Bad oil leak and front end removal T5 1.9

[Algypan]

Not sure if this is the correct sub?
Backstory;
T5 2004 1.9 AXB. On a mission to find the cause of my oil leaks, I recently cleaned up underneath with brake cleaner to keep an eye on things. Well today I have looked under and the entire front engine and gearbox is soaked. It doesn't look or smell like gearbox oil, as I only had both seals done recently, this looks like engine oil.

I knew there was a leak where the oil filter housing meets the block. This kind of just looked like old dried caked oil so didn't think much of it so put it on the backburner until I dealt with everything else. Seeing the state of the underside today, it looks like it MAY have originated from that housing area. It is definately front end that is leaking as the back has a leak from some pipe (I'll post that on a seperate sub).

I have a gasket for that housing and I'm about to head off to VW to buy new bolts for it also. Does anyone know what size bolts these are currently? as VW said the bolts that supersede the originals are just hex, but looking at the ones on at the moment they look almost spline like, kind of like the pic...

I assume this is no job to be done without removing the front end? Does anyone have a guide about how to do this? I'd prefer to be able to do it without removing it if possible. I do have a haynes manual but I cannot really make sense of it.

Apologies for the long-winded ramble...

 

[Paynewright]

A lot of these filter housings are plastic - definitely the caps.

I’d be checking for cracks.

Best VW diesel engine BTW

 

[Algypan]

A lot of these filter housings are plastic - definitely the caps.

I’d be checking for cracks.

Best VW diesel engine BTW

I do apologise but you'll have to explain that to me like I'm 5 The housing is metal from the looks of it, but whatare "caps"? Thanks!

It would be a better engine if it stopped leaking all the oil I put into it. Lol!

EDIT: Sorry, I realised you meant the plastic cap of the filter. I've taken it off and the top is clean, nothing running down the side of it.

 

[The Bear78]

After I changed my intercooler, the rubber seals in the pipes were not seated properly. This lead to lots of oil at the front of the engine as oil mist would blow out under boost. It wasn't enough to trigger a low oil warning so I'm sure that the volume of oil was not a concern. It did make a massive mess though.
I assume that your engine will be of similar design, how do the air pipe connections look?

 

[Algypan]

After I changed my intercooler, the rubber seals in the pipes were not seated properly. This lead to lots of oil at the front of the engine as oil mist would blow out under boost. It wasn't enough to trigger a low oil warning so I'm sure that the volume of oil was not a concern. It did make a massive mess though.
I assume that your engine will be of similar design, how do the air pipe connections look?

The pipes seem to be ok. I only have a leaky one at the rear of the engine and misting from the one that connects to the throttle body

 

[Algypan]

Little update...
This is where I'm at today. I tried to to do it by getting at those horrible little spline bolts from top and bottom but only managed two of them by some miracle. My BIL suggested to remove the bumper and potentially rad to get better access. Just look at the state of that intercooler rad! It's been rough up to this point, I've had coolant spray in my face, rusted bolts and screws snap or round off, plastic electrical connecters snap.... and I'm only two bolts of four from removing that cursed filter housing. I feel I've go nowhere with it. I still need to find a socket that fits these bolts as when I use the hex on the inner, they just round out

Any ideas what this socket is called that fits these bolts? Hopefully I can pick one up tomorrow, or a cheap set.

 

[The Bear78]

Standard 12 point bolt.
Any 12 point socket should fit. If you've got a set of ring spanners they should be similar. See which one fits so you know the size.

 

[Algypan]

Standard 12 point bolt.
Any 12 point socket should fit. If you've got a set of ring spanners they should be similar. See which one fits so you know the size.

Thanks! I thought it would of been some specialist spline type thing. I'll give it another bash tomorrow with a 12 point