Oil Leak From Back, Below Cam Cover?

[Bovien 6]

I seem to have an oil leak from the backside of the 1.9 engine. It's not the cam cover but somewhere below that on the left close to or behind the cambelt cover.

 

Is that a gasket in to the camshaft? or can it be anything else? It's very hard to spot without getting the car on a ramp.

[Anthony 1,000]

Camshaft oil seal would be the obvious suspect.

[Bovien 6]

Sounds right. How hard is that to change, when you have access to and removed the timing belt?

[DamirGTI 327]

Just remove the timing belt covers , slacken the belt tensioner and slide the belt off from the camshaft pulley .

 

Then , undo the camshaft pulley bolt (you'll need to make an tool to hold the cam pulley while undoing the bolt though , if you don't have one , it's not hard to make it DIY if you have welding machine and few piece of steel bars .. or borrow from someone universal pulley holder) .

Remove the cam pulley , use a pocket screwdriver to poke the seal out , press/fit a new seal inside (apply an light skim of blue anaerobic sealant on the outer side of the seal , and oil up the inner side of the seal with fresh engine oil prior to fitting ..)

 

Fit the pulley back , clean up the pulley bolt threads with an wire brush and apply medium grade thread-locking glue , and tight to the torque specs (can't remember how much Nm is for camshaft pulley bolt ?!?... check in Haynes book)

 

Now , myself , when i undo the timing belt once i always replace him for the sake of a two bottles of beer price ... though , if your was recently replaced , can just slide it back on the cam pulley timed it up and away you go ..

If not , it'll be best opportunity to replace it along with the seal .

 

Damir

[Bovien 6]

Thanks man!

I'll replace as it might have been covered in oil due to the leak, which might promote wear...

[DamirGTI 327]

No doubt it needs to be fixed , cos it might spread on a timing belt ... and timing belt and oil are not a good pair

 

It's not hard , you'll see ..

 

Have fun !

Damir

[Bovien 6]

Ok, found it it was not the cam seal. The cambelt is completly dry. I would expect everything to be covered in oil in there, if the cam seal was leaking, right?

But the fact remains that I have an oil drip from the buttom of the cam cover. It als seems to drip from the round engine mount next to the drive shaft, so I'm guessing it is either comming from several places or being tossed around somehow.

I also see oil lying along the sump gasket, but that might just be creeping along that, when it comes from higher up. It is not huge amounts, but I can't for the life of me figure where it originates from.

 

So does anyone have any ideas where else it can come from except the cam seal or cam cover (that looks dry, but I will replace as it should be very easy and cheap)?

(I have a small drip from the cam seal on the right side of the engine, but I can't see any way it should come all the way from there.)

[jamie_1992 66 1 Cars]

what about head gasket? is there oil in the water?

[jamie_1992 66 1 Cars]

what about head gasket?

[Kezzer30 40 1 Cars]

First off il start by saying im no mechancin and very limited what i know under the bonnet ( bodywork is my sorta thing haha) but when i got mine it was leaking oil when the engine was warm if it was cooled down it wudnt leak but when it did it was a constant drip , sent it to my mates garage and it was the oil pressure switch , all bottom of sump was coverd as u wud expect aswel , once replaced no leak at all , this could be no help at all but its just a suggestion , ps hope u get her sorted pal

[Richie-Van-GTi 70 2 Cars]

Ok, found it it was not the cam seal. The cambelt is completly dry. I would expect everything to be covered in oil in there, if the cam seal was leaking, right?

(that looks dry, but I will replace as it should be very easy and cheap)?

(I have a small drip from the cam seal on the right side of the engine, but I can't see any way it should come all the way from there.)

 

Clean it all down and replace anyway as it is cheap. A small leak wont get everywhere as you expect but it will dribble down slowly and end where you are describing due to the angle of the engine.

[DamirGTI 327]

The cambelt is completly dry. I would expect everything to be covered in oil in there, if the cam seal was leaking, right?

 

Not quite , cos .. there's a shield which protects the cambelt from oil/water/dirt contamination form outside an as well the inside ... by the time the cam seal is really worn out it'll pass the shield and contaminate the cambelt ... so , it's not yet as bad ...

 

Other than that , could be valve cover gasket , or HG , or core plug (dunno if it has one on the oil gallery on the that side of the head .. im not sure ..)

 

Replace the seal first and then you'll see .. as said , it's cheap and easy to replace it .

 

Damir

[Bovien 6]

what about head gasket? is there oil in the water?

 

Nope. Both oil and water seems fine

 

First off il start by saying im no mechancin and very limited what i know under the bonnet ( bodywork is my sorta thing haha) but when i got mine it was leaking oil when the engine was warm if it was cooled down it wudnt leak but when it did it was a constant drip , sent it to my mates garage and it was the oil pressure switch , all bottom of sump was coverd as u wud expect aswel , once replaced no leak at all , this could be no help at all but its just a suggestion , ps hope u get her sorted pal

 

I just replaced that, as that was leaking a bit as well. Thats all dry now.

 

Not quite , cos .. there's a shield which protects the cambelt from oil/water/dirt contamination form outside an as well the inside ... by the time the cam seal is really worn out it'll pass the shield and contaminate the cambelt ... so , it's not yet as bad ...

 

Other than that , could be valve cover gasket , or HG , or core plug (dunno if it has one on the oil gallery on the that side of the head .. im not sure ..)

 

Replace the seal first and then you'll see .. as said , it's cheap and easy to replace it .

 

Damir

 

Ok, so there is yet another shield behind the cam belt cover? Between the cam belt and the cam shield? That would make sense as it is dripping from the bottom part of the cam belt cover.

But I'll try to replace the cam cover seal and clean everything down and see.

 

Bonus info, it only leaks when driven. Not while running idle...

[DamirGTI 327]

Ok, so there is yet another shield behind the cam belt cover?

 

Bonus info, it only leaks when driven. Not while running idle...

 

Yes it's a double shield cam cover

 

.. the fact that leaks while driving is a clear sign of bad seal .

 

Damir

[Bovien 6]

Yes it's a double shield cam cover

 

.. the fact that leaks while driving is a clear sign of bad seal .

 

Damir

 

And here you mean which seal? Cam cover, cam belt or sump?

[DamirGTI 327]

Chamshaft oil seal i which you need to replace :

 

http://webshop-cs.tecdoc.net/corteco/?country=gb&language=en#

 

... buy it @ local car part store (you have the measures above) , cos it's cheaper than OE .

 

Damir

[Bovien 6]

I've changed the valvagasket now, and are going to replace the camshaft gasket near the timing belt. However, there are also a gasket on the other side of the camshaft, right? I cant find that on servicebox. Can anyone supply a link or part no?

 

Also, I have a tiny leak from the sump, so I'll replace the gasket there as well. But isn't there a gasket on both sides of the spacer? I can only find the one between the spacer and the sump, not the one between the spacer and the block. So any part no or link?

 

Thaaaaanks

[welshpug 1,627]

 

 

[Bovien 6]

Ok, I was thinking about that as well, but was told that actual gaskets existed for the sump.

 

How about the seal on the right side of the camshaft?

Edited October 29, 2012 by Bovien

[welshpug 1,627]

crank pulley side? what about it?

[DamirGTI 327]

seal on the right side of the camshaft?

 

Just remove the timing belt covers , slacken the belt tensioner and slide the belt off from the camshaft pulley .

 

Then , undo the camshaft pulley bolt (you'll need to make an tool to hold the cam pulley while undoing the bolt though , if you don't have one , it's not hard to make it DIY if you have welding machine and few piece of steel bars .. or borrow from someone universal pulley holder) .

Remove the cam pulley , use a pocket screwdriver to poke the seal out , press/fit a new seal inside (apply an light skim of blue anaerobic sealant on the outer side of the seal , and oil up the inner side of the seal with fresh engine oil prior to fitting ..)

 

Fit the pulley back , clean up the pulley bolt threads with an wire brush and apply medium grade thread-locking glue , and tight to the torque specs (can't remember how much Nm is for camshaft pulley bolt ?!?... check in Haynes book)

 

Now , myself , when i undo the timing belt once i always replace him for the sake of a two bottles of beer price ... though , if your was recently replaced , can just slide it back on the cam pulley timed it up and away you go ..

If not , it'll be best opportunity to replace it along with the seal .

 

Damir

 

... replace !

 

 

Damir

[Bovien 6]

crank pulley side? what about it?

 

There is a seal somewhere in behind the dizzy, right? I cant find the part no for that

[DamirGTI 327]

10 1339 41 01 HOUSING SEAL

 

 

http://www.miamistu.co.uk/pug/GB/205F/1/13E52A.HTM

 

Damir

[DamirGTI 327]

.. or :

06 1339 64 01

HOUSING SEAL

 

That one is O-ring on the dizzy .

 

Damir

[Bovien 6]

Thanks man!