Help fix oil leak at cyl head please!

[Jon K]

So i located the oil leak on my car: (Pictures are for reference and are not the actual motor nor is the HG the same)

http://www.blowneuroz.com/525/Progress/oilleak1.jpg

http://www.blowneuroz.com/525/Progress/oilleak2.jpg


The spots in red are where the oil is coming form - its then getting to the edge of the head and dripping to the ground straight down. I used a decent amount of silicone on the surface from front timing cover to the HG, but I didn't use anything HG to the head. I think the front head bolts are tight but ... its leaking so... who knows?

Anyone have any help?

Details: We didn't remove measurable material from the block therefore the timing cover should not have had to been taken down at all. In fact, there seems to be no issue with the cover in terms of a step up or down at the block to timing cover transistion.

I am thinking of loosening the oil pan bolts that go into the timing cover up front, the bolts from the timing cover into the block, and the head to the timing cover, and torquing the cover up against the head. If I recall there are only 2 real bolts that pull the cover up against the head... so this might help. Not sure!

Halp me!

[winfred]

sure it's not the tensioner right above that spot? if everything is tight then theres a lack of sealing and you know what that means

[Blitzkrieg Bob]

sure it's not the tensioner right above that spot? if everything is tight then theres a lack of sealing and you know what that means

If it's bleed'n fast....the washer on the tensioner got mis alinged

[Jon K]

sure it's not the tensioner right above that spot? if everything is tight then theres a lack of sealing and you know what that means

Looks like it's all good on that tensioner - I could see the drip forming where the head meets the front cover. I used silicone on it so it SHOULD be ok... but... :(

Just pulled the valve cover and the rad and all that **** to get to the front cover. Loosened the front cover and torqued the head bolt that pulls the cover up against the head. The passenger side one wasnt very tight - wasn't totally loose, but wasn't very tight either. Tightened it up and going to see what happens.

[Jon K]

Ok this is ****ing great - the bolt in the timing cover just ****ing stripped. One of the Torx 8 ones that go down the head into the timing cover. Small one. ****.

[Ferret]

Ok this is ****ing great - the bolt in the timing cover just ****ing stripped. One of the Torx 8 ones that go down the head into the timing cover. Small one. ****.

May sound like a stupid question - and dont think I'm being condescending when I say this - are you sure it's stripped? Have you backed it out?

These bolts are prone to suddenly stretching quite viciously... I had terrible trouble with them when doing my B25-B20 head swap. They'd suddenly stretch while torqueing them down and I'd get that 'oshit, stripped' feeling.

Did you replace these during the build? Iirc there's 3-4 of them?

[whiskychaser]

Had the same problem but mine leaked coolant from the same spot round the other side. Even stripped the bolt - bet its the longer one :( Had the head off twice to sort it! In the end I used blue silicon sealant at the join, dispensed with the locating dowels and tightened the two bolts from the top before any of the others that go in from the front or bottom. Not had a drop since

[yaofeng]

I have the same symptom on my 525 m50tu. Oil is dripping on the AC compressor. I tightened the timing cover bolts but did no seem to help. I hate oil leaks.

[yaofeng]

That cannot be right. The cam sensor is on the intake side front. The leak is on the exhaust side.

[yaofeng]

I need to go back to verify. But I am reasonably certain that is not what happened in my case. I sprayed engine degreaser and washed it over the weekend. A day later the AC compressor is wet with oil again.

[Ferret]

Hmm...

I've just remembered something.

Pull your cam sensor and replace its o-ring.

When I had my M50, I'd not tightened down the bolt on in fully, and it'd drip oil down onto the edge of the head gasket at a *really* fast rate of knots - it'd run around the edge of the headgasket and down the front of the block, down that exact corner and some of it would get right around onto the exhaust manifold.

It drove me insane for 4 months trying to find the damn leak - I went through two gaskets and a tube of sealant.

I *knew* the rocker cover was now sealed and started to look elsewhere before I discovered I'd not tightened the cam sensor up properly.

[Ferret]

That cannot be right. The cam sensor is on the intake side front. The leak is on the exhaust side.

Yes, the oil was being blown out at a rapid rate due to the extra block pressure, then channeling in the gap between the head and block where the gasket sits. Channeled right around the front of the block easily and then got blown back straight onto the exhaust manifolds from that corner.

[yaofeng]

I looked at the cam sensor hole next to the VANOS actuator. It is dry. So it cannot be the cam sensor. I will have to remove the fan and shroud to take a really good look.