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[I_want_an_Omega]

Well, I'm gutted, after everyting that's recently gone so well on my "new" '99 Elite, the newly changed left camcover is leaking and dripping oil onto the exhaust 

I'll obviously strip it down and have a another go, but am looking for any guidance from you guys as well please.

Is there any period of time that the GM black sealant takes to go-off. I suppose I only left it half an hour or so - is that long enough?

Its a right pig to get the cover back in place and I suspect that I may have dislodged something. Next time I'll try holding up the cable loom out of the way a bit better than I did before.

Am going to invest in a new torque wrench as suspect that i've slightly overtightened as my old wrench isn't that easy to read at low values.

I couldn't see any signs of the covers being warped at all - if they were warped would it be obvious?

TIA ......... Rob

[Lizzie_Zoom]

Well, I'm gutted, after everyting that's recently gone so well on my "new" '99 Elite, the newly changed left camcover is leaking and dripping oil onto the exhaust 

I'll obviously strip it down and have a another go, but am looking for any guidance from you guys as well please.

Is there any period of time that the GM black sealant takes to go-off. I suppose I only left it half an hour or so - is that long enough?

Its a right pig to get the cover back in place and I suspect that I may have dislodged something. Next time I'll try holding up the cable loom out of the way a bit better than I did before.

Am going to invest in a new torque wrench as suspect that i've slightly overtightened as my old wrench isn't that easy to read at low values.

I couldn't see any signs of the covers being warped at all - if they were warped would it be obvious?

TIA ......... Rob

 

You need to leave the sealant to cure for about 2 hours Rob.  It is very probable that when maneuvering the cam cover into place you moved part of the gasket from its position, especially maybe the half moon section; easily done!!

Bit confused though when you mention the left side is leaking, but say the cable loom is in the way; that is normally the right, passenger, bank one.

And finally Rob, yes you need to be careful in tightening the cam cover down.  It must only be to 8Nm.  Anymore and it will probably leak

As for the cam covers, then if you lay them down on a flat surface you should be able to tell if they are warped or not.  Never yet seen a set that is myself

Best of luck with your next go.  At least you are learning on each occasion!

[I_want_an_Omega]

Thanks Lizzie,

Hopefully as it will have been less than a week I'll be able to scrape the old sealant off and start again without having to buy new seals.

Yes, it's the pass side bank - LH side from drivers seat perspective!

With the scuttle off - the smoke from the leak gets drawn straight into the pollen filter intake 

I'll try again when i get her back from the guy doing the exhaust & I've got some free time myself. New torque wrench will be here by then hopefully. Strip down and re build should be a lot quicker this time hopefully.

Thanks again

[pedroMV6]

As far as this VX sealant stuff goes, I'd chuck it and get some Bostik Matrix 500, as you can leave it 30 minutes and go.
Reason is, it stays soft and flexible.

Used to use it when I was a coachbuilder and "borrowed" to rebuild a Vectra V6 engine with it - just a slapped together engine for a car I was selling, and that went on to do over 50K miles (typical!).
Used to with old seals as I knew it would help tofil any gaps - downside is you don't know how much squeezes into places it shouldn't..........

[tunnie]

i left mine overnight before driving, no problems 40k later 

[Elite Pete]

I've never had a problem with the sealant even after just putting it back together. I would say you've either dislodged the half moon when putting it back or there's a possibility the cover may be warped if its been over tightened in the past, use a metal ruler along the edge to make sure they're straight

[I_want_an_Omega]

Thanks guys ,,,,,,

[maximoke]

Think I might know where Lincsrobert got is left and right banks mixed up - possibly!  My haynes manual says that the bank on the right as you look from the front of the car is actually the left, and does have the loom over the top.  But when I took the 8 cam caps off the camshafts themselves, the ones from the 'left' bank (ie right of engine) where actually marke as right! and the left 8 as left!  which is correct?  I noticed this as I have just put all this back together on mine and have had to re-use my cam cover seals with RTV compound, so guess we'll see how long they last!  Ran out of money - but needed the car!

[Lizzie_Zoom]

Thanks Lizzie,

Hopefully as it will have been less than a week I'll be able to scrape the old sealant off and start again without having to buy new seals.

Yes, it's the pass side bank - LH side from drivers seat perspective!

With the scuttle off - the smoke from the leak gets drawn straight into the pollen filter intake 

I'll try again when i get her back from the guy doing the exhaust & I've got some free time myself. New torque wrench will be here by then hopefully. Strip down and re build should be a lot quicker this time hopefully.

Thanks again

In that case I feel sure the half moon part of the gasket has not been correctly positioned.  Are you able to feel it down that rear end of the engine Rob?........I know it is damn difficult to do so with all that is there!!

 

[I_want_an_Omega]

The car isn't with me at the moment Lizzie - will be later in the week before I can take another look. Thanks anyway