|
|
|
|
| Author |
|
|
Registered
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: San Francisco Bay Area
Posts: 1,194
|
Oil Leak help - near where camshaft meets chain tensioner -
O.K. - I recently did a valve adjustment, replaced the fuel filter, installed a euro cat pipe, changed the oil, adjusted the alt belt, etc. After this I did some driving and some G-Tech HP runs as I was planning on installing a MAF kit and wanted to check HP increase. Everything was fine, nice little HP bump from the Euro cat pipe and no leaks (valve covers looked good) - car ran great!
So I went to work on the MAF install which had the car on jack stands for a few weeks. I had to idle the car quite a bit to tune the MAF and during this process I noticed a pretty good leak near the rear of he tlower valve covers on both sides. After cleaning the areas good and watching the oil drip, it appears to be coming from between where the chain tensioner housing meets the camshaft. In fact, I would guess it is right at that point. I have read that there is an O ring in there so perhaps that has gone bad? The odd thing is both sides are leaking in the exact same spot. Is there anything I could have done to cause this (alt belt too tight, G-tech runs to redline blowing our gaskets?). It makes little sense that I had no leaks before and now it is leaking on both sides in the same spot. Any advice? |
||
02-16-2003, 10:49 AM
|
|
|
Registered
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Los Alamos, NM, USA
Posts: 6,044
|
Did you change to synthetic oil?
|
||
|
02-16-2003, 10:55 AM
|
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Left Coast, Canada
Posts: 4,572
|
There is a 3-bolted plate behind the camshaft sprocket. This plate retains the camshaft. It is sealed to the camtower with a paper gasket and the o-ring you mention.
The o-ring/gasket may be toast simply due to old age. I've been told these can be replaced with the motor in the car, but it is usually done while the motor is out.
__________________
'81 SC Coupe "Blue Bomber" "Keep your eyes on the road, and your hands upon the wheel."- J.D.M. |
||
|
02-16-2003, 11:00 AM
|
|
|
Registered
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: San Francisco Bay Area
Posts: 1,194
|
I did not change to synthetic. The car has 110,000 miles on it and was consuming about 1 quart per 600 miles. This seemed a bit high and there is indication of seapage in that area. The oil had just never hit the ground before like it is now (of course I never idled it in the garage like this either).
It seems awfully strange that both sides would go at the same time in the same place.
__________________
Bill |
||
|
02-16-2003, 11:04 AM
|
|
|
Registered
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Jackson, Wyoming
Posts: 634
|
The post located as part of the inner chain housing...the one that the tensioner fits on...is pressed into the housing and epoxied in place from the factory. Sometimes these posts break free and try to back off the tensioner and usually stop when it hits the fins on the cylinder. You can remove the front cover to verify this....I suppose that this might be were the oil is coming from, seeping around the post. As long as the post has stopped moving, it should keep the tensioner in place. If not then you will need to replace the rear chain cover.
__________________
12' GT3 18’ 991S |
||
|
02-16-2003, 11:06 AM
|
|
|
Registered
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: San Francisco Bay Area
Posts: 1,194
|
Hmmm - I guess I am going to have to visit my mechanic (he wanted to see my MAF install anyway). Any suggestion on home trouble shooting?
This kind of sucks as the car was getting really dialed in and my first DE of the season is next month. Here is a picture of the MAF install: 
|
||
|
02-16-2003, 11:16 AM
|
|
|
|
Registered
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: San Francisco Bay Area
Posts: 1,194
|
anyone?
__________________
Bill |
||
|
02-16-2003, 04:28 PM
|
|
