Oil Leaks, or should I say, oil spews Options

[bigkensteele]

I did not want to completely hijack ORTHOBIZ's topic

http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showtopic=73234

Car is a completely stock '75 1.8

Issue 1: As I mentioned in his thread, my car either dies at inoportune times or just will not start at all, usually when I am far from home. Without exception, it has always started when the flatbed driver drops it on my driveway. I believe this to be an electrical problem rather than a fuel problem, although I have no proof.

Questions: What should I check now? What should I check when it happens? What tools should I be carrying with me to check what I need to check?

Issue 2: My car does not leak oil, it spews it. I have replaced the oil cooler seals with the engine in the car (per directions I downloaded somewhere). I am fairly certain that those seals should now be tight. However, the thing still leaks profusely. I have not yet had the opportunity to completely clean the engine and determine the location of all of the leaks. Unfortunately, it is leaving several distinct puddles.

Questions: Is there a known condition that could cause unusual positive internal pressure that would increase the amount of oil leakage?

Thanks,
Ken