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| Oil leak around cam covers | Rate Topic |
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| Posted: 08-22-2005 05:43 pm |
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1st Post |
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edward_davis Member 
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Yesterday, at the end of a sunny afternoon jaunt, I pulled up at a stoplight and noticed some wisps of oil smoke coming from under my hood. My pressure was OK, and I was only two blocks from home, so I brought my '75 JH back to the garage and looked under the hood for the problem. It seems that I have some oil oozing out from the cam covers at the rear of the engine. I think it's the intake side, but I couldn't be sure. The PO told me that this happens from time to time with the Lotus engine, and I just want to get input from the community to reassure myself. Do I need to take off the cam covers and install new gaskets? Is this a problem that will fix itself and recur intermittantly, one that I can never really get rid of? What are the best gaskets to use for the cam covers, anyway?
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| Posted: 08-22-2005 06:02 pm |
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2nd Post |
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Mitch Ware Member 
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order the gaskets from the club store, they are re-usable and most importantly, they work. Be sure to follow the directions to the letter and you will have no oil leak issues (at least from the cam covers) Mitch Ware 1974 JH-5 #111119670 1971 TR-6 #CC66950LO
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| Posted: 08-22-2005 06:03 pm |
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3rd Post |
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Brett Gibson JH5 20497 Member
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Ed, if your using the rubber gasket's on occasion they are know to sqeeze out from under the covers and allow an oil leak, your best bet is to feel along the edge of the cover to see if more of the gasket is protruding out, if so just loosen the bolts and push it back in, and dont overtighten the cover. If you have old paper gaskets or are just not sure then I would say take them completely off and see whats going on, and remember if you need new gasket's Delta and JHPS have life time ones for sale. Good Luck.............. Brett.
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| Posted: 08-22-2005 08:50 pm |
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4th Post |
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Mark Rosenbaum Member 
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There are two types of rubber gasket. The black ones squirm a bit and generally require a sealant to stay put -- but the ones on my car have been in place, with no known leaks, for over 5 years now. The red-orange ones are said to be a bit easier to install and to seal better, but IIRC they cost more. For both types, the key to a successful installation seems to be making sure the cam cover bolts and their threaded holes in the cam carriers are clean, dry, and absolutely oil-free, the Seloc washers are in good condition, and that the bolts for a cover are all tightened to the same torque. Don't use the old dark composite ('paper') gaskets. They are almost impossible to install correctly and will never seal properly -- you can glue them in place top and bottom, and seal the edges, and they will still leak.
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