Oil leak.

Is it just me, or am I the only one who seems to have constant engine woes? Everyone else seems to enjoy tinkering and tuning, whereas I am always fixing! Anway, my problem...

Since getting my car back after all the engine work, I've noticed an oil leak. It's dripping off the bottom of the timing cover but I don't think this is where it's leaking from. It's such an oily mess it's difficult to say where it's leaking from, but it's down the right hand side back of the engine. The right hand side of the timing cover and the bottom of the distributor are covered in oil.

I didn't think the timing chains ran in oil do they? I wouldn't expect to leak much oil from the timing cover gasket if it was that and the cam cover gaskets look dry. I wondered if there might be an oil seal on the distributor and if it could be this? Might account for the mess it's making if it's spraying oil arround as it rotating?

Is the distributor difficult to take off to change the oil seal and put back again? Assuming it does have an oil seal. The Renault parts book seems to show a round seal.

Cheers.

I think there is a seal around the distributor - I remember having mine replaced long ago, not very difficult to fix as GTA things go. I'd try to check thats where its coming from first though.

Also be careful it doesn't start to effect the ignition!

I'll clean it all up and try and establish for certain where it's coming from. But if it is that it'll be much easier than changing the timing cover gasket!

Cheers.

[stephendell]

Timing cover gasket is not too bad to change once you have removed the exhaust & crankshaft pulley. There is also an oil seal for the crankshaft pulley that may need changing. There is plenty of scope for leaks around here especially if the timing cover bolts have been fitted incorrectly. There are two or three different lengths around the cover and it's easy to strip threads or fit bolts that are too short.

It could be as simple as the end of the rocker cover. I had a small trickle on a car once, which ran down the edge of the timing cover and the bottom of the dizzy, so I assumed it was the cam seal..if it is the cam seal though, the dizzy will fill up with oil, so check that first.

So all it needed was a new rocker gasket and check the tightness of the two end bolts at the front of the engine.

The cam cover gasket on that side is new and wasn't disturbed when the timing was re-done and as it looks clean and leak free and it seems to be originating from higher up than the crank pulley, and after chatting to Andrew from CAR, he reckoned the distributor oil seal was the most likely cause.

Since this sounds like a relatively easy and cheap job to change, I think I'll try changing this first. I called in at Renault today and ordered the seal; about £13.

So that's my job for the weekend...

The cam cover gasket on that side is new and wasn't disturbed when the timing was re-done and as it looks clean and leak free and it seems to be originating from higher up than the crank pulley, and after chatting to Andrew from CAR, he reckoned the distributor oil seal was the most likely cause.

:

The cam cover overlaps the timing chain cover though, so it will still be disturbed. The easiest way to check if it is the cam shaft seal, is just to slacken off the cap slightly and see if oil pours out..