Cylinder head oil leak

[doug73cs]

I'm going to try to fix the oil seepage at the cylinder head gasket with RTF. Re-use the gasket (8,000mi on it) and bolts or splurge on new ones? Guessing the answer but always optomistic.

Doug

[beammmer]

sounds like you have it figured out.

Don

[doug73cs]

Yeah, but I can be cheap too. New it is Mr Blunt.

[TobyB]

New gasket, same old bolts.

t

[doug73cs]

Would a cutting ring head gasket help stop leaking? Overkill and $$$$ I know but I only want to do this once.

Thx

[Catman]

Are you trying to say that you are going to pull your cylinder head and put some goo on it then put it back on with the old head gasket ?

[doug73cs]

Never having done this before I thought I would ask.

So new gasket, bolts and sealant of some sort. RTF silicon? A friend suggested a cutting ring head gasket would help increase the chance of success. The seep is driver side below the first intake/timing case cover. Classic location.

[TobyB]

waitaminnit.

If you're talking about a leak from the front cover, that's a lot easier to

fix than the head gasket itself.

And pretty darned common. Classic causes are improper assembly, uncut

(too tall) cover, and lack of RTV. Which you do use, in moderation.

The head will only leak oil around the pressure port,

which is upper front. (erk. I think) And almost never does.

No, a cutting ring gasket will probably make it WORSE if it's leaking oil,

as the oil sealing passage is the same, but the rings around the cylinders

compress less than a normal gasket does. A cutting ring gasket's

for compression seal problems. And kind of drastic.

And you don't use sealants on a head gasket, nor do you have to use

new bolts. But post up a pic or 2- sounds like you have a front cover issue.

t

[slash02]

I'm going to try to fix the oil seepage at the cylinder head gasket with RTF. Re-use the gasket (8,000mi on it) and bolts or splurge on new ones? Guessing the answer but always optomistic.

Doug

New gasket at least. Wait.. Doug, did you re-torque your head after doing the gasket 8000mi ago? Might just need a re-torque. Could try that. If you need a hand, let me know though.. You should know my email address.

[slash02]

Never having done this before I thought I would ask.

So new gasket, bolts and sealant of some sort. RTF silicon? A friend suggested a cutting ring head gasket would help increase the chance of success. The seep is driver side below the first intake/timing case cover. Classic location.

The newer headgaskets have this bead that goes all the way around to prevent this BTW.

You can see it in this worldpac pic... (Autopartways.com)

[c.d.iesel]

it's not yer head gasket,

it's your fuel pump spacer block and gaskets

and if you did remove thehead - have it checked on a surface plate,

resurfaced with the front timing cover attached if needed,

ONLY NEW HEAD GASKET - standard is good, and you MUST

completely clean out the head bolt holes in the blockbefore reassembling!

Finally - proper tightening torque of the head bolts.

NOTHING - NO sealong applied to the NEW head gasket!

Only a tiny dab of sealent at the front small holes in the gasket

at the seamsof the front timing cover gaskets

[Scott Sislane]

waitaminnit.

If you're talking about a leak from the front cover, that's a lot easier to

fix than the head gasket itself.

And pretty darned common. Classic causes are improper assembly, uncut

(too tall) cover, and lack of RTV. Which you do use, in moderation.

The head will only leak oil around the pressure port,

which is upper front. (erk. I think) And almost never does.

No, a cutting ring gasket will probably make it WORSE if it's leaking oil,

as the oil sealing passage is the same, but the rings around the cylinders

compress less than a normal gasket does. A cutting ring gasket's

for compression seal problems. And kind of drastic.

And you don't use sealants on a head gasket, nor do you have to use

new bolts. But post up a pic or 2- sounds like you have a front cover issue.

t

ya, what he said. Sounds like you just need to remove the upper timing chain cover, clean it up and add some RTV around the all the mating surfaces where it's leaking. Pics woul dconfirm that.

Good luck.

Scott

[c.d.iesel]

this would be nice to do to make it last many years and

1,000' of miles

[doug73cs]

Answers to questions/suggestions and a photo of the seepage area.

The oil seeps down below the first intake port but looking at the photo it is entirely possible and maybe most likely that the leak is at the timing case cover as Toby suggests and just follows gravity and the casting back until it reaches a point where it can run down the block.

There is no oil seep around the fuel pump gasket - dry and clean.

I have not re-torqued the head nor have I touch the motor as I bought the car with a supposedly stock re-build (but no paper on the work). Given the very clean valve gear (zero sludge shiny bright metal), no smoke and good performance I believe this is the case. It has 8,000mi on it but I'll check the torque numbers.

Sounds like clean and re-seal the upper timing case cover gasket is worth a try first but I have a feeling getting a better seal given the difficulty in cleaning the surfaces of the lower timing case/head gasket joint is problematic. Worth a try though.

Thanks to all and CD - great info on correct procedure for the install.

[TobyB]

Here's the only high pressure oil spot-

if it's coming out of the front upper corner, this is where it'd come from.

t