Engine oil leak head gasget

[sulzerman]

Hi all 

I have a oil leak on my spitfire 1500cc engine, it is at the rear on the corner near the engine number. Oil runs down over the gearbox bell housing.

I am fairly sure it is on the head gasket, 

Is this a common place for a leak? Will gasket sealant around the oilway and a new head gasket cure it? 

 

I do not want to take the head off for nothing!!

 

thank you

[Gary Flinn]

Yes this is very common I'm afraid, it's leaking on the oilway that feeds the Rockers from the Camshaft Scroll?

 

I have heard of people machine/drilling a small recess in the block around the oilway for a Rubber 'O' ring to prevent leaks.

 

I tried a smear of blue Hylomar around the oil way when rebuilding my Vitesse Engine but it didn't work, although the leak is only very slight.  

[Clive]

Ditto.

 

If you have the head off, you could drill the oilway a little larger in teh block and head, then put a short length of tube to sleeve teh join. Bit of sealant and it is less likely to leak....

Or, tap a thread in the block and head, blank the oilway and use an external oil feed that has been reduced in diameter to a mm or something...

 

Or wipe the engine every now and again...

[Casper]

Yes, the head gasket does leak here as described but the leak is often from the rocker box gasket.  That is the lowest point of the top of the engine.

 

With respect to Gary, I think the Rocker box gasket is more often the problem than the head gasket.  But it could be either !

 

C.

[Pete Lewis]

Its also worth slacken each head nut half a turn one at a time and retorque

 

most of the range suffer with washers that deform under the nut face and you loose clamp load due to lost torque

 

If unsure where the leak is from a good coverage of talc powder around the area,

the leak will leave a traceable run line

and makes it smell sweet !!

pete