Where does the oil come from

[Roger Lee]

My oil pump leaks, what should I do?

Most oil pump leaks are not the actual pump at all; instead the following are more likely culprits;

???? Residual oil from filter changes

???? Leaking fittings (inlet to pump, pressure sender, etc.)

???? Residual oil trapped in the cavities of the pump body.

Clean the area well and perform a short engine run (less than a minute) inspect for the source of the leak. Any oil leak from this area will be blown around the engine by the propwash so it is important to do a short run-up at low power in order to diagnose the problem.

???? If the oil is coming from the around the bolts it is just residual oil trapped in the cavities between the pump and the crankcase. It should clear itself up soon. Caution: Do not over torque the pump bolts, this will just distort the pump and make the leak worse.

???? Leaking fittings should be removed and Loctite 243 applied to the threads. Loctite 243 has a oil dispersant primer that allows it to seal even with oil coming out of the hole.