oil leak.. .where from? (piccy inside)

[gareth]

i got my engine bay steam cleaned a week or so ago, after a cracked head and the oil/water vomiting messiness!

as part of the work involved in the head swap, it's now got a new head gasket (obviously), cam cover gasket and cam end seal.

however, it's got an oil leak showing down the side of my lovely clean engine... raaaaaaaa

anyone have any ideas what it could be?

[Hammer1]

Cam oil seal i reckon.

[gareth]

i hope it's not! i lost teh new one when freshening the head up prior to taking it to my local bmw specialists to be fitted. they said they would fit one and had some in stock.

they also charged me a bit for is so it had better be a new one!

[E30Adam]

Cam oil seal i reckon.

He just said he's had a new cam oil seal fitted.

It's probably the front crank seal with the oil leaking down that low, it's hard to tell from the pictures though. It could well be a bad seal on the camshaft but I have my doubts. It could also be a bad seal on the head gasket but you really need to get the car up on stands and stick your head up under there to see exactly what ara it's coming from.

[gareth]

it looks lie it's running down from head level... everything up there's new though

hu hum!

[Brianmoooore]

Can't really make sense of the picture, but if the oil's comeing from where I think I'm looking, then it's the headgasket.
It's a M20 (I think), oil leaks come as standard.

[E30WEZ]

Hi mate were did you take it to be done ??

[gareth]

leaders engineering, near the juntion between battle road and sedlscombe road

[E30Adam]

Bottom line is... you paid them to do a job and it's not done properly, take it back and get them to fix it!

That'st he joys of paying for someone to do it for you,if it's not done right you are well within your rights to make them do it again until it's satisfactory.

Doesn't work with me though, I do everything myself so would just end up having to do it again which isn't fun!

[E30WEZ]

Gareth you got pm mate

[Andy325i]

Rocker cover gasket, or rocker cover is warped. Mine does it too lol

[Hap]

could the head gasket be weeping? is it losing a lot of oil or does it occur after a long run i.e. there is not much oil when wiped off?, hows the oil level ?

[gareth]

i'll take it back soon... get them to have a look at it. it's not losing a lot, it's now worked down til it's dripping on the undertray after 3 weeks or so.

the oil level is still spot on.

[Hammer1]

Cam oil seal i reckon.

He just said he's had a new cam oil seal fitted.

It's probably the front crank seal with the oil leaking down that low, it's hard to tell from the pictures though. It could well be a bad seal on the camshaft but I have my doubts. It could also be a bad seal on the head gasket but you really need to get the car up on stands and stick your head up under there to see exactly what ara it's coming from.

To me it looked higher than the front crank seal thats why i said the cam oil seal..Even newly fitted ones can still leak if its been put on slightly skewiffy (is that a word? )

What ever it is? its certainly looks like its something to do with the new head.

Just a had a thought,isnt there a o ring at the front of the engine? which i think is near the front cam seal,not sure if they are prone to leak? but it could be another place to look.