Omega Owners Forum

Omega Help Area => Omega General Help => Topic started by: amba on 17 September 2012, 20:19:57

Title: Cam Cover Bolts
Post by: amba on 17 September 2012, 20:19:57
Sorry to bring up this "old chestnut " but would welcome some advise.

Both cam covers are bone dry and no traces of oil from any edges. :y

Pulled up at fuel stop tonight and noticed smoke comimg from drivers side gap between wing /bonnet so assumed the worse :'(.When checked have a visible oil leak comimg from the 3rd bolt from the front outer edge of o/s cam cover bolt :'(.No other bolts have any markings and entire cover except where oil has dripped from just this single bolt.Put an E10 socket on it and it wasn.t loose so have undone it ,cleaned up mess and refitted it torqueing it down to 8nm as should be. :y

Would the "0 " ring have perished,or gone brittle and caused the leak  :o as its just this 1 area, which I will check again after drive to work in morning.Seems like a lot of work and expense  >:( just to resolve 1 possibly not missing "0" ring or could I just remove the bolt,fit a rubber washer underneath it and then refit the bolt and ...hope for the best  ;D
Title: Re: Cam Cover Bolts
Post by: Webby the Bear on 18 September 2012, 12:24:50
''Would the "0 " ring have perished''

i would say that as long as your cam cover has never been overtightened (and therefore warped) then this would be the first port of call  :y

if you suspect the cam cover is warped i'd (personally) replace the cover
Title: Re: Cam Cover Bolts
Post by: tigers_gonads on 18 September 2012, 12:49:18
Agree with the bear  :y

At the end of the day, its pressure that is forceing the oil out so i'd give the breathers a good clean  ;)
Title: Re: Cam Cover Bolts
Post by: tunnie on 18 September 2012, 16:11:47
Those O rings do fail if breather system is struggling, when where the gaskets last done?
Title: Re: Cam Cover Bolts
Post by: tigers_gonads on 18 September 2012, 16:33:34
Those O rings do fail if breather system is struggling, when where the gaskets last done?


Thats half the problem  :-\

To replace the "O" rings you will probably end up doing the lot which costs time and money  :(

I have just removed the offending screw and put a blob of sealant in there in the past as a temp measure.
As long as the breathers are ok, it should hold for a while  :y
Title: Re: Cam Cover Bolts
Post by: tunnie on 18 September 2012, 16:35:20
Also depends who last did them, they may have only done the main gasket and not bothered with O rings  :(
Title: Re: Cam Cover Bolts
Post by: amba on 18 September 2012, 16:47:28
Both cam cover gaskets and "0" rings were done by himself..Mr Daz Low kness  :y :y :y..around 2 years ago..50k and car has had oil changed every 3k since. ;D

Breathers were cleaned at oil change before last some 3700 miles ago and were cleaned to within an inch of their lives  ;D...properly and all pipes spotless. :y

Strange actually as removed entire bolt this morning and refitted and torqued down to 8nm..have driven 140 miles this morning and just check car on driveway and not a single spot of oil anywhere on bolt head or cover.

Will keep an eye on it but my thought is the little "0" ring might have not been quite sealing tight and just releasing it and refitting has got it back correct again.

Might just pop a small blob of black sealant under bolt just to be safe ...but really strange why is suddenly decided to leak for just a short time ..then completely stop ...I hope 
Title: Re: Cam Cover Bolts
Post by: tigers_gonads on 18 September 2012, 17:07:45
Are you sure that is were the leak was coming from ?
Title: Re: Cam Cover Bolts
Post by: amba on 18 September 2012, 17:38:23
Yes,just the 1 bolt was wet and had oil dripping from its join with cam cover :o
Title: Re: Cam Cover Bolts
Post by: tigers_gonads on 18 September 2012, 19:02:21
Yes,just the 1 bolt was wet and had oil dripping from its join with cam cover :o


Hopefully its just a dodgy o ring seal.

A blob of the black stuff and torqed it down should see it ok  :y
Title: Re: Cam Cover Bolts
Post by: Fenton1 on 18 September 2012, 20:16:35
Will you please upload some potos of you problem then I can tell you the better solution.
Title: Re: Cam Cover Bolts
Post by: martin42 on 18 September 2012, 20:50:10
I've had this happen before,1bolt started to let oil by,just tightened it down and was fine again  :y
Title: Re: Cam Cover Bolts
Post by: amba on 18 September 2012, 21:39:03
Well it looks like it has stopped its little leak ;D.

Took bolt out and clean up area  :y.Replaced bolt and torqued down to 8nm  ;) and after driving over 200 miles today ::) its not shown any leak so  8)..perhaps it had worked slightly loose
Title: Re: Cam Cover Bolts
Post by: feeutfo on 19 September 2012, 12:00:37
They do work loose. Every 3.2 I have come to own has had loose cam cover bolts. Particularly by pot one, as that's the most obvious and shows an oil weep, then others then found to need a nip. Usually towards the front of the engine for some reason. :-\

Presume the seals give a little, then add in a bit of vibration... :-\
Title: Re: Cam Cover Bolts
Post by: amba on 19 September 2012, 14:51:10
Well since I torqued it down yesterday havent seen a spot of oil from it  ;D ...and have covered just shy of 300 miles  :o, so expect your conclusion could well be correct,Chris ;)
Title: Re: Cam Cover Bolts
Post by: Webby the Bear on 19 September 2012, 15:40:41
result amba. as with all things omega keep your eye on it  :y
Title: Re: Cam Cover Bolts
Post by: amba on 19 September 2012, 16:12:50
Most days before going off to work I have the cursery look under the bonnet and tyres so not much gets past me  ;D...just really odd how it leaked really quite badly enough to cause smoke  :o,although burning oil always would :-[,and as simple as undo a bolt and do up has seemed to have fixed it. :)

If only all Omega jobbies were that simple ;D :D ;D
Title: Re: Cam Cover Bolts
Post by: feeutfo on 19 September 2012, 19:11:53
It might be worth checking the plug wells though. Just in case. Especially if the bolt is on the upper cam, ie up stream of any oil flow into the plug wells.
Title: Re: Cam Cover Bolts
Post by: amba on 19 September 2012, 19:59:19
Plug well drier than the Gobi Desert  ;D ;D ;D so all good on that front. :y..it was the lower bolt,3rd from the front on the o/s cam cover that had the oil traces so downstream of plug hole  8)