Leaky head

[964russ]

After fully rebuilding my engine into a 2.7
Noticed its leaking oil from head gasket, I torque it up correctly when put it back together.

Is it worth giving the head bolts another half a turn?
Might stop it leaking.

Read sumwhere to re torque after it's done a few hundred miles, that right?

[Speedtouch]

It certainly wouldn't hurt to at least check they are all correctly tightened, and maybe do them up a tad more if required.

[paultv]

Where's it leaking exactly?

Paul

[964russ]

Leaking at the very front exhaust side.

Annoying when you put so much effort in.
Had the block shaved for compression, the heads been re done.
Everything clean painted ect.
And now it leaves a puddle whever its parked

Dont really wana pull the head, I'll try giving the bolts another half turn.

[sweep]

It’s not the front cam seal housing is it?

[tha881]

Most likely leaking from the oil gallery, what brand head gasket did you use?

Im not sure it's a good idea to tighten the head bolts if they have been done to the correct spec already.

[964russ]

Cant remember the brand of gasket.

I've since read theres good and bad ones.

I read sumwhere about re torque headcbolts after it's been run in, cant remember where.

Might ask at the engine place that did the head work

[reggid]

check that its not leaking from the cam seal, rubber bungs or rocker cover

the OE torx style head bolts are not supposed to be retorqued i advise against this.

the OE gasket from the dealer are the best to use, the cheaper gaskets e.g. victor reinz are known to leak in this area

there isn't even any high pressure oil in that area

[paultv]

I had the same thing, front exhaust side, totally looked like front corner headgasket but turns out it was a crappy quality cam seal... the inside lip was damaged - it came from a head set ...I really recomend the correct BMW item or at least a good brand, I think the one BMW sent me was Elring??

One way to tell it's the cam seal is that after cleaning all the oil you can run the car at tick over and it stays dry....as soon as you drive it the leak starts.

Good luck

Paul

[Brianmoooore]

The only way you can 'retorque' the head bolts is to slacken them right off and torque them up again from scratch, one at a time. The bolts should be renewed as well, although if they were new, they should be OK for a second time. Tightening bolts after a few hundred miles belongs to the days before stretch bolts were introduced.
Where is the leak appearing? The oil feed to the head is around the second bolt from the front on the exhaust side, and leaks here are common.

[964russ]

Dont think it leaks at tick over.

Hopefully it's a cam cover, but I've checked a few times. I was certain it's the head.

I'll check again before I strip it

[964russ]

See oil from head on corner

[paultv]

Dude,

This looks exactly like mine did - oil from the cam seal - the engine is offset and the effect of the fan when driving pushes the oil around the front corner of the head,
I even had oil all over the bottom threads of the front manifold outlet - looks totally like a head gasket issue -

Make sure you get a good replacement seal, and run some sealant around the aperture in the head as well as fresh oil on the camshaft and the inner lip of the seal - rotate the seal as you fit it over the shaft. Don't just push it on.

Also make sure the skinny rubber O ring seal is well lubed on the cover - twist this back and forth too when you fit it as well.

Paul

[Brianmoooore]

If the oil is coming from the corner, then it's NOT the head gasket.

[964russ]

You might be right Paul.
I'm thinking cam seal now

Good shout.

I'll get the front stripped.

[HJ1981]

Leaking at the very front exhaust side.

Annoying when you put so much effort in.
Had the block shaved for compression, the heads been re done.
Everything clean painted ect.
And now it leaves a puddle whever its parked

Dont really wana pull the head, I'll try giving the bolts another half turn.

The PO used Victor Reinz gasket set, when he gave the car in for a new cylinder head. It was leaking from the very front as well, similar to what you describe.

After a lot of research it turns out that VR gaskets are not very good in terms of sealing that oil passage in the front. So i tore it down and installed an elring one instead, it was obvious that the oil return passages had "beefy" seals, never leaked after that.

My question is, what brand head gasket do you have in?

PS: Search for some pictures online for "leaking m20 head gasket", you should see exactly where the leak is coming from, as long as you are certain it is not from the cam seal.

[964russ]

Finally got round to fixing this leak, got sum time on my hands!

Well done its defo the camshaft seal.

But I'm still gonna pull the head, need to fit double valve springs.
Whilst I got time, may as well.

[964russ]

Ordered schrick uprated springs.
Should of fitted them in the first place, not cheap thou, especially with no work at the mo.

And elring gasket & bolts, previous was a victor reinz.
Apparently the elring is best!.

Waiting on parts from Germany now

[boiliebasher]

Well done for getting stuck in mate!
When I rebuilt the head on my 325i, I used a Payen head gasket and no complaints from me so far!
I too also read that people have had problems with Victor Rienz gaskets so avoided using them as well

[martauto]

I have made tooling for Elring and their standards are very good so nice choice.

Mart.

[boiliebasher]

I have made tooling for Elring and their standards are very good so nice choice.

Mart.

Very interesting...
Anything E30 specific?!

[martauto]

I have made tooling for Elring and their standards are very good so nice choice.

Mart.

Very interesting...
Anything E30 specific?!

I dont think so but then again ................
You get to know companies by how good and specific their drawings are and these knew what actually was important.

Mart.