Head gaskets leaking oil?

[mudduck]

Just got done putting in a resealed EA82 in my 89 wagon , crank it up and its just pissing oil out of the driverside between the head and the block up toward the front of the motor. everything else is dry. I am about sure that the head gasket is bad. Am I on the right track?

[MilesFox]

Are you sure that its not the seam between the cam tower and the head? there is an o-ring there that seals off the main oil gallery to the cams. There is another o-ring present in the head gasket itself.

 

it would be more common for the cam tower o-ring to fail.

[Indrid cold]

I think Miles Fox is on to the problem... assure which joint is leaking, the head gasket or the next seal out which would be the RTV seal/cam tower & oil passage "O"-ring. Per your post and # of them sounds like you know exactly what you are talking about.

 

If it is the head-gasket (I have replaced one do to this but it was 180,000+ miles) and not freshly resealed. If it is newly resealed with new head gaskets then possibly an issue at the joint location... sucks.. but you may not have a choice here.... double, double check...

Edited November 28, 2010 by Indrid cold

[mudduck]

I just sealed up everything but didn't replace the headgaskets or intake gaskets. It definatly is leaking where the head and block meet up. The more I look at it and from what i have found here it sounds like the headgaskets.

[Gloyale]

Yup, external Headgasket leaks are somewhat common.

 

I'd say at least 1/2 of the NA EA82 headgaskets I do are for external leaks.

 

Good news is that it's fairly easy to fix.

 

Sucks you just had it all apart though.

[mudduck]

Yep thats what it is. Yanked it back apart, and you can see where the gasket had deteriorated.