Omega Owners Forum

Omega Help Area => Omega General Help => Topic started by: jmax on 10 August 2012, 17:19:23

Title: V6 Oil Leak
Post by: jmax on 10 August 2012, 17:19:23
Just finished fitting replacement heads to my '97 V6. Took the car for a run last night and lost about half a gallon of oil. There is a steady leak coming from somewhere that wasn't evident while the car was on the drive.. Suspected it might be the cam shaft gaskets/oil seals. Took the timing belt covers off and no oil leaks in that area. I have just taken the plenum off and the intake and there is a load of oil in the well between the heads. The cam shaft gaskets are sound and can't see any leaks from the oil cooler. (New washers fitted and the cooler cleaned out) There is a film of oil on the intake face of the right hand head - but again can't see any leaks. Any ideas?
Title: Re: V6 Oil Leak
Post by: Big_Al on 10 August 2012, 19:04:08
Had a nightmare oil leak on my '99 2.5 . Just could not find it . Changed cam cover gaskets & cleaned breathers TWICE

 Long story cut short  . . it was  warped cam covers .

 Critical they are only torqued down to 8NM which is hardly tight at all . Follow the guide on here to the letter.

To lose "half a gallon"  that is a big leak  . . . make sure half moons at back  are located properly .

If you are losing that much you should be able to see where from .

Mine was laying in the V around the oil cooler plate & then running down to top of sump along the front below the pulleys.

Sounds similar to my leak  . .  but BIGGER !    HTH  :y
Title: Re: V6 Oil Leak
Post by: Andy H on 10 August 2012, 20:14:49
To lose "half a gallon"  that is a big leak  . . . make sure half moons at back  are located properly .
Classic cause of a big leak after work on the top end of the engine. ;)
Title: Re: V6 Oil Leak
Post by: jmax on 10 August 2012, 20:30:43
Cam covers and half moons are ok. Been advised that gasket may be on wrong way. ( If it is -public flogging will be arranged) Watch this space>
Big public thankyou to The Red Baron for all his help. Top Man.
Title: Re: V6 Oil Leak
Post by: Andy B on 10 August 2012, 20:37:33
Cam covers and half moons are ok. Been advised that gasket may be on wrong way. ( If it is -public flogging will be arranged) Watch this space>
Big public thankyou to The Red Baron for all his help. Top Man.

If I 'd seen this earlier I could've offered you my opinion, I've been off work today. Not sure it's possible to fit a rocker gasket on 4rse about face  ??? ???
Title: Re: V6 Oil Leak
Post by: Big_Al on 10 August 2012, 20:42:01
Cam covers and half moons are ok. Been advised that gasket may be on wrong way. ( If it is -public flogging will be arranged) Watch this space>
Big public thankyou to The Red Baron for all his help. Top Man.

Think they only go on one way  . .  :o :o :o   gaskets come as a shaped pair for each cam cover . pretty sure they would fit no where near if round other way and upside down the half moon would be totally wrong  :-\ :-\
Title: Re: V6 Oil Leak
Post by: jmax on 10 August 2012, 20:52:34
Thanks Andy B. The gasket i was referring to was the head gasket. Both the camshaft gaskets look ok. No sign (that i can see) of any leaks around them. Loads of oil in the well, down the back of the engine and some down the front. I have cleaned the breathers several times. There is quite a bit of oil on the inlet faces and the plenum so it must be drawing it up.
Title: Re: V6 Oil Leak
Post by: Andy B on 10 August 2012, 21:16:09
Thanks Andy B. The gasket i was referring to was the head gasket. Both the camshaft gaskets look ok. No sign (that i can see) of any leaks around them. Loads of oil in the well, down the back of the engine and some down the front. I have cleaned the breathers several times. There is quite a bit of oil on the inlet faces and the plenum so it must be drawing it up.

So, it's had head gasket(s) changed? Again, not sure how you'd get  them wrong (I've only helped with one car's head gaskets though  ::)) Where were they done?
Title: Re: V6 Oil Leak
Post by: jmax on 10 August 2012, 21:29:46
I did them. Like you cant see how i put em on the wrong way - but its possible. Must be some pressure in the oil pump to force its way between the block and the head. Either that or i damaged the gasket dropping the head on. I dont really want to take the heads off again but as they say "onward and upwards". You are quite welcome to have a look. We 're not that far apart.
Title: Re: V6 Oil Leak
Post by: dbug on 10 August 2012, 21:33:17
Check the oil cooler bolts and seals ;)
Title: Re: V6 Oil Leak
Post by: jmax on 10 August 2012, 21:47:09
Have done. Seals ok, bolts tight but will double check again in daylight.
Title: Re: V6 Oil Leak
Post by: Andy B on 10 August 2012, 22:29:16
....
We 're not that far apart.

I'm at Brandlesholme  :y :y
Title: Re: V6 Oil Leak
Post by: jmax on 11 August 2012, 00:38:07
I'm on Sunnybank
Title: Re: V6 Oil Leak
Post by: Andy H on 11 August 2012, 19:50:14
Several years since I had the heads off my last Omega but it looks to me as though the oil would pish out if one or both head gaskets were fitted upside down.

The oil pressure feed is above and to the right of cylinder 3 in this photo (the middle cylinder in bank 1 facing the camera) .

(http://homepages.nildram.co.uk/~aholter/DSCF0804.jpg)
Title: Re: V6 Oil Leak
Post by: Andy H on 11 August 2012, 19:54:21
That part of the head gasket must stick out a little bit. I imagine it would be easy to damage it before fitting :-\
Title: Re: V6 Oil Leak
Post by: Jimbob on 12 August 2012, 09:13:42
I remember Martin Imber managed to fit head gaskets upside down or back to front a few years ago, had to do the job again.
Title: Re: V6 Oil Leak
Post by: Jimbob on 12 August 2012, 09:23:26
Ahhh yes, here it is

http://www.omegaowners.com/forum/index.php?topic=70161.0;all

http://www.omegaowners.com/forum/index.php?topic=70182.0;all

http://www.omegaowners.com/forum/index.php?topic=22692.0
Title: Re: V6 Oil Leak
Post by: The Red Baron on 12 August 2012, 17:18:02
anymore news on this John?.  ;)
Title: Re: V6 Oil Leak
Post by: jmax on 14 August 2012, 13:44:44
Hi Jon
Got the head gasket off and it is fitted the right way and doesn't seem to have been damaged. It is possile to get it the wrong way round if you are not careful.
Checked the cam shaft cover and thats  flat, got a new set of gaskets and bolts from Autovaux. Ordered yesterday afternoon arrived at 11am today. Good service. Checked the oil cooler bolts and washers and they are ok. Just started to put things back together, raised the head just enough to get the old gasket out, will be a bugger to refit but "hey ho off to the fair".
Thanks to every one for help and suggestions pics etc. Will post updates asap.
PS Got a cam locking kit as well off ebee.
Title: Re: V6 Oil Leak
Post by: SMD on 14 August 2012, 15:19:47
Pattern camcover gaskets?  :-\  ???