leaky cam cover

Moderator: Fatmobile

Post Reply
jolotter
Diesel Freak
Posts: 114
Joined: Thu Sep 20, 2007 11:05 am
Location: Toronto, Ontario

leaky cam cover

Post by jolotter »

My 1.6TD is mounted at the stock 55degs. The cam cover leaks oil making a mess wherever I go. I've replaced the cork and rubber gaskets with the one piece rubber one but the oil continues to drip out. Can anyone help me?
83.5 Westy 1.6 TD
93 1.9TD engine in the shed
Fatmobile
Global Moderator
Posts: 7564
Joined: Wed Oct 30, 2002 10:28 pm
Location: north central Iowa

Post by Fatmobile »

Sure it's not the oil fill cap?
Those gaskets get brittle.
'91 Golf gasser converted to a 12mm pump, M-TDI.
'84 1.6TD Rabbit with a VNT-15 turbo, still setup to run on vegetable oil.
'84 GTI with 1.7TD pistons and intercooled.
2003 TDI wagon
2000 TDI Jetta.
coke

Post by coke »

Could also be the valve cover was over tightened and is slightly warped, not allowing the sealing surfaces to seal.
caveman
Diesel Freak
Posts: 119
Joined: Fri Apr 07, 2006 8:19 pm
Location: island state of Montreal

Post by caveman »

coke wrote:Could also be the valve cover was over tightened and is slightly warped, not allowing the sealing surfaces to seal.
Very good chance of this. The cover leaks over the years, people tighten up the nuts to the point that the cover and tension bars get so warped that replacing the gasket does nothing. Take the cover off flatten it and the bars. Place a little silicone at the corners of the half round seal [the long thin one] .Also make sure the 8 studs are tightened all the way into the head.
1971 super beetle

1990 t3 transporter 1.9na
bc
Turbo Charger
Posts: 255
Joined: Sun Jan 11, 2009 3:04 am
Location: WA

leaky leaky

Post by bc »

I just finally used a gasket sealant to avoid this problem.. Seems to be holding.
'83 diesel vanagon
'85 diesel Jetta
'86 diesel Golf
Kevin
Glow Plug
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Jan 14, 2012 2:20 am

Re: leaky cam cover

Post by Kevin »

This has been talked about quite a bit. My personal opinion is to use Yamabond #4 or equiv, but only on the cam end plugs and only if they are new. If they are removed for any reason or otherwise come loose during disassembly, don't bother reusing an old hardened piece of rubber because it will leak again every time. It may be a day or a year, but they will never seal. On the gasket, put it on dry and it can be reused indefinately.
Post Reply