Low oil / Oil leak

On my 1600 T40, i've allways had an oil leak when the car gets some serious thrashing.

When it's just pootling around it seems to hold it's oil perfectly. I can't see quite where it's coming from, but i suspect its from the crankcase pick-up, as the oily gunk is all over the top of the starter motor e.t.c. So i don't think it's Crank Seal e.t.c or anything major.

Problem is, i'd not checked it in a couple of days and i've been blasting up and down motorways all last week.The Oil light hasn't come on in the car, but the Oil level is right on the bottom of the dipstick.

I know the importance of oil, but roughly how much will be left in the sump !? I'm going to be gutted if i've caused some sort of fatal damage :(

Also, i use Valvoline VR 1 Mineral Racing (i think it's a mineral oil), i can't get hold of any around here, so i presume it's ok to throw in some similar 20-50 Mineral oil ?

Definently not the back of the rocker cover gasket?
Or between the cam housing and head?

Nope, Rocker cover gasket is brand new. And there doesn't seem to be any problems between the head and Cam housing.

It's hard to see really, and i can't get under the car as it's too low at the front :( .

I THINK there is an ugly looking 90 degree custom made metal pipe that comes directly off the crankcase and onto the breather pipes. Which seems to be the culprit.

Sounds like there could be a hole or a leaking gasket on the oil seperator unit, do you have it venting to air or plumbed back into the cam housing?

Do you mean the oil seperator unit in the Rocker Cover !?

I basically have the crankcase breather pipe-work, t peiced into the cam housing, and then into a tank.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...IMG_2664-1.jpg

Ignore the Red and arrows. that was for something else..

The leak is definetly coming from the bottom backside of the engine. Everything else is nice and clean, apart from the sump, and half the floorplan ha

Ahh, forgot that on multipoints it's just a tube coming up the back out of the crankcase, on all others there's a seperator tank down there. Could be that where it bolts to the block the gasket's goosed or it might have come loose?

Only other thing I can think of throwing oil out down there if the head and cam box are dry is a hole in the block.

The whole engine was rebuilt less than 6k ago.. I'm stumped. Untill i have a look i guess i wont beable to tell what it is.

I'm more worried about how low the oil has gotten without me realising !

Thanks for the Replies

I've known people top the oil up and then realise the catch tank is full, drained yours lately?lol

I drained it recently. but i'm going to check it again tommorow.

Although, there is a large amount of oil around the back of the engine, bottom of the box e.t.c and all down the floor plan !

By the way, If your oil light comes on, Its too late.