Hi Lads.  Here's another old oil leak chestnut!  New cam covers fitted and gaskets done properly but the oil still leaks from somewhere.  :'(  What is around the back of the engine that can still leak?  :(   Could the head be cracked?  :o
Its the right hand bank of a 2000 xreg 2.5 petrol with 124.000 miles on the clock.  The repair bill so far is about £800.....and still dripping.  :'(    Any idea's? :-/

Bixy1 wrote on 22. Apr 2011 at 19:34:

....  New cam covers fitted and gaskets done properly but the oil still leaks from somewhere.  :'(  ........

OE gaskets?  :-/ Who fitted them? Could they have caught the D part of the gasket at the back & it's not sitting correctly.
'Right hand bank' as you're sat in the car or looking at it from the front? Right is technically the (UK) driver's side & is the easiest to fit due to being less crap stuff in the way.

Take it that genuine gaskets have been used and not automotive shop copies.  Can you see if the half moon part of the gasket is sitting correctly in place, as if it's come slightly adrift when putting back it could be leaking from there.

If you don't feel confident in where you've had the work done (if at a garage), then try pm'ing one of the mechanic's on here who maybe able to help you out.  There'll be cheaper and do a better job at getting it right first time  :y

Darth Loo-Knee (Stoke)
Elite Pete (Chester way)
Wellung (West Mid's) - though will have to pm me so I can pass on his contact number to you, as not able to get on here at moment, due to computer access issues  ::) .

Or there maybe someone closer to you who maybe able to help you out.

Hi Andy!   Front looking back, passenger side.  He's an ex-Vauxhall bod, been doing these for a while.  :-/

Ta GooseMan.  Yes, proper gaskets used. New camcovers £84 each...  :o

Bixy1 wrote on 22. Apr 2011 at 19:45:

Hi Andy!   Front looking back, passenger side.  He's an ex-Vauxhall bod, been doing these for a while.  :-/

Not being funny here or anything.  But is he a mate of yours or someone at a local garage you know?
As if you've been charged £800 so far and there's still no cure I'd be suspicious that you're being ripped off  :-?.  Sorry but that's how I see it.  ::).

Is there anyone else you know that could check down the plug wells to see if there is oil collecting down there, if there is, it may well be the gaskets not sitting right.  Take it the cam covers were new and you were advised to get them replacd?

Agreed. £800 is a staggering amount of money to be charged for repairs.I would expect a whole recon engine to be fitted for that. :o

There is also the possibility of the oil cooler lines coming loose at the cooler if they weren't tightened down properly, or they could have chafed somewhere and made a pinhole. Remember, even the smallest oil leak can make a HUGE mess.

Just throwing out some possibilities....I could be very wrong.

Have the breathers been cleaned out properly?

Oh sorry, £800 includes new timing belt, tensioner, water pump etc and complete breather clean, not forgetting good old VAT.  :o  I'ts a long tedious story....and its really getting on my wick now. My fault for buying such a dog... :-[
Not a mate, but I trust him.  I've seen the old camcovers. Warped to chuff and one of the mounting bolts stripped out. Had to be re-tapped.
Do the oil cooler pipes go around the back of the engine then?  :-? 

WGoins88 wrote on 22. Apr 2011 at 20:00:

There is also the possibility of the oil cooler lines coming loose at the cooler if they weren't tightened down properly, or they could have chafed somewhere and made a pinhole. Remember, even the smallest oil leak can make a HUGE mess. Just throwing out some possibilities....I could be very wrong.

That's right - there are 2 metal oil pipes running from the oil cooler around and down the back of the passenger side head, and fitting into the side of the block above the oil filter.

It's either those pipes and their fittings, or the cam cover gaskets.

Cheers1 I'll ask him to check that out.  :y

Bixy1 wrote on 22. Apr 2011 at 20:11:

Oh sorry, £800 includes new timing belt, tensioner, water pump etc and complete breather clean, not forgetting good old VAT.  :o  I'ts a long tedious story....and its really getting on my wick now. My fault for buying such a dog... :-[ Not a mate, but I trust him.  I've seen the old camcovers. Warped to chuff and one of the mounting bolts stripped out. Had to be re-tapped. Do the oil cooler pipes go around the back of the engine then?  :-?

Thats still £400 to much ::)

Had your crank seal checked? Oil filter nice and tight?

i had this problem with a 99 elite,did cam cover gaskets gen vx ones,still leaked oil,turned out to be head gasket on the same side as yours,theres an oil way right at the back corner an it started leaking out the way,so head off did gasket an never had any probs after that,just worth mentioning i thought

Just a quick update, Cam cover not leaking after all, just the old oil running off!!  Oil leak stopped.  :y
Too late tho' BP have just turned up in my drive to start drilling, they think they might have struck a rich seam. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ::)

Further update------drivers door refuses to open......   >:(   This car is really taking the p**s now.  Its gonna get sledgehammered...... >:(