JX rocker cover gasket =leaking.

[joe75]

Has anyone had problems with leaking oil on a 1.6TD (JX Engine) rocker box cover? I seemed to solve it once but the leak has come back and it is now dripping oil onto the turbo causing smoke! I have tried it with and without sealant using new gaskets each time but woth times it leaked (from different places). Is there any tricks ? Am I doing something wrong?

Ideas please ...

[Plasticman]

Hi joe, had just bthe same probs,
got a new gasket from gsf and layed it on the head, found the holes were not correct for the raised shoulder on the studs, used a small hole punch to elongate them and then it dropped over these ok, also noted that the part of the gasket that abuts the rubber seal over the front cam bearing seemed about an 1/8" too long so cut it back to be just oversize, also make sure the rubber gasket/seal is correctly and fully inserted in the groove, easy to be out a bit,
when all is happy I sprayed(or smear) a light film of hylomar on all surfaces , fitted gasked to head and cover to this, seems to workand tightened up diagonaly and evenly without overkill
mike

[joe75]

[quote="metalmick8y"]Hi joe, had just bthe same probs,
got a new gasket from gsf and layed it on the head, found the holes were not correct for the raised shoulder on the studs, used a small hole punch to elongate them and then it dropped over these ok, also noted that the part of the gasket that abuts the rubber seal over the front cam bearing seemed about an 1/8" too long so cut it back to be just oversize, also make sure the rubber gasket/seal is correctly and fully inserted in the groove, easy to be out a bit,
when all is happy I sprayed(or smear) a light film of hylomar on all surfaces , fitted gasked to head and cover to this, seems to workand tightened up diagonaly and evenly without overkill

Cheers Mike, great reply. We are off to Northern Spain next week so I would really like to keep the oil in the engine rather than up the back of the van I have a mechanic mate who is fitting the gasket as I am snowed under with pre-holiday work. I will pass on your thoughts and ideas to him. Fingers crossed this time!
Cheers
Joe

[Plasticman]

good one, have a good hols and let us know if it was the cause (maybe I had a bad gasket)and it worked.
mike

[Bilbo Blue]

Problems occur when over tightened!

[Plasticman]

True, also check, have you got the 2 steel strips that fit over the studs prior to the nuts being fitted/ as these alsdo help spread the load and prevent the cover arching so to speak.
mike

[joe75]

thanks for the info guys.

I have the steel strips and have tightened them to the bently specs. My mate will have another go today.

[Red Westie]

A few things here:
Firstly
Back in the days when these vans were properly main dealer serviced this cork gasket and end seals would have been changed at every main service (12,000 miles) during tappet shim check and adjustment. How many diesel owners have their tappet shims checked and replaced now? big bug bear of mine as very few so called 'specialists' own the tools and replacement shims needed to carry out this routine adjustment.
Secondly
Cork goes rock hard, so as above, this gasket needs routine replacement
Thirdly
A little trick I learned during my time at a main dealership: Turn the strips upside down on a hard surface and hammer the mounting points flat so that when fitted they distribute pressure evenly on the cam cover. Also: you sometimes have to use a small hammer and knock the 'holes' back in the cam cover as they tend to pull through, if you catch my drift.

As a side note: these gaskets were made with two hole sizes as earlier studs did not have the 'shoulder' you talked about. These 'shouldered studs' were introduced to prevent over tightening and splitting of the gasket.

Martin

[Plasticman]

Aye and me thinks the gsf ones cant decide which they want to be as they pair up just out of centre..
mike

[lhd]

The gasket I got from GSF was just the wrong shape and crap,the length from the last stud to the cam pulley was too long meaning it was folding up on the rubber arch seal.
I bought one from VW in the end.
As Martin said make sure you have the correct gasket for the correct studs (shouldered/unshouldered), it's very easy to overlook this.
Rob.

[joe75]

Fed up now....

Used the van for a 10mile trip today and it is still leaking. This is now the third gasket We leave on the Tuesday ferry and at this point in time I can not keep the oil in the engine! Why did it work fine for over 10'000km and now will not work for 10km? What has changed what are we doing wrong?

I have a spare GSF one but with the info from the last post I will try and get a VW one on Monday. I have the studs with raised shoulder so will see if they keep one of them in stock...I have a feeling that the answer will be know ... Does anyone know what is the tightening torque for the 10mm nuts so I can make sure we are not over tightening? Should we use some sort of sealant or not?

If we can not fix it then it will be an oil dripping and smoky trip to Spain! More of a creep on and off the ferry find a site that is close and use the campevan as a caravan - not move it for 2 weeks

Keep the ideas coming as at this rate may wife will have the van turned into a crushed cube by Monday arvo

Joe

[Red Westie]

I was just reading this again and was thinking 'how hard can it be' No reflection on you mate but I was wondering if you have a breather issue...as in blocked....pressurising?
Martin

[Hacksawbob]

VW?

part No. 026 198 025 A
set of gaskets for
cylinder head cover
for stud with shoulder

£10

Or Mr Brick does them
http://www.brickwerks.co.uk/index.php?k ... hop.browse

[joe75]

VW?

part No. 026 198 025 A
set of gaskets for
cylinder head cover
for stud with shoulder

£10

Or Mr Brick does them
http://www.brickwerks.co.uk/index.php?k ... hop.browse

Thanks for all the info. Today I have been packing the van for our holiday with less of a spring in our step than i would have liked! I will call VW first thing to see if they have a gasket and then see if the mechanic guy will fit another gasket. I have a big day at work so will not have chance to work on it. If it is a VW gasket I take it we should not use any sealant?

As for the breather last year I was having turbo trouble and re routed the breather into a bottle with wire wool to see if that was causing the smokeyness from the turbo, i.e being heavy breather. The breather was ok and it has been like it ever since. Maybe I could move it back to where VW put it to make sure that there is no pressure build up. Where should the breather go to on JX TD engine as i can not remember

Thanks again for all the help...

Joe

[lhd]

If I ever take mine off again I will be replaceing it with this.
http://www.brickwerks.co.uk/index.php?p ... t&Itemid=6" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Then you don't have to replace it every time and it comes with new studs to boot.