Lotus Europa Community
Lotus Europa Forums => Garage => Topic started by: ezuskin on Monday,October 19, 2015, 05:44:41 AM
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After sitting for a few years my camcover was spraying oil from one spot on firewall side. I replaced with the modern RD silicone bead on one side type. I would say I wrist tightened but it Leaks everywhere. I can't seem to find torque spec. IIRC it is 8 ft lbs?
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I don't see a torque figure for the valve cover in the workshop manual but 8 ft/lbs seems like a lot. If there is a figure I would imagine it would in in/lbs. I do mine by feel, tighten the nuts down in increments, drive for awhile and tighten again. Stop just before the cork gasket starts to bulge out.
I also use a thin bead of RTV on the cam cover side of the gasket. There is some weepage but not too bad. Have you checked your cover for straightness..
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In all the years I've been wrenching I have never used an rtv based silicone to seal gaskets...Try a tube of Hylomar, I have used it to seal engines and gearboxes alike. As far as the torque on the cover go with hand tight and a quarter turn....ld
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Wellseal is excellent as well
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I've seen those gaskets and they look really nice, but I've never used one. My method for cork cam/valve cover gaskets is to glue the gasket on the cover with some silicone gasket sealer, put a thin cover of grease on the cork, then tighten it up but not so tight as to deform the gasket. Hylomar is great stuff, too, because it never hardens.
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My prior cork gasket did not leak at all, yes, I was totally amazed, until car sat for 3 1/2 years and sprung a leak on firewall side. Ray said that this new type gasket is less forgiving of imperfections such as D plugs not perfectly flush and cam covers not perfectly flat. Looks like back to RDs rubberized cork gasket. I am going to try adding a more significant bead of silicone on head side of gasket before going back to cork. It's only a hobby, you know.
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Update on cam cover gasket. Not a great experiment because I made 4 changes so one or all made the difference.
1) I used a friends sanding belt table but it was not turned on, just sanded camcover by hand moving back and forth til all sufaces showed sanding scratches so, hopefully, flatter.
2) Reverted to RD's rubberized regular cork gasket siliconed to camcover
3) Leveled D plugs with RTV
4) Used a smear of permatex # 2 non hardening around head surface
Follow up- 90 minutes drive and no oil anywhere except in the motor. You can believe I checked it cause of old Lotus humor. When does a Lotus stop leaking oil?.... When it's empty!
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Glad it seems to be fixed - and there was oil IN the motor! :)