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[mark3]

Hiya guys, having trouble with oil leak from 2.5 V6 cam covers...

I fitted some ally cam covers from a vectra to replace the dam silly plastic ones just over a year ago and after i fitted them (with new seals) the o/s one leaked more than it did before so after removing it again and applying a shed load of silicon it stopped. Now recently the n/s cover started to leak so i replaced the seal/gasket for new and you guessed it... it now leaks worse than before....Arghhhhhhhhh

Dam and blast!

So before i remove it again and empty half a tube of silicon onto it like i did the o/s i thought i would ask if any of you guys have had this problem and what did you do to cure it?

Also i hear Vauxhall cam cover seals are the only sure way of stopping the cam covers from leaking but is there any truth in this?

[RobG]

Hiya guys, having trouble with oil leak from 2.5 V6 cam covers...

I fitted some ally cam covers from a vectra to replace the dam silly plastic ones just over a year ago and after i fitted them (with new seals) the o/s one leaked more than it did before so after removing it again and applying a shed load of silicon it stopped. Now recently the n/s cover started to leak so i replaced the seal/gasket for new and you guessed it... it now leaks worse than before....Arghhhhhhhhh

Dam and blast!

So before i remove it again and empty half a tube of silicon onto it like i did the o/s i thought i would ask if any of you guys have had this problem and what did you do to cure it?
Also i hear Vauxhall cam cover seals are the only sure way of stopping the cam covers from leaking but is there any truth in this?

Easy solution is bin the veccy covers, revert back to the Omega ones and use genuine gaskets "O" rings & black sealant

[Lazydocker]

Hiya guys, having trouble with oil leak from 2.5 V6 cam covers...

I fitted some ally cam covers from a vectra to replace the dam silly plastic ones just over a year ago and after i fitted them (with new seals) the o/s one leaked more than it did before so after removing it again and applying a shed load of silicon it stopped. Now recently the n/s cover started to leak so i replaced the seal/gasket for new and you guessed it... it now leaks worse than before....Arghhhhhhhhh

Dam and blast!

So before i remove it again and empty half a tube of silicon onto it like i did the o/s i thought i would ask if any of you guys have had this problem and what did you do to cure it?
Also i hear Vauxhall cam cover seals are the only sure way of stopping the cam covers from leaking but is there any truth in this?

Easy solution is bin the veccy covers, revert back to the Omega ones and use genuine gaskets "O" rings & black sealant

^^^^^^^^ Wot he said And clean the breathers properly and thoroughly

Oh... And pray that the change of covers and excessive use of RTV Sealant hasn't caused a more major seal to fail

[Entwood]

Do the job properly ... once ..... and the guide plus real covers will sort the problem for you...

[Webby the Bear]

Not an expert but I'm doing this Saturday using Mark's excellent guide.

According to that genuine should ALWAYS be used but there is a note at the bottom of the guide that says you can mess it up and cause a huge oil leak. Worth a read

[mark3]

Hiya guys, having trouble with oil leak from 2.5 V6 cam covers...

I fitted some ally cam covers from a vectra to replace the dam silly plastic ones just over a year ago and after i fitted them (with new seals) the o/s one leaked more than it did before so after removing it again and applying a shed load of silicon it stopped. Now recently the n/s cover started to leak so i replaced the seal/gasket for new and you guessed it... it now leaks worse than before....Arghhhhhhhhh

Dam and blast!

So before i remove it again and empty half a tube of silicon onto it like i did the o/s i thought i would ask if any of you guys have had this problem and what did you do to cure it?
Also i hear Vauxhall cam cover seals are the only sure way of stopping the cam covers from leaking but is there any truth in this?

Easy solution is bin the veccy covers, revert back to the Omega ones and use genuine gaskets "O" rings & black sealant

^^^^^^^^ Wot he said And clean the breathers properly and thoroughly

Oh... And pray that the change of covers and excessive use of RTV Sealant hasn't caused a more major seal to fail

Im not that stupid, lol

[RobseyMV6]

Every thing must be clean clean clean!!!! it's bad enough doing the job once as you may well know, i use a good £4 on fuel and loads of wipe to clean everything when i do them!!

[mark3]

Right, the leak was from the left side of the n/s cam cover right at the front so just above the front exhaust port, i got no idea why it didnt seal?

Removed the cam cover, cleaned everything bone dry using brake cleaner on a rag to de grease AGAIN and fitted it back on, this time, a healthy beed of RTV over the whole seal.

And

Its now leaking from the rear where it was to start with a few weeks back???

the reason i got vectra ally covers to start with was after going through 3 pairs, the original ond two other, of plastic covers i got fed up not being able to stop them leaking, the ally covers worked straight away and have been fine for 18 months untill this instance.

So next on the cards is genuine Vauxhall seals and il see if that works.

But on the plus side today i got a n/s/r puncture repaired and had the tracking adjusted as it was toeing out and castor angle checked which didnt need sorting any more so thats good news!!!

[tidla]

has anyone mentioned the crankcase breather cleaning  malarky.

[Webby the Bear]

When I did the CC gaskets on ''Ralf'' last weekend i found the previous mechanic had absolutely covered the gasket all over in sealant. not the proper black stuff; i took it all off and had a pile of what looked like a take away chow mein in the bin.

put it all back together. no leaks. no probs  i had a bit of smoke, prob from previous job but other than that it was great. so use genuine. and apply sealant where the guide says! 

[omega3000]

has anyone mentioned the crankcase breather cleaning  malarky.

+ 1......   it wont matter how often you change the rocker cover gaskets if the breathers are blocked , it will still keep pizzin out oil fiding the weakest point . Very well worth cleaning all the breathers 

hth

[dbug]

Right, the leak was from the left side of the n/s cam cover right at the front so just above the front exhaust port, i got no idea why it didnt seal?

Removed the cam cover, cleaned everything bone dry using brake cleaner on a rag to de grease AGAIN and fitted it back on, this time, a healthy beed of RTV over the whole seal.

And

Its now leaking from the rear where it was to start with a few weeks back???

the reason i got vectra ally covers to start with was after going through 3 pairs, the original ond two other, of plastic covers i got fed up not being able to stop them leaking, the ally covers worked straight away and have been fine for 18 months untill this instance.

So next on the cards is genuine Vauxhall seals and il see if that works.

But on the plus side today i got a n/s/r puncture repaired and had the tracking adjusted as it was toeing out and castor angle checked which didnt need sorting any more so thats good news!!!

Guess you don't carry out work for customers with Omegas then ! 

Read the expert's howto on here mate 

[mark3]

Right, the leak was from the left side of the n/s cam cover right at the front so just above the front exhaust port, i got no idea why it didnt seal?

Removed the cam cover, cleaned everything bone dry using brake cleaner on a rag to de grease AGAIN and fitted it back on, this time, a healthy beed of RTV over the whole seal.

And

Its now leaking from the rear where it was to start with a few weeks back???

the reason i got vectra ally covers to start with was after going through 3 pairs, the original ond two other, of plastic covers i got fed up not being able to stop them leaking, the ally covers worked straight away and have been fine for 18 months untill this instance.

So next on the cards is genuine Vauxhall seals and il see if that works.

But on the plus side today i got a n/s/r puncture repaired and had the tracking adjusted as it was toeing out and castor angle checked which didnt need sorting any more so thats good news!!!

Guess you don't carry out work for customers with Omegas then ! 

Read the expert's howto on here mate 

No i dont, i specialise in old school jap performance cars, and an oil leak as straight forward as this on them would be simple job prob cos the engineering is so much bloody better to start with.

I just dont see how such a simple thing can be so hard to cure, and i been doing this for a living since 1979 so its not like im new to it either.... as i said next step is genuine Vauxhall cam cover seals...

[dbug]

Right, the leak was from the left side of the n/s cam cover right at the front so just above the front exhaust port, i got no idea why it didnt seal?

Removed the cam cover, cleaned everything bone dry using brake cleaner on a rag to de grease AGAIN and fitted it back on, this time, a healthy beed of RTV over the whole seal.

And

Its now leaking from the rear where it was to start with a few weeks back???

the reason i got vectra ally covers to start with was after going through 3 pairs, the original ond two other, of plastic covers i got fed up not being able to stop them leaking, the ally covers worked straight away and have been fine for 18 months untill this instance.

So next on the cards is genuine Vauxhall seals and il see if that works.

But on the plus side today i got a n/s/r puncture repaired and had the tracking adjusted as it was toeing out and castor angle checked which didnt need sorting any more so thats good news!!!

Guess you don't carry out work for customers with Omegas then ! 

Read the expert's howto on here mate 

No i dont, i specialise in old school jap performance cars, and an oil leak as straight forward as this on them would be simple job prob cos the engineering is so much bloody better to start with.

I just dont see how such a simple thing can be so hard to cure, and i been doing this for a living since 1979 so its not like im new to it either.... as i said next step is genuine Vauxhall cam cover seals...

As I said read the howto on here mate - ^^that should have been your first step with the standard plastic covers, use of proper sealant (sparingly not liberally), and correct torques on bolts, together with breather cleaning.  Not taking the p*ss mate but trying to help 

Use of the alloy Vectra covers with blocked breathers will blow more expensive seals   

[mark3]

I just had a look at the how too guide in case there was something i missed, but no, its as straight forward as it can be.... the breathers are clear so its not that.

I did head gaskets on this about 30k miles ago along with new oil cooler, radiator, alternator too (then water pump, cam belt and tensioners last year) and the breathers where in a terrible state, they got extensively cleaned up then and i keep my eye on them because of that.

Im guessing the plastic covers are fitted in case of blocked breather trouble, which due to some re design on the Vectra engine isnt an issue any longer? but thats just a guess.....

Either that or being plastic they was crap so got replaced with ally, lol

Anyway im off to the beach tomorrow for 7 days so il get it done when i return im sure BUT it does seem silly that such a simple job gives so much grief!