Omega Owners Forum
Omega Help Area => Omega General Help => Topic started by: Blackie_No1 on 26 January 2010, 15:16:05
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At the moment I am going through just under a litre of oil a week. I thought originally that it was the crank oil seals, but after having a look today again I aint so sure. The left bank of the X30XE that is fitted to my car is covered in oil. By that I mean the left side of the block, the oil filt ect... all are coated in oil.
Having checked the rocker cover, it doesn't appear to be it as there is no slick from above the engine.
This is bringing me to one of two conclusions;
1. Head Gasket, though the oil and water aint mixing and she aint using any water,
or
2. IIRC the cooler is in the left bank, but I'm thinking the pipes or the union joints?
What do you auld hands think?
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A litre is a lot of oil! If no oil is in the coolant, i would strip down to inspect the oil cooler pipes. Thing is the pipes run to down past the right hand bank down to the oil filter.
By chance, is yours a 1998 year?
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Tunnie !! Why do you mention 1998...My last one was and i had a nightmare along the lines of this post...
What do you know that I didn't...about a 98 !
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Tunnie !! Why do you mention 1998...My last one was and i had a nightmare along the lines of this post...
What do you know that I didn't...about a 98 !
Its suggested (don't want to be blamed, shouted out for saying incorrect things) that 1998's on the 3.0's had weak head gaskets and core plugs.
They suffer more from it than others years :-/
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That was me off the hook then...she was a 2.5
Got rid, now with a yr: 2000 Elite
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That was me off the hook then...she was a 2.5
Got rid, now with a yr: 2000 Elite
Why get rid, we have a 2000 W Plate 3.0 Elite Estate, goes well :)
Its not all 1998 3's, there just seemed to be a lot of issues with that year :-/
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Any how, nack to the topic. When you say right bank, do you mean as you are standing looking at the engine or from the drivers seat? When I say left bank I mean from the drivers seat. I am not sure what age the engine is as my car was originally a 2.5 auto and is now a 3.0 manual.
I can get an engine number tomorrow if that is any help?
What I can tell you is that she is fitted with the early type inlet plenum(short version) if that is any help.
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Any how, nack to the topic. When you say right bank, do you mean as you are standing looking at the engine or from the drivers seat? When I say left bank I mean from the drivers seat. I am not sure what age the engine is as my car was originally a 2.5 auto and is now a 3.0 manual.
I can get an engine number tomorrow if that is any help?
What I can tell you is that she is fitted with the early type inlet plenum(short version) if that is any help.
That means its not 1998, they had the 'snooped' longer plenum.
I would strip down to the oil cooler and check for any corrosion / leaks, as its under a fair bit of pressure there, and could be spraying out if there is a leak.
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Cheers Tunnie,
I have just done a quick search through the FAQ's,
Can anyone tell me what is involved? Does the right head have to come off?
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Ignore last, just found it in the maintance guide.
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to check oil cooler remove plenum and inlet manifold below it
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Ignore last, just found it in the maintance guide.
Nice and easy to get down to that level, just a loads of bolts for injection manifold and plastic oil cooler cover.
Must be pre 1997? Would't be suprised if maybe the plate / washers are leaking a bit.
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Ignore last, just found it in the maintance guide.
Nice and easy to get down to that level, just a loads of bolts for injection manifold and plastic oil cooler cover.
Must be pre 1997? Would't be suprised if maybe the plate / washers are leaking a bit.
If the oil cooler plate was leaking I would say it would be water leaking but you could check the two bolts ond 4 washers fixing the oil cooler pipes to the oil cooler.
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Ignore last, just found it in the maintance guide.
Nice and easy to get down to that level, just a loads of bolts for injection manifold and plastic oil cooler cover.
Must be pre 1997? Would't be suprised if maybe the plate / washers are leaking a bit.
If the oil cooler plate was leaking I would say it would be water leaking but you could check the two bolts ond 4 washers fixing the oil cooler pipes to the oil cooler.
I forgot about the washers when re-assembling once, not a good idea ;D
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The car is a 1996, I'm assuming that the engine is from the same era . . . . . .
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The car is a 1996, I'm assuming that the engine is from the same era . . . . . .
Will be, snooped plenums introduced in 1998.
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Cool,
so to wrap up, not likely to be the cooler itself, but either a failure of the pipes going to the side of the block above the oil filter, or the joints/bolts are loose/worn?
It has got worse since I changed the oil filter right enough which would suggest that I have moved the pipes or something like that!!
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yup, good luck :y
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Cheers!!! LOL!
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Cool,
so to wrap up, not likely to be the cooler itself, but either a failure of the pipes going to the side of the block above the oil filter, or the joints/bolts are loose/worn?
It has got worse since I changed the oil filter right enough which would suggest that I have moved the pipes or something like that!!
I would change the filter again, making sure the seal is lubed and is seating properly :y
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Yea did that today when I was having a look at the oil cooler pipes, nothing obvious with them, so cleand the side of the engine down, cleaned the seal on the oil filter, cleaned the block surface where the filter mounts to, had it running for a few moments and could see nothing leaking, but I didn't let the engine get up to temp, on the late shift this week(1-9.30pm) so had to get ready for work. Will check it out again tomorrow.
Could overtightening the oil filter cause a leak?
Reason I ask is, the original filter that i removed was f**king tight! The metal strap type filter tool I have just slid round it and the chain tool literally cut into it before it moved. Because my hands were oily I used the chain tool to tighten the filter up again instead of doing it up hand tight like your supposed to . . . . . .
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Anyones thoughts?
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I suppose there is an outside chance that the chain tool may have caused a pinhole puncture in the filter? :-/
But if that were so I would think you'd see oil leaking almost straight away......
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Now everything is clean, take it for a 10 min run, then take another look for leaks
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The plot thickens!! The bottom of the exhaust manifold has traces of oil at the head, so it's either theoil pipes at the cooler and it's running down the pipes, or thehead gasket, but I think the last one is unlikely as I'm not using water and there is no oil in the water and no Mayo on the cap
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Tunnie !! Why do you mention 1998...My last one was and i had a nightmare along the lines of this post...
What do you know that I didn't...about a 98 !
Its suggested (don't want to be blamed, shouted out for saying incorrect things) that 1998's on the 3.0's had weak head gaskets and core plugs.
They suffer more from it than others years :-/
Whats that got to do with a major oil leak Tunnie??? Thought this 1998 3 lit issue relevant to coolant water loss !!
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My money is on the cam cover gaskets, check that area carefully before taking the head off etc.
If the oil cooler pipes were leaking where they attach to the cooler the oil wouldnt leak dow the side off the block imo.N/s exhaust cam cover gasket sounds much more likely imo.