Oil leak

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Firestarter · #1 Post by **Firestarter** » Fri Apr 22, 2016 7:28 pm

So, went for MOT today, no problems. But while I was there, it looked like there was some dark staining on the oil cooler:

Closer look, looks like there's a fair bit of oil coming from somewhere.

There is actually an oil drop on the bottom of this bolt, but I'm struggling to determine what it is from the parts fiches, any suggestions?

I've always had a bit of a leak that showed up on the generator cover, but this seems to be a lot more significant.

Anyone got any suggestions, anything stand out as being the likely culprit? And what would be involved with fixing it?

Thanks

nicketynoo · #2 Post by **nicketynoo** » Fri Apr 22, 2016 8:13 pm

No idea mark but if you find out let me know, I seem to have developed my own down the left hand side but haven't been bothered to tear it down to find the source yet!

old git · #3 Post by **old git** » Sat Apr 23, 2016 5:34 pm

check out the cam cover mine was not tightened down correctly when it went into a garage for a shims check years ago, weeped just abit, but enough.
Its not easy to see in there, you wil have to take the fairings off and shine a tourch around in a darkened garage to see the shine on the oil trail.

#4 Post by **mangocrazy** » Sat Apr 23, 2016 6:49 pm

Good call on the cambox cover. They're very fiddly to get correctly in place and oil can weep out over time. It always heads south, so what looks like an oil cooler problem may have started a lot higher up in the engine.

Firestarter · #5 Post by **Firestarter** » Tue Apr 26, 2016 10:05 am

Thanks guys. would that bolt I highlighted in the pics be anything to do with the cam cover? I'm assuming the cam cover bolts are above, so if anything this is just where it is running from above (unless anyone can identify that bolt?)

Ta

old git · #6 Post by **old git** » Tue Apr 26, 2016 5:51 pm

Bolt pictured is nothing to do with the cam cover, cams are under the airbox, atop the engine. x2 number big bulgie things domed over the top of the cams, seal is about in line with the spark plugs as my memory serves.

Firestarter · #7 Post by **Firestarter** » Tue Apr 26, 2016 8:22 pm

I think the prize may be going to old git....

Pic taken by taking the front trim off (behind the front wheel). All cleaned up, going to give it a little nip up (9 nm for the valve cover?), run it for a bit and see what happens over a few run outs. It's due in to Griff for a valve check service, so I'll ask him to give it a proper sort

Thanks for the help so far guys

old git · #8 Post by **old git** » Wed Apr 27, 2016 6:10 am

edit voice of Kryton (Red Dwarf)
Mmmmmm - smug mode -

Glad you found it, should be an easy fix whatever you have to do.

#9 Post by **mangocrazy** » Wed Apr 27, 2016 7:46 pm

Sorry to rain on the parade, but it's very possible that the rubber sealing gasket/ring is not located correctly in the cambox cover. It's very easy to get wrong, especially on the front head,
as it's such a twat to get in there. By all means nip it up to the correct torque value (it's a very low value, by the way), but be aware that more intervention may be required.

I recently had to remove the cam cover on the rear head to correct a mistake I made last year with the balance shaft. Even on the rear head (which is much more accessible)
you need to be careful re-seating the cam cover so that the rubber sealing ring isn't pinched or compromised.

The cam cover has a recess that the rubber sealing ring locates in. I laboriously filled this recess with thick grease then squished the rubber sealing ring into the grease,
which meant it held in place while I positioned it on the cambox.

Hopefully it's just a case of it not being torqued up correctly...