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[horsecow]

That's exactly what I was planning to do Essex Big Al but I thought that the oil in the plugs had to be coming from the head gasket as the cam cover gaskets looked fine. Is it only the cam cover gaskets that leak oil into the plugs?

Yep !       whats the mileage on the ol' girl by the way ?

116000 give or take a few

[powerslinky]

That's exactly what I was planning to do Essex Big Al but I thought that the oil in the plugs had to be coming from the head gasket as the cam cover gaskets looked fine. Is it only the cam cover gaskets that leak oil into the plugs?

Yep !       whats the mileage on the ol' girl by the way ?

116000 give or take a few

Cam cover gaskets life is around the 100k mark  as I understand it  . . .  less of course if breather maintenance is ignored

so at the end of their life anyway  I would say 

Also on the point of running up the engine  . .  I would advise both timing check & compression test first before doing so  . .

but again only my opinion

[Sir Tigger KC]

The cam covers might be out of shape, which if that's the case even new gaskets won't make any difference. 

[horsecow]

The cam covers might be out of shape, which if that's the case even new gaskets won't make any difference. 

If they were out of shape wouldn't there be oil around the outsides as well? I had a good look at them as I took them off and once they were off. They were fitting pretty snugly and as I said the gaskets looked to be in good shape but I'm going to get a new set anyway, hopefully that will cure that problem

[Lazydocker]

Rare for the covers to be that out of shape and yes, it would most likely leak outwards too.

[terry paget]

It sounds like you have a bargain there. We all wonder whether the cam belt is intact. As Mark suggested, remove the top cam belt cover bolts so that you can see the belt, then turn the engine with a spanner on the bottom pulley; if the belt moves, all should be well.

[horsecow]

It sounds like you have a bargain there. We all wonder whether the cam belt is intact. As Mark suggested, remove the top cam belt cover bolts so that you can see the belt, then turn the engine with a spanner on the bottom pulley; if the belt moves, all should be well.

Cam belt is intact and all is moving freely when turned with a socket. Doesn't seem to have done any major damage. Was very lucky though the fan belt managed to snag on the crank pulley and had built up a layer on it over the teeth. Can see on the cambelt where it started slipping so timing may be off a fraction but I'm putting a new cambelt on anyway so can rectify the timing there and as I say doesn't t seem to be any major damage thankfully

[Sir Tigger KC]

The cam covers might be out of shape, which if that's the case even new gaskets won't make any difference. 

If they were out of shape wouldn't there be oil around the outsides as well? I had a good look at them as I took them off and once they were off. They were fitting pretty snugly and as I said the gaskets looked to be in good shape but I'm going to get a new set anyway, hopefully that will cure that problem

Yes that's a fair point. 

You can check the covers with a straight edge down the long side as they tend to go slightly oval shaped or spread/bow outwards, either because they've been over tightened or possibly just with time/use.    People here describe them as 'warped' which I don't think is a good description really, as it brings to mind a twisted plank of wood. 

Bear in mind though just because they seem to fit OK dosn't mean they won't leak like a bastard even with new gaskets. 

[horsecow]

Thanks Sir Tigger after your previous post I had it in mind  to check them with straight edge anyway.

[horsecow]

Been getting prices for the parts I need this week. Are contitech timing belts any good? Is it possible to get a fan belt tensioner with a steel pulley or are they all plastic? It was the plastic pulley that gave up on the last one! Water pump and rocker gaskets been offered genuine gm or FAI, has anyone used FAI??

[Lazydocker]

Been getting prices for the parts I need this week. Are contitech timing belts any good? Is it possible to get a fan belt tensioner with a steel pulley or are they all plastic? It was the plastic pulley that gave up on the last one! Water pump and rocker gaskets been offered genuine gm or FAI, has anyone used FAI??

Contitech kits are good
Not that I know of... Wasn't the pulley, it was the bearing anyway
Water pump... Not sure on latest advice
Rocker (or cam) cover... Best advice is genuine only

In that order

[powerslinky]

Been getting prices for the parts I need this week. Are contitech timing belts any good? Is it possible to get a fan belt tensioner with a steel pulley or are they all plastic? It was the plastic pulley that gave up on the last one! Water pump and rocker gaskets been offered genuine gm or FAI, has anyone used FAI??

Contitech kits are good
Not that I know of... Wasn't the pulley, it was the bearing anyway
Water pump... Not sure on latest advice
Rocker (or cam) cover... Best advice is genuine only

In that order

What LD Said            

[terry paget]

Been getting prices for the parts I need this week. Are contitech timing belts any good? Is it possible to get a fan belt tensioner with a steel pulley or are they all plastic? It was the plastic pulley that gave up on the last one! Water pump and rocker gaskets been offered genuine gm or FAI, has anyone used FAI??

Contitech kits are good
Not that I know of... Wasn't the pulley, it was the bearing anyway
Water pump... Not sure on latest advice
Rocker (or cam) cover... Best advice is genuine only

In that order

What LD Said          

I run 6 Omegas, and am mean with the pennies. I bought an Omega 2.6 in May on e-bay. I found a cam belt kit on Amazon (Dacrow?) for £48, took a chance; it fitted all right, bearings were marked SKF France, it's still running OK.
  In the car boot I found a cam cover gasket set from Leader LSC with an invoice for £15.75; gasket on LHS was leaking, oil in plug holes, and the small breather hole was completely blocked. I cleared the breather hole, and fitted the supplied cam cover gasket on the RHS. I argue that if the breathers are clear the cam cover gaskets stop air leaking in, not oil blowing out.  No leaks so far.
  I appreciate that Vx parts are the best but they can be very dear. Some have got cheaper over the years, brake pad wear sensors and heater bypass valves for example.
 

[TheBoy]

I appreciate that Vx parts are the best but they can be very dear. Some have got cheaper over the years, brake pad wear sensors and heater bypass valves for example.

I believe dbug has been quite successful with a particular pattern gasket, although possibly still too early to tell.

Due to the high costs of genuine cam cover gaskets, many have tried all sorts of makes, and almost universally, the pattern ones fail prematurely, and the genuine ones, when correctly fitted, are good for several years.


Crankcase pressures are all over the place, esp once the engine has a little wear on it, so keeping breathers clear is essential, and becomes moreso with age.


Hope that clarifies

[Diamond Black Geezer]

I think because the fitting of Vx gaskets is so universal on OOF, that there's very little evidence of anyone fitting pattern gaskets in recent times. The instant any newbie asks 'seen these gaskets for £15, these sound ok?' they are met with pleas to fit GM and only GM.

I'm not saying this is wrong or bad advice, certainly not. But Terry, if you could keep us updated as to your progress with this gasket, as it's a safe bet that at some point in the (near) future GM gaskets will be NLA, and in a few years after that the original New Old Stock stuff will be old, dry, brittle rubber. We only find out anything with experimentation, and the logic that with clear & maintained breathers you're willing to give the free gasket a go, is sound.

I myself have Vx gaskets, (done not 8k ago, breathers checked t'other week) so I'm not knocking their use, but keep us informed on your progress.