Rocker Cover Gasket Oil Leak - Pinto 2.0 Petrol

[rik007]

Hi, I've had my Transit for a good few years now and its been a faithful old thing... but it is sure making a mess on my driveway!

I have spent a fortune on rocker cover gaskets over the years and they always seem to seep oil, mainly out the back end of the head/rockercover. Sides and front seem and generally to seal OK but the back is a pain, and I have never got it to seal properly.

I have tried sealant but that does not work, I have been trhough the pain of not having the right gasket at one point as there is a narrow one and a wide one (mine uses the wide cork seak), have also tried different tensions on the cover bolts and leaving the two tunnel bolts till last.

Can any one advise on a solution as I'm really doing my nut, as is the Mrs and thats a bad thing

Cheers,

Rich.

[Nick]

Hi Rich. Ive had the very same problem with my pinto.! But ive found out how to cure it.
Best way of getting it oiltight,is to clean the cover off completely.Make sure its really clean and wipe over with meths/petrol where the gasket goes. Make sure the cover isnt out of shape through someone overtightening the bolts.Use a straight edge or metal ruler.If its out of shape,then get a block and small hammer and straighten it out.People tend to overtighten the bolts and it pulls the cover out of shape.
Now put the cover in a vice just to hold it steady. Put the gasket sealer on the gasket.Use plenty of sealer,you can always clean up afterwards so it dont matter if it squirts out a bit.(I use Red Hermatite).Fit the gasket to the cover carefully and then nick yer Mrs pegs off the washing line and peg the gasket in place.(not them plastic pegs,you need wooden ones). Use plenty of pegs all round. Leave it like this till the next day.
Now you need to clean where the gaskets going to go on the engine.Clean off with meths/petrol. Next day,apply the sealer again and assemble carefully and tighten up the small bolts all round just hand tight.Then just nip them up half a turn.
Never had a problem doing it like this.Hope this helps you out.Hope you get it sorted. Nick.

[V184]

theres a later cover with a thicker gasket and spacers

[rik007]

Thanks Nick for the comprehensive instructions, will be trying them over the weekend hopefully !

Thanks also V184 for the info, hmm interesting not sure I have seen the later cover/gasket. Mine has a failry broad gasket and uses bilts with odd shaped washers to press the cover down there are three shapes wiggly ones for the side and rear, then lozenge for the front two holes then square for the two tunnel side virtical ones... perhaps this is the same as you are thinking about?

I did wonder if a posh expensive aluminium one was the way forward, but they are to expensive to be a realistic proposition.

Cheers,

Rich

[darkbluevanman]

Good advice there, also if you using something like silicone sealer, leave it until it slightly skins over before assembly, sure the gasket with spacers built in was a genuine one? though never had a problem with any pinto, even the old narrow gaskets

[rik007]

Ahh got it ...re the 'spacers' ... you mean the cork gasket that has small metal posts embedded virtically to stop the gasket being compresseed too much.

I'll have a good look at the rocker cover, perhaps there is just the slightest of bends in the surface which allows oil to seep through, will check with metal straight edge.

Well good news is that things are looking up here in other depts, i have van running on lpg but its never run that well on petrol for a number of years... however it turned out to be crud in the weber ich 34 carb... now it runs on either like a beaut'. if i can solve the oil seep then i can get on and do all the other tasks my wife needs me to be doing... makes me wonder if a self imposed spot of tranny trouble isnt a bad thing after all

cheers

rich

[sidspop]

I'll have a good look at the rocker cover, perhaps there is just the slightest of bends in the surface which allows oil to seep through, will check with metal straight edge.


rich

Forget a rule, offer the rocker cover up to a window. A rule will only show straight at two points where it touches, glass is always flat in the plane.

[rik007]

Smart thinking.... Will have a crack at using glass to find if it's straight, (excuse the poor pun)

Many thanks

rich

[PerlSOL]

I have a few years of pinto knowledge behind me now with all my old sierra's LOL
best solution is to invest in an alloy rocker cover, job done... no more oil leaks

[rik007]

Hmmm alloy cover.... Think you are talking some good sense.. But man they are expensive!

Advice appreciated though

[PerlSOL]

another thought on the matter... try blue gasket sealant, because of the two types of metal/ expansion & contraction and all that, blue never sets hard, maybe this will allow for any movement in the tin lid