1974 504 diesel - pervasive oil leak

Hi folks.

I am losing about a quart a week in my 1974 Peugeot 504 diesel four
door. After parking it, the car drips for 5-10 minutes and then
stops. I assume it is dripping the entire time I am driving it as
well.

Other than that, I am super happy with this car. It doesn't smoke,
shifts well, has decent power.

Not sure where to begin.
Every oil change place I take it to tells me the only work on "reg'lar
'Merican cars", like Fords and Chevys, they "wouldn't know what to do"
on a Peugeot.

I live in Arlington, Virginia.

Any help would be appreciated.

Jerome

PS: I'm also about to unbolt the front passenger seats to remove the
seat covers and give them to a friend that works at a upholstery
shop. I took the leather off an old couch that matches the color
exactly, and they will try to replace the worn sections with the
leather. Are the seat covers held in place with hog rings? I assume
I'll have to cut through them and then use new c-clips or hog rings
when I get the covers back?

 

Start by examining the enigne. The oil has to come from somewhere, there
should be a place where the oil starts. Maybe clean the engine first.
You also want to look from underneath. My 404 leaked the same way, which
was traced to the oil pressure switch which is located in the top of
the engine, but from underneath, so I never saw it from above.

Take it to a truck garage. They know about diesel engines.

Maarten

 

Yeah there's going to be an oil seal died somewhere. I'd guess the
likely places are crank or camshaft seals.

We had a TV show here in the UK a month or so back where a guy tried
to drive a 1970 Ford 1970 Ford Torino Squire Station Wagon across the
US without paying any money to chain businesses. Needles to say the
car needed a fair bit of work along the way and some of the work he
needed doing would have been "impossible" for the chains, so if you
can find a "pop and son" place try them. An engine is an engine when
it's all said and done.

 

Especially a diesel engine over 30 years old. That's basically how
Rudolf designed it.

Maarten

 

Check out the oil pressure switch. I have had those cause leaks on a number
of cars over the years. It is the first thing I look at now.

 

I had a similar problem with both of the 405 1.9 diesels I owned. The
oil just poured out! I don't know if the 504 diesel is anything like
the XUD, but it turned out to be the head gasket.

There's a captive oil seal at the camshaft pulley end of the head
gasket that rots if the oil isn't changed regularly. Try cleaning
around the head with gunk or something and have a close look.

Hope that helps.

Richard