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Valve (Rocker) cover oil leaks


Dicky

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Changed plugs a couple of days ago and noticed oil in the spark plug tube of cylinder #5.

This had been reported to me approx a year ago when the garage replaced my plugs. I had checked the oil leak some 4 or 5 months later and it was totally dry, so the leak must be small.

Anyway, as you probably know, this is a common fault on cylinders # 5 & 6.

Does anyone know why? Is it temperature related, an alignment problem, or other.

I'm assuming it can't be a problem with the seal material as it only appears to occur on the latter cylinders.

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Obviously this question was tumbling around my head as I've just done the grommet replacement.

It's obviously something to do with the design and I wonder if they just ran out of r & d time? (I don't know how many miles they put on their development cars but probably not quite enough).

 

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Don't know the reason,but is this any help ?

 

http://www.350z-uk.c...lace-entire-rc/

 

http://www.350z-uk.c...ver-repair-kit/

 

Thanks Chris, yep I've seen those videos but not sure I like the idea of doing it. Cutting the hole and fixing the new seals accurately looks to be a bit hitty miss to me and may give even more problems.

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As far as my research has shown the problem only seems to affect cylinders 5 & 6, the two back of engine locations which I find strange.

If that's right then it cant be down to the material used to produce the seals or the effects of the oil on the seals. Could it be higher temperatures at the back of the engine or misalignment. It's a bugger, because I may buy one new valve cover, do all the work only to find another leak develops a couple of weeks later (as I read happened to another guy)

I may do like others have and just live with it and clean it out every now and then.

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Don't know the reason,but is this any help ?

 

http://www.350z-uk.c...lace-entire-rc/

 

http://www.350z-uk.c...ver-repair-kit/

 

Thanks Chris, yep I've seen those videos but not sure I like the idea of doing it. Cutting the hole and fixing the new seals accurately looks to be a bit hitty miss to me and may give even more problems.

 

Sly at Kaiser Motors has said he would be willing to fit the kits if you wanted the job done.

 

I have also only ever seen it affect the rear two plugs, that's exactly where the fault is with mine :)Kit is in hand, hopefully fit it next week.

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It's annoying when (and here come the famous last words) it's seems like an easy problem to solve! The fact that only these two plugs are affected would seem to illuminate a lot of the possibilities.

With regard to renewing the valve cover or repairing it seems a bit pointless if it's going to keep on happening, might just as well clean out the tube every now and then especially if it's a small leak.

 

Maybe I'll design a electronic level detector, or maybe a kind of dipstick (let's face it if the current oil level dip stick with all its twists and turns can tell me the level in the sump, it can't be a quantum leap to get past the ignition coil ha ha

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It effects all cyls, not just 5 and 6.

 

Remember that any slight indentation or unevenness on the tubes can cause a fluid leak.

 

The tubes are easily replaced and only cost a few pounds.

 

Didn't know that Alex every case I've read concerned either 5 or 6. In some strange way that makes me feel better. The distorted tube never entered my mind either, but then I'm just an old sparky, not a mechanical wiz kid ha ha.

Thanks for the input. It would be interesting to take the tube off and assess it.

Need a bit of motivation not to mention letting the old back settle back into shape following the work on my car earlier this week but you've got me interested now!

 

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