Oil Leak still....

[GotaT]

I recently buttoned up my 2.4 rebuild and put it back in the car. I've run it and found oil leaking in between the Cam towers and the heads. I tourqued the Cam towers to 18ft/lbs which I now know should have been to 21ft/lbs. What I am considering doing is draining the oil pulling the valve covers and tourqing to the 21ft/lbs.
Any of you experience the same leak area? Would this be a feasible solution?

[DonE]

Yes. I found that it was the rocker shafts not being tight enough. I torqued them to spec, but found that I had to add like a quarter extra turn. You must be careful not to damage the soft AL that they sit in, but this stopped the leaks.

[GotaT]

Really, The rocker shafts? The small 5mm Allen bolt w/ flanges on both ends? If these arent tight enough then oil could leak between the cam tower housing and heads?
Thanks!

[Groesbeck Hurricane]

2nd on the rocker shafts. Did you get the RSR seals for the shafts from Pelican? I'd suggest it. I would suggest you double check these as well as the torque on your cam towers.

[MBEngineering]

HI did you position the rocker shafts in the cam carrier in the correct position??????. what selant?

regards mike

[GotaT]

I knew nothing of the RSR seals. The pelican salesman didnt mention them to me when I ordered everything unfortunately... Im thinking ... worst case situation. Pull the covers, Pull each rocker arm, install rsr seals, reinstall, valve adjust, tourque cam towers....

Im hoping to just tighten down a little more on the rockers and retourque the cam towers. .. think it'll work?

- losing sleep....

[GotaT]

Mike I positioned them all by eyeball centering them in the tower itself. I used no sealant.

[Jim Sims]

If you truly have a leak between the cam towers and the heads tightening the cam tower bolts is unlikely to fix it. There is a cured sealant (or at least there should be) between the cam towers and the heads. Once cured it shouldn't be disturbed.

A rocker arm shaft leak can appear to be a leak between the cam towers and the heads.

When rebuilding, the torque used for the rocker arm shaft pinch bolts has to be higher than the factory specified "new cam tower bore" value. Also the RSR shaft seals are a good thing to use, especially if the rocker arm shaft bores in the cam towers have been scarred up (very common) by improper rocker arm shaft removal.

I thought the RSR shaft seals were mentioned in Wayne's 911 engine rebuilding book; do you have a copy?

[ischmitz]

I second the rocker shaft as the source of the leak. Walt @ CE told me to intentionally overtorque the rocker shafts to make sure the seal. The factory spec won't always work when the cam towers are not brand-new.

The RSR seals may help. Just make sure you do not damage them during the installation. They easily get cut when sliding the shaft into the cam tower.

Ingo

[MBEngineering]

HI the shafts are in the center of the bosses in the cam carrier, is that correct, if so thay should be set off to one side as in the manual

regards mike

[DonE]

Originally posted by ischmitz
I second the rocker shaft as the source of the leak. Walt @ CE told me to intentionally overtorque the rocker shafts to make sure the seal. .....

[snip]

Ingo

What exactly would "overtorque" mean you? Additional 5 ft/lbs? 7? Good advice, but I don't want to damage the towers. thx

[afterburn 549]

stand on your head and do the seals,,almost 100% chance of fixing your problem

[ischmitz]

I don't remember the exact specification. But let's say it's 17lbs per spec than go to something like 25% more. So that would be 21 lbs. This won't damage the cam towers.

You essentially use your wrist "torquometer" and common sense when tightening the bolts. Maybe, give Walt at Competition Engineering a call or send him an Email to be 100% sure.

Cheers,
Ingo

[GotaT]

Alright, I've checked the rocker shafts for oil leaking on either end.. I found no leaks on any of them. I snugged them up a bit more and retourqed the cam tower nuts. Drove and still leaks. Leads me to believe the leak is coming from in between the cam tower and heads, once again.
So, Im going to pull the cam towers off and use a sealant to mate the two surfaces(cam tower to heads). What is the recommended sealant? I was thinking of some sort of "wet sealant" such as hondabond (designed for metal to metal contact-kinda rubbery) Suggestions??

Any of you ever pull of the cam towers from the heads without pulling the engine out? Ive studied it and think it can be done by pulling off the perimeter pan/shield, removing valve covers, chain tensioner covers, chain tensioners, sprocket/chain, camshaft cover, and then pull off the Cam towers.(essentially) Anyone been here before?? Advice?

Thanks
Mitch

[MBEngineering]

HI yes been there dun'it, bit of a fiddle but you can do it , Iwould take the engine out, for the hassle it is to do the job in the car, you did put sealer on the heads/cambox did'nt you , i usualy stay away from the silicon sealers and use the Curil K2 the factory use to use(elring the gasket people make it) you can get it from the BMW dealer about £6 for 250 ml.

regards mike

[afterburn 549]

I bet my 1st post is right !! the rockers will disguise them selves as all sorts of leaks BTDT

[GotaT]

AFTERBURN, Ive pulled the covers as mentioned and felt around the allen bolts/nuts and felt No residual oil.

[Groesbeck Hurricane]

was there residual oil on the lower covers when you took them off? Was the oil in the expected area or all over the covers?

[GotaT]

When i pulled the covers the oil on the inside of the covers was only in the typical spots on the backside of the covers. bottoms and tops the same. nor did i feel any oil leaks from around the rocker allen bolts on the cam tower.

[dtw]

Do I read correctly that there's no sealant at all, currently, between heads and cam towers? If so, that is likely the problem.

I'd just pull the motor to do the fix, but your way might work...may help to drop the rear mounts so you can lower the motor a bit too.