Hey Mac: I am by no means an engine "expert", however, I have fixed a few
oil leaks. The first thing is to clean the engine/compartment very
thoroughly. Then run the engine one minute at a time examining very closely to
determine where the oil is coming from. If you have lots of leaks, they may
show
up in the first or second minute. Once you determine where they are coming
from, then you can determine the best process to stop the leak.
Areas to consider (besides the push rod tubes) are front crankcase
seal, fuel pump, cylinder seals, oil tank, oil tank filler cap, generator and
starter, tach drive, crankcase joint, pump drive under crankcase (if your
engine has the plate) and the crankcase vent tube. One item to check on
the crankcase vent is that the extension has been added to the vent fitting.
Your engine did not come with one.
As you can see, there are a lot of areas that can cause oil leaks
besides the cylinders (and possible high back pressure) and eliminating all of
them should make it easier to decide if new cylinders are required.
Another thing you might do is go to your local EAA chapter meeting and ask
them
who they recommend to stop oil leaks.
Lynn Nelsen
