GA SMA CONSIDERS DIVERTING UNTIL ATC CTLR DECLARES EMER AND DIRECTS RPTR TO LAND AT ERI.

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THE DAY BEGAN IFR BED TO ERI. I JUST HAD THE PLANE CHKED OUT AND NEW AVIONICS INSTALLED. THIS TRIP WAS UNEVENTFUL; WHILE FLYING ERI TO OSC PHASE 2; WITH 4 YOUNG CHILDREN AND MY WIFE. DURING PREFLT EVERYTHING TESTED OKAY. TKOF WAS NORMAL. AROUND 3000 FT I NOTICED LITTLE DROPS OF OIL COMING FROM TOP OF COWL AND WONDERED IF I PUT THE DIPSTICK IN TIGHT. I KNEW I DID. I REMEMBERED I DID; BUT I HAD NO IDEA WHY THE OIL DROPS. NEXT THING I KNEW I WAS ALREADY 1300-1400 RPM ON MY HORIZ ELECTRONIC TACHOMETER. BUT THE ENG SOUNDED FINE. I INCREASED RPM AND NOTICED LITTLE INCREASE ON THE TACHOMETER. I NOTIFIED ERIE DEP OF MY SIT AND ASKED IF THERE WAS A NEAR ARPT AHEAD OF ME (WBOUND). THE CTLR POLITELY; BUT FORCEFULLY SAID TO TURN AROUND TO ERIE AND LAND. I FELT BOTH PROBS WERE MINOR; AND THE ENG SEEMED TO WORK FINE. I TURNED AROUND ANYWAY AND LANDED BACK AT ERIE. AN ACR JET WAS FORCED TO CANCEL HIS APCH AND DELAY LNDG SO I COULD LAND AT ERIE; PA. THE CTLR DECLARED THE EMER FOR ME. I BELIEVE THIS IS A GREAT EXAMPLE WHERE CTLR; PLT CAN WORK TOGETHER TO MAKE A DECISION SO THAT THE 'PIC' IS NOT BURDENED WITH SUCH A TASK IN A TIME WHEN THE FIRST THOUGHTS ARE DENIAL. THE PROB WAS A HOT 'L' MAGNETO CAPACITOR. THERE WAS A SMALL LEAK AT THE DIPSTICK GASKET. I DID CLOSE THE DIPSTICK. BOTH PROBS REPAIRED. WHAT'S THE CHANCE OF BOTH GOING WRONG AT THE SAME TIME.