Cam tower leak

[presslab]

I just tried to repair my cam tower leak, used a new reinforced o-ring and "Ultra Copper" RTV sealer. But now a couple days later it is leaking again, you can see where the silicone was squeezed out right near where the o-ring is.

 

Good thing it is the pass side.

 

I'm thinking maybe some other type of sealer, like "Permatex Anaerobic Gasket Maker" or "Ultra Gray". And / or should I use a bigger o-ring, maybe a silicone rubber one?

[Snowman]

Anaerobic sealant is what you should use for the cam towers and the block halves. I rebuilt my engine and used that stuff in there, and it finally got a tiny bit of oil residue on the outside of the engine after about 10,000 miles of use.

 

Regular silicone is a no-no for stuff like that, at least in my book.

[GLCraig]

Yes you want to use Anaerobic sealant when doing this. Also put some done in the recess where the o-ring goes. That will help hold it in place. Do not use a bigger o-ring that will make things worse.

[Qman]

First use the OEM o-ring. Second, when applying any type of sealant to the cam case make sure you clean out the seal journal. I have used all kinds of seal for this job. All seem to work OK. Just have to clean out that little groove.

[Snowman]

That's a good point, Qman. The most important thing you can do when sealing anything up is making sure that it's CLEAN. Any junk in there at all can cause problems.

[presslab]

Thanks for the replies. I did clean it really good BUT I think some oil leaked out of the hole in the head before I got the two halves together. So I'm really going to take my time when I do it again and even try to vacuum some of the oil out so it won't drip on my new seal.

 

I'll also get some anaerobic sealer and use that. One more thing though, I read how an Aussie used o-ring cord in the groove around the cam tower. I ordered some o-ring cord, 1.6 mm, and I'm going to see if it looks like a good idea when I put it back together. Has anyone heard of this method?

 

The thread is here http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=648486

Look at the end of the page.

 

Thanks!!

[85Sub4WD]

I just tried to repair my cam tower leak, used a new reinforced o-ring and "Ultra Copper" RTV sealer. But now a couple days later it is leaking again, you can see where the silicone was squeezed out right near where the o-ring is.

did you give it the 15 min set time before assembling it? - I have had no trouble w/ the Ultra Copper RTV silicone, nor any other engine-grade RTV's AS LONG AS I give it proper time to set before assembling it - I have used various RTV's on many/most of my seals, and have not had any trouble yet - I agree with the others though, Anaerobic is probably the best for this application. - and cleanliness is CRITICAL for seals - like what the other guys said

 

hope it goes well this time!

[presslab]

did you give it the 15 min set time before assembling it? - I have had no trouble w/ the Ultra Copper RTV silicone, nor any other engine-grade RTV's AS LONG AS I give it proper time to set before assembling it - I have used various RTV's on many/most of my seals, and have not had any trouble yet - I agree with the others though, Anaerobic is probably the best for this application. - and cleanliness is CRITICAL for seals - like what the other guys said

 

hope it goes well this time!

 

Thanks for the well wishes, I need all I can get.

 

So do you mean let the RTV "dry" slightly before putting the parts together? Or to let it dry for at least 15 mins before running the engine? I didn't let it set up before assembling but I did let the car sit overnight before starting it.

 

I just read the Ultra Copper directions again and it says to assemble immediately but to not tighten so much that the silicone squeezes out... Hmm maybe that is the problem? I should have loosely assembled it and then torqued it down after it dries all the way?

[presslab]

Ok it's been a week since I fixed it and no leak!

 

The ultra copper was still gooey when I took it apart, I think I see now why to use a "anerobic" sealer, the "anerobic" means it dries without air. I put the o-ring cord in there and it looked pretty good. I ended up using 2.0 mm o-ring cord as the 1.6 mm was too small. Also I put some of that grey sealer on there for good measure.

 

My soob is now drip free!

 

Thanks for the help guys.

[555Ron]

Hmm, presslab, do you think anerobic sealant is the best? I got some Loctite blue max to do the job... as i've used anerobic before with no success. I found it didn't dry, though it was on a metal exhaust with high pressure...

[presslab]

Hmm, presslab, do you think anerobic sealant is the best? I got some Loctite blue max to do the job... as i've used anerobic before with no success. I found it didn't dry, though it was on a metal exhaust with high pressure...

 

Oh as a sidebar to what I said before the grey sealer, (an anaerobic type) said on the back to apply it to both sides and let it dry for one minute, in contrast to what the ultra copper said.

 

So when I let it dry for one minute it really dried a lot! I thought DANG it's already dry and won't work when I put it together! But it worked out okay. Did you allow the anaerobic sealer you used to dry like that?

 

Also I don't know the temperature rating but I think ultra copper is higher than the grey stuff.

 

Anyway Yes I think the grey type is as least better than the ultra copper for this application, on the exhaust maybe the ultra copper is better.

 

This is what I used:

http://www.permatex.com/motorcycle/PermMotoSeal.asp?automotive=yes&f_call=get_item&item_no=29132

 

They specifically state cam covers... I don't know what the difference between "Ultra Grey" and "Ultimate Grey" but I used the Ultimate stuff.