After I checked the valves on the 740 D24T a couple weeks ago, I had to replace the valve cover gasket. (old one was dry and brittle and leaked oil. <mumbling>) At the time, all I had was a cork set. Did that, carefully using the passenger side gasket on the passenger side and making sure the two cam cap rubber pieces were properly placed. Still leaking oil. Seemed to be coming out at the juncture where the cork gasket joins the rubber curved pieces going around the cam bearing and seal at the end, running down between the head/block and the sheet metal, puddling in that little hollow above the crank seal, then flowing into the cam belt space and getting distributed around the inside. (muttering
) Found a place that had the one piece neoprene gasket, and replaced the cork set.
Much improved, no leaks at idle, but still leaking oil when driven at highway speed. ( bad language
) Tightened up the nuts on the valve cover.
Still leaking oil. (much bad language
) Tightened the nuts more, and STILL leaking oil. Clearly, this is not the problem.
Since this area was dry as a bone when I replaced the cam belt, and I don't think I did anything stupid to the cam seal, I cannot figure out why I'm getting this really annoying leak now. It is true that the car was not driven or run much for a couple of years before I replaced the belt, but is it possible that the cam seal is bad? I'm starting to suspect that rascal as the problem; I put a rag in the space between the sheet metal and the block, and there IS oil coming down the front of the block between the block and the sheet metal, so it is not the main seal around the crank. At least it's not JUST the main...
Thoughts/suggestions?
Thoughts?