Need help with cam cover, coil packs and spark plug well

Hi all,

i have recently decided to go bpu and when i was changing over the spark plugs (not done yet) i noticed a lot of old oil in the bottom and on the sides, is this normal?

also as a side not when i bought the car the cam cover bolts were very loose and i tightened them up stright away i would assume that this was the cause of the oil problem, am i correct?

here are some pictures to show you what i am working with please let me know if it is fine or if it needs cleaning and if so what with

Thanks in advance

Sounds like you need to change the cam cover seals and washers mate

the cam cover seals look fine but they are hard as rock i assume they should be soft as they are rubber?

also i believe i have some washers i can use for the bolts

the cam cover seals look fine but they are hard as rock i assume they should be soft as they are rubber?

 

also i believe i have some washers i can use for the bolts

Just done my cam cover seals mate mine were rock hard and this has solved a oil leak from the back of the engine I had. I had Oil in the same places as yours. Give Chris Wilson a email he can supply them.

Just done my cam cover seals mate mine were rock hard and this has solved a oil leak from the back of the engine I had. Give Chris Wilson a email he can supply them.

Thanks i will do, how would you recommend to clean the inside of the cam covers? water?

Thanks

Brake cleaner

And be careful not to over tighten the bolts as the covers crack very easily, torque figure is very small approx 9nm

Yes Brake cleaner like dunk said mate it cleans it right up.

Those piccies make it look like there is a lot of particulate grot in all the oil on the cams and cam bearing caps, bolts etc.? If that's all sludgey I'd be more concerned about it than just the gaskets leaking

Those piccies make it look like there is a lot of particulate grot in all the oil on the cams and cam bearing caps, bolts etc.? If that's all sludgey I'd be more concerned about it than just the gaskets leaking

I don't know to what extent you may have other possible issues like Ian suggested, but my cam covers + well looked similar when they had a leak. After cleaning them out and putting in a new gasket, everything in that area has remained dry. Hopefully that works for you too

When i said use brake cleaner i meant for cleaning the parts you take off ( cam covers, spark plug caps) and around the spark plugs before removing them or the covers

NOT for cleaning the cams etc, well not while they're in the head, to clean the head up around the cams

properly is a head off job.

I'd be inclined to put brake cleaner onto a small piece of cloth then carefully wipe along the face

where the cam cover gasket sits, clean the cam covers and re fit them, then with the spark plugs still

in place clean that area up too

It looks like a few oil changes have been missed here, either that or cheap oil used.have you got much service history with the car?

Thanks for all the help guys the previous owner said he did an oil change every 6 month that's all the service history I have

And all of clumpy oil has had me wondering about it

Now I was going to leave the cam gears alone to be honest

And just clean the rest up

So just to double check I am OK to use brake cleaner on the inside of the cam covers and in the spark plug well