oil leak

[C191JOE]

How would oil be leaking from the top of the engine at the 'belts' end.
Definitely not the rocker cover seals - dry as a bone all round. Could it be the camshaft seal and if so how is it examined and/or replaced? Haynes is silent on this issue or else I'm looking in the wrong place. There has to be a camshaft seal, hasn't there? (1.6 S engine 1985).
Thanks in advance for the help!

[henocsr]

There is a cam shaft seal, it is the same seal for both ends. you would need to reomve the timing belt and the cam shaft pulley gear to replace it though. If it has been leaking check the timing belt for oil contamination which could cause it to fail.

[G Force]

You can easily inspect the front cam seal for oil leaks if you unclip the top part of the cam belt cover and shine a torch through the holes in the cam pulley. (The cover just pulls off if you ease the three plastic barbs that secure it in place).

Oil can also leak in that area from the head gasket because the main oil feed to the head and camshaft is in that area. The feed is right at the front on the manifold side, oil runs down from that area but also runs along the front of the head & block under the cam pulley and is visible around the altenator bracket.

Oil can also leak from the camshaft carrier RTV joint between the head and the carrier.

[C191JOE]

I'm fairly certain it's head gasket judging by G Force's reply and the evidence.
Still, there's a camshaft gasket in the head gasket pack so I might as well replace the seal when and as I do the head gasket. After the PAS rack that is.

I think there is a new Maestro saying here:

A Maestro always leaks in two places at once, or:it never leaks but it pours.:mad:

[SimonR]

It's as we were fearing then!

I'm wondering if the head Gasket is leaking because we didn't use new bolts when we fitted the new unleaded cylinder head. Anyone know if these are stretch bolts and therefore require replacing each time they're removed...?

Still a HG job on an S-Series isn't any major drama - we had an engine out and almost back in again last Saturday.....

[G Force]

I'm wondering if the head Gasket is leaking because we didn't use new bolts when we fitted the new unleaded cylinder head. Anyone know if these are stretch bolts and therefore require replacing each time they're removed...?
.....

The head bolts are reusable but should be examined for any signs of stretching (usually in the area around the top of and just above the threaded portion)

The S series head bolts are not as prone to stretching as the O 2 series bolts as they are not quite as long for one thing.

When renewing the gasket make sure the head and block are perfectly clean and dry and the surface of the head & block are level. Check the bolts for any stretching, clean the threads and very lightly oil the threads and under the integral washer before tightening to correct torque setting in the right sequence.

To reduce the chance of future oil leaks in the cylinder head area make sure there is an oil restrictor fitted in the oil feed in the block, as this was not fitted to early engines as it was a later mod.

Gary:)

[C191JOE]

Thanks, invaluable advice. How will I know the oil restrictor when I see it or don't see it as the case maybe.

[G Force]

Thanks, invaluable advice. How will I know the oil restrictor when I see it or don't see it as the case maybe.

In the cylinder block the oil gallery to the cylinder head is about 1/8" 3mm, in diameter, if you can gently insert something suitable around that size into the gallery of the block then there is not a restrictor fitted.

The restrictor when fitted is sometimes visible but often not because it is obscured by the oil sat on top of it. It is just a tiny thimble shaped steel plug with a small hole in it, that is pressed flush into the top of the oil gallery.

It was introduced in production and as a modification (if a cylinder head was removed) around 1985/6, to reduce oil consumption and to combat oil leaks from the head.

[C191JOE]

Great, thanks - I'll have a good look around in due course.