Half way through a Front 60k and...

[290]

Ive got everything apart....finally and ive got a few questions.

Im noticing oil around the rear head gasket. Not much at all just enough to allow some dirt to stick to in and pretty much stays right next to the head, no flow to speak of. Is this a head gasket leak or a leak somewhere else wicking up the heads.

The bearing tops for the cams has the same thing little oil leak as before but the back is a littlle worse, is this my valve cover gasket leaking where it goes over the cams and could this be where the oil is comming from toward the bottom of the rear head?....hope so!

One of the cam seals on the back head (one without the Cam Sensor) also has a small leak in it. Im wondering if i should replace those now or later. Im thinking about finding a pair of heads and refreshing them then replacing the ones currently on the engine. Which would take care of everything as far as all the oil leaks. I wont get to this untill next summer though.

Answers and other ideas most apriciated

Dan

 

[Denny]

Not sure, but I'd say leaking sludge buildup from the old valve cover and cam seals. Replace them all while you're down there, no sense in coming back later for it.

 

[sho'd]

my car has the same oil spots your does, i think it was from when my valve covers were leaking, my cam seals need to be done asap, smokes like a mother when started up after sitting, i think it dripping right on my cats

 

[luigisho]

I would replace all the upper seals (including the cam seal) while it's open and exposed. Don't tear into it more than once if you don't have to. There will be plenty of other stuff on the car to spend time on eventually. Give the inside of the intake a good cleaning while it's off. I would clean the IAB/IAC, if it's the cleanable unit, too.

 

[290]

Ok i got the seals ordered they should be here somtime today, the guy had two in stock and had to order the other ones, somthing i noticed about the ones he had was that they are not completely black all the way around, just around where it seals against the cam. outside part is bare metal. Is this not right or just a difference between manufacturers? Sorry if this is a silly question but i dont want to put the wrong seal in there for obvious reasons.

 

[ohfosho]

recomended seals to change: cam seal (there are 3), crank seal, valve covers with spark plug wells, all intake metal gaskets (you should clean the intake really well too...about 3 cans of carb/intake cleaner and a toothbrush...some prefer to soak the intake in chemtool or equivilent), throttle body gasket, EGR gasket,

what should be replaced when doing a front 60K: CPS, CID, waterpump, timing belt, lower rad hose (and upper, but that can be done at anytime), and you can get new sparkplugs and wires while you have the intake off.

 

[ohfosho]

cam and crank seals arnt 'ridiculously priced' fromt he dealer. lower rad hose is kinda hard to find... at dealer for about $40 i think