Oil leak What is this thing??

[RitzyFestiva]

I just acquired a 1988 Festiva LX. the engine is in excellent shape but this little roller skate has a pretty good oil leak and I can't figure out where its coming from. I suspect it is what appears to be an oil sending unit but when I went to the parts store and ordered the replacement, it looks nothing like what I am seeing.

It is located in the front of the engine (as you are looking at if from the radiator) just below the head about 6 inches from center to the right. There is a single yellow wire with a slip cover which will snap over the needle like post coming out of the unit. The entire unit is only about 3/8" in diameter with a silver needle like projection coming out of it that the wire snaps over. It appears the oil may be coming from the o-ring?? around this small post. the threads are dry but the area below on what seems to be a heat shield of sorts has what appears to be a oil drip path. Anyway, I do not have a factory shop manual for this thing yet (only had it 24 hours) but I wanted to try to start getting this oil issue resolved before I get too far into other little issues. Thanks for your help

[kned33]

I believe it might be the fan temperature sensor. Is it located just to the left or near the thermostat housing? I replaced mine with one from Autozone. I just took the old one in so we could match in their computer by the pictures. Hope it helps.

[Icedawg]

The oil send is on the side of the engine that faces the firewall. There is a water temp sensor on the side facing the front of the car, below the head, on your right side of the engine if you are facing it from the front of the car (i.e towards drivers side). It is about the shape you describe. It may or may not have a thin crush ring. But obviously it would leak coolant not oil. Could it be the valve cover gasket that is leaking oil? Or the o-ring around the distributor?

[RitzyFestiva]

think I may have finally discovered the oil leak. Noted that under the engine where the trans and engine mate is a metal flange with a slight indentation, only about 1/2" long right in the middle of the flange and oil seems to be dripping from that as well as being blown all over the under and back side of the motor. I looked in my FSM and I think I may have a rear main seal leak. Any idea if I will need any special tools to install the rear main seal? I got a replacement motor that came out of an Aspire (FI) but everything seems to identical to my OEM block except for the carburation ($100), a 2 ton engine hoist ($60) and an engine stand ($35) Going to try to swap out motors and then rebuild the original engine. Maybe some performance upgrades as well. I have mechanics tools but I have never replaced a rear seal before so just looking for some insight and recommendations

[sensei]

I have a 1988 also. If oil is going between the dust shield and the tranny that does sound like a rear main seal. You should not need special tools it ant that bad.. That car has a carb so there is a butt load of vaccum lines and the electrical plugs should be color coded so its best to unplug them and unbolt from fire wall and just lay on motor when you pull it and not unplug the vaccum lines that way nothing gets crossed up. zanzer and I pulled my motor yesterday it took just a little getting ready to rebuild and up grade it also.

[RitzyFestiva]

Sounds good. I had to replace an axle half when I was checking the oil leak and noted a ripped CV boot, so now I am in the throws of another interuption! LOL! But my son and I did swap out the CV axles today but now I am trying to replace the tranny oil and can't seem to get the speedo shaft out, removed the cable and the 10mm bolt but it seems to be stuck firm. dont want to try to pry on it or hammer it as I don't wish to break it, but I am a bit low on tranny fluid and the book calls out for GL-4, GL-5 (75W-80) or M2C33F/DEXRON-II I have no idea what I have in the tranny now but it smells like gear oil and not like ATF. Sure don't want to mix thsoe two together. Some posts said I need to spray some "PB Blaster" but I have no freakin idea what the heck they are talking about.

Picked up an Aspire motor with EFI a few weeks ago for $100 that was running like new as the kid who had it had only installed it in his Festiva about a month ago and after only 10 days got hammered by another driver so he ended up parting out the car and the engine was one of the last bits he had. Was trying to get close to $300 and after no go, his Dad told him to get rid of it or he would, so I picked it up. Now I have it mounted on an engine stand getting ready to tear it down for a swap into the Festiva, it is dry, clean and no oil leaks. Once we get his leaking engine out, we will rebuild it a little at a time so when the replacement Aspire engine quits, we have a "crate" motor ready to go in it.

So any suggestions are always invited. thanks for the insight and help as always.

[GenevaDirt]

Hey Ritz....welcome to the fun...see you have been here for a bit but new to posting. Take a moment and add your location to your profile. We like to see where people are and maybe if help is needed or what not someone may be close to you.

You will need to swap a lot of stuff if you plan on putting that FI engine in the Carbed car. Not exactly sure what it takes but a few have done it.

[JohnGunn]

I just acquired a 1988 Festiva LX. the engine is in excellent shape but this little roller skate has a pretty good oil leak

If the '88 engine is in "excellent shape," you would be well advised to just replace the rear seal and have the use of the car while you study, in leisure, your plan to swap in a fuel injected Aspire engine. I've never done what you propose to do, but from my reading here I would say it is far from a trivial plug and play project and would require lots of research and preparation to do well.

The conversion to fuel injection involves a lot more that exchanging a carburetor for a throttle body and some injectors and I don't believe even the Aspire engine block will be a direct fit (different engine mounts???) I'll leave it to others to comment on this in more depth, but you may find that this cheap engine turns out to be more expensive in time, energy, money, frustration, and disappointment than you imagine. Besides, if your '88 engine is in good shape it will last for a long time as it is. I'm talking years.

Sounds like you are looking for a project to do with your son, a great idea - I wish I had had a father like you, but I would suggest you sell the Aspire engine and find a carbureted Festiva engine in a junk yard to overhaul. That way when you have done the work you and your son will be able to immediately drop in into the car and enjoy the fruits of your labors rather than waiting until the Aspire engine craps out who knows how many years later.

I guess what I'm trying to say is I believe you should decide what project you and your son take on after careful consideration and with the advice of the smart, informed people on this site. Not because you got a good deal on an engine that may or may not provide you and your son the pleasant, easy companionship you intend.

John Gunn
Coronado, CA

[RitzyFestiva]

Thanks John, I noted you live in San Diego, grew up in Carlsbad! As for the Aspire engine, I understand a few things mechnical. Yes I do understand about the EFI Aspire engine and that my son's Festiva is carbed. We have already looked into a direct swap and it is just way to difficult to do all that is needed to just do a drop in (fuel system tank, pump, filter, lines, connections yada, yada, yada. the plan right now is to pull everything off the Aspire engine so that it is basically a long block. Pull the Festiva motor and then pull off everything needed and bolt it onto the Aspire block, drop back in, hook it up and go. Then go through the Festiva engine block and build it up, replace seals and maybe look at some "enhancements" Right now, if we can get one engine ready it will help to aleviate the oil "leaks" in his mother's driveway and garage. He needs the car to get to school and such. I would like to get my 2000 Celica back! Its a bit more frugal on gas then my 4runner LOL!

We are still looking at some things we can do on the Festiva together. I wanted to be involved in his life more then I was with his siblings, hey he's my last chance.

[Tim]

Just a heads up, the Aspire and early Festiva engine have some differences.

The cranks changed to a different design in mid-92, so you can't use the 88's crank pulley. Sounds like the previous owner already took care of that for you, though.

Also, the Aspire head has no place for the mechanical fuel pump, meaning you will need an inline pump.

Everything else should be plug 'n' play, though.


Good luck, and welcome!

-Tim

[Tim]

Also, instead of rebuilding the Festiva's stock 1.3L engine, find a 1.6L from a Mazda 323 or Mercury Tracer. They are a direct swap (only difference is bore size) and you can use either EFI or carb with it.

[JohnGunn]

We are still looking at some things we can do on the Festiva together. I wanted to be involved in his life more then I was with his siblings, hey he's my last chance.

As I said before, your son is lucky to have a father like you.

Since reading your post I've been thinking about the relationship between father and son and why they can so often disagree so violently. I remember how I pleaded with my father for the money to buy a dual exhaust for my 1949 Mercury coupe. He thought it was foolish to spend money for something like that, while I felt a gnawing need for it deep in the core of my being. I, somehow, imagined that those two mufflers would make all that was wrong with my life suddenly right. It made no sense to my father, but what I was feeling was far beyond just making sense. In the end I managed to afford a flexible pipe and ran it from the tail pipe to the other side of the car to give the appearance of the desired dual exhaust. When the other kids learned of the trick, they laughed, but not with me.

As I relive that experience now, I find myself taking the side of my father. Of course, he was right, having a dual exhaust would not have fundamentally changed all the things I felt were wrong with my life. But from this distance I also think I understand why I felt so strongly that it would. I'm sure the deeply felt need for that dual exhaust was in reality a deeply felt need for sexual fulfillment. What I needed most was a girl friend and the understanding to form and sustain a relationship which would be of profit to us both. What I needed was not the money for an exhaust system; what I needed was good advice about how to see the world and find my place in it. So, what does this have to do with Festivas and this site?

Every day of the 16 years I have owned my Festiva I have seen my initial positive reaction confirmed. To me it represents the essence of personal transportation in America. Anything less would be less, but anything more would be less as well, adding unneeded expense and bother for some unessential gain. Many times in those 16 years I have thought what a good job was done by those who designed the car and those who put it together. When I worked on it I thought that I was in some real way honoring all those people. So when I read about swapping in larger engines to make the car faster, I ask why. I'm sure they feel just as strongly the need for this as I felt the need for a dual exhaust, but I wonder if they are really scratching at the right place.

Of course, there are cars faster than mine and lots of them have passed me, but I get 42 MPG and drive with all the speed I need. I am amused each time I stop at a light alongside someone who just a block before roared past me in such haste. I am reminded of a recent TV ad praising a truck that has a 403 horse power engine. What kind of insanity is that? Where is the itch that truck is designed to scratch?

From what you have said, I'm sure you want to help your son in every possible way. He certainly wants a car that he can be proud of and that will win for him the admiration and respect of his peers, both male and female. You can provide that, with his guidance, for he will know better than you what they think is cool. My guess is it will be very expensive and very fast and shiny. But an even better gift would be to teach him to see through to the essence of things and know their real value. To see a car for what it was designed to do, and love it for that alone. To learn the beauty in simplicity and the courage to acknowledge the wholesomeness in what others deride as plain.

John Gunn
Coronado, CA

[drddan]

From what you have said, I'm sure you want to help your son in every possible way. He certainly wants a car that he can be proud of and that will win for him the admiration and respect of his peers, both male and female. You can provide that, with his guidance, for he will know better than you what they think is cool. My guess is it will be very expensive and very fast and shiny. But an even better gift would be to teach him to see through to the essence of things and know their real value. To see a car for what it was designed to do, and love it for that alone. To learn the beauty in simplicity and the courage to acknowledge the wholesomeness in what others deride as plain.

John Gunn
Coronado, CA

Whew, that is deep! and awesome. You sound like a well balanced guy! :p
Welcome John, and Ritz, to the site!

[RitzyFestiva]

Thanks John, Aprreciate your concern but he is pretty well grounded and I have been very big on keeping him going in that direction. He has wanted the Festiva pretty much from day one and it wasn't to make it into some hot rod. Basic transportation at an affordable cost. The only reason we bought the other engine was becasue of a major rear main seal leak that developed and we are trying to minimize the length of time his car is down. Also his mother isn't too thrilled with the oil leak in her garage! With putting this newer engine in we can do a basic removal and install that will minimize the down time to repair the older engine. Then with the old engine out, we can take our time on rebuilding the 1.3 so he will have a fresh engine to install later. There is no big need or desire to put a bigger engine in his "roller skate" as he is learning it costs money that neither he nor I have for such a rpoject. We are only trying to keep his basic transport up and running.

We had to replace the drivers side CV as the boot was torn. It ended up being a more involved project then intended as the wrong part was received from the parts store and it delayed the repair, couple that with the lousy weather and it required me letting him drive MY baby, LOL My 2000 Celica GT. having learned to drive a stick as his Festiva is a 5 speed, made it easy to let him use my car for a week. He really enjoyed driving my car and even washed and cleaned it up for me. But today after I was able to finish up his little car, he had taken his key with him so I had to call him to come over with the key so we could test it make sure everything was ready to go. He was so excited to get his little car back, he was smiling from ear to ear and was sooo jacked!

So having to get the bestest, fastest or most expensive mode of transoport is not real high on his priority list. He is learning to make do with what he has and improve it one piece at a time. Enjoy it for what it is Thanks for the help in getting my son's car back on the road.

[RitzyFestiva]

Just a heads up, the Aspire and early Festiva engine have some differences.

The cranks changed to a different design in mid-92, so you can't use the 88's crank pulley. Sounds like the previous owner already took care of that for you, though.

Also, the Aspire head has no place for the mechanical fuel pump, meaning you will need an inline pump.

Everything else should be plug 'n' play, though.


Good luck, and welcome!

-Tim

Thanks for the info but I asked some of those questins earlier when we were looking to pick up this Aspire engine. I was told pretty much all I woul dneed to do is basically turn the Aspire 1.3 into a long block, removal of all the EFI stuf, exhaust and intake manifolds and mount everything to the aspire block. Also that there was a location on the Aspire block for the mechnical fuel pump. I will continue to look at the engine now that I have it on a stand and begin to tear it down in preparation for the swap out. But thanks again for things to be looking out for. Just hoping to avoid any unnecessary delays once we get started. Not to worry, if I run into any "issues" you can bet that between the factory service manual and here I will be asking questions!