil all the way to the ground but those two areas are pretty well soaked.

How would one safely remove the oil from the alternator and pulleys? Would Simple Green be effective in getting the area clean without damaging any electronics?

I have checked the forum and it sounds like valve cover and oil pan are the most likely suspects. I can take photos if that's helpful. Sorry for the bombardment of questions but thought I would leverage some of your experiences. Thanks for all your help and hope to hear from you all soon!

 

I own a gen 2 so can't comment on gen 1 motor specifics. But, first things first if it is a general oily mess--clean the motor up. Variously you could use the engine cleaner/gunk type spray on products, or you could do it on a spot basis with rags or paper towels and the solvent of your choice. Should be done early on anyway, so you don't have to guess where the oil leak is that comes from oil inevitably going lots of places over time with air flow, road grime, etc. Much easier to find when clean.

Yes, avoid spraying wires and such (especially on the upper part of motor--spark plug area, etc), the air intake and the like. I have never had an issue with an alternator, having cleaned them many a time. But I dont spray a hose or some such right into them either. For pulleys, belts, etc, definitely you will want those clean, though by now the running surfaces must be okay or you would be hearing the belt.

Following this cleaning, now look for leaks. Sounds like you are on to the normal suspects for most cars, plus maybe the basic somebody added oil and spilled, a loose oil filter o ring seal, or a slightly loose or damaged drain plug or seal. Lesser possibilities of front or real main seals until you get to quite high mileage.

 

Would also look at timing chain cover.
Oil pan gasket leaks are common on the 1st gen cars.
Good luck!

 

The symptoms of oil on the serpentine belt and the heat shield piece of metal underneath sounds like it could be the oil filter canister. Those O-rings tend to break from over tightening or incorrect install. I would at least check that before doing anything major.

 

A+ Achilless

 

Thanks everyone! I'll clean her up the next couple days and see if I can find what's causing it. I'll make sure to update as soon as possible.

 

OK cleaned her all off yesterday. What a mess on my driveway! I used Simple Green and it worked wonders. The car even seems to run better (maybe in my head?). Anywho, now I'll just wait to see if the oil comes back.

 

Well I found out what it was. The inner CV boot on the pass side was torn all the way around the small clamp. It wasn't leaking but spraying axle grease everywhere when driving. So looks like I'll be yanking the axle and replacing the boots. Luckily it hasn't been clicking when turning so I hoping I'll be OK with just the boots and I won't have to drop $600 on a new axle shaft (barf).

Anyone have any idea where I can find a write-up or tips on how to properly clean and grease the CV joints before putting the boot on?

 

I have exactly the same problem as you. I plan to begin degreasing next week.