Leaky Aircooled 2ltr CU

[Dubstar]

My engine keeps leaking oil from the offside rocker cover. I've change the gasket, sill no good, so I put a load of gasket sealer round it which cured it for a few days but it's still leaking. When I clean up the heat exhanger and then drive it I can see where its just leaked out of the cover. When the engine is under load - going up a bit of an incline at low revs - it makes a rapid metallic clicking sound, like the choke rapidlly opening and closing. Just wondering if maybe the block is being pressurised enough to make the rocker cover lift off the head slightly, hence the leaks? I say this 'cos the smell of burning oil is really strong a few seconds after the mad clicking. It doesn't sound like pinking by the way, unless on the Aircooled it's really loud and metallic. Its a bit low on power too and there is always mayo under the oil filler cap. Any ideas anyone? I'm sick of the smell of burning oil, it's getting right on my chest - it's my daily driver, doing about 20 miles a day to and from work.

[gsmoke]

Cant answer the metalic clicking bit, but I had loads of probs with one rocker cover.
Mine turned out to be slightly warped though not noticeably. No amount of sealer goo would work for long.
I would buy a new gasket and rocker cover.
Thoroughly clean away existing goo and rub on plenty of grease onto both gasket faces.
Worked for me.

[ginge]

oil sounds the norm from the pushrod seals the mayo sounds like cheep oil it does that drop the oil and put some good stuff in that stops that norm

[Dubstar]

It's deffo not the pushrod seals, although there is oil on them. When I clean the rocker cover and heat exchanger an dgo for a drive you can see where it's been leaking - all along the bottom despite a new gasket and half a tube of gasket sealer! And I use good oil to, Morris 50/20, changed on a very regular basis as I seem to be putting 5 ltrs in every 5 or 6 six weeks just to top it up!

[jason k]

i had the same prob, it was a worn spring cilp for the rocker cover.

another tip is to bob a little grease on the cork then fit the cover and leave overnight.

try in the morn and all should be well.

i would recheck the pushrod ones tho they drip on to the exchangers too......

[phade]

My engine keeps leaking oil from the offside rocker cover. I've change the gasket, sill no good, so I put a load of gasket sealer round it which cured it for a few days but it's still leaking. When I clean up the heat exhanger and then drive it I can see where its just leaked out of the cover. When the engine is under load - going up a bit of an incline at low revs - it makes a rapid metallic clicking sound, like the choke rapidlly opening and closing. Just wondering if maybe the block is being pressurised enough to make the rocker cover lift off the head slightly, hence the leaks? I say this 'cos the smell of burning oil is really strong a few seconds after the mad clicking. It doesn't sound like pinking by the way, unless on the Aircooled it's really loud and metallic. Its a bit low on power too and there is always mayo under the oil filler cap. Any ideas anyone? I'm sick of the smell of burning oil, it's getting right on my chest - it's my daily driver, doing about 20 miles a day to and from work.

The only cure for leaking rocker covers is to replace the rocker covers and the gaskets. It is also a good idea to order new pushrod tube seals at the same time (and fit them if the old ones look suspect). Only buy genuine VW ones and not cheap pattern part crap.

Genuine VW rocker covers, rocker cover gaskets and pushrod tube seals are available from the VW Classic Parts Center http://www.vw-classicparts.de" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; , where the part numbers are the following:-

021 101 471 - Rocker Cover (2 required)

021 101 481 - Rocker Cover Gasket (2 required)

021 109 345 A - Pushrod tube seals (16 required)

Also the best oil to use for the 2.0 litre Aircooled engine is Halford's 20W50 Classic Motor Oil.

[jason k]

one pushrod seal is bigger than the other, so eight of each!!

[phade]

one pushrod seal is bigger than the other, so eight of each!!

I forgot about that, I'll have to look up ETKA again. The part number above are for the outer pushrod tube seals (8 required).

[Dubstar]

Thanks guys, I'm gonna go and check the rocker cover - again - but put one on from my spare engine along with a new gasket. The push rod tubes have a little leak, just a tiny bit of oil on them so I will be leaving them for now as it's deffo the rocker cover. But do you think it's possible that when I put then engine under load at low revs, it presurises the crank case to the extent that it can push the cover out slightly, hence the clicking noise I can hear? I drive an automatic so if I hit a slight incline I have to put my foot down and for the first few seconds it clicks like a mother and then the burning oil smell gets really stong. I was actually wondering if the tappets were way out, the valves might not seal and it might pressure it like that?

[phade]

It's well worth doing both at the same time. The pushrod tubes on the 2.0 litre Aircooled engine can be pulled through the cylinder head, unlike the 1.6 litre Aircooled engines.

As I said in an earlier post, only get genuine VW rocker covers, rocker cover gaskets and pushrod tube seals, otherwise you will be wasting your time !!