possible head gasket

[Thonger]

I've self diagnosied this and am looking for a confirmation.
Been loosing oil, down side of block there is leakage, about a litre every 100k's when driving. Also found on the weekend, when rolling downhill in low, engine braking, afterwards blowing a little to a lot of blue smoke.
Thinking it's the head gaskets.
Also any type I should use, ie tin or felpro, VRS types.

[up2nogood]

Sounds more like the rocker cover gasket.

[Thonger]

Sounds more like the rocker cover gasket.

??
Leak appears to start around the head/block seam. More on one side than the other, and how would it explain the blue smoke. My thought was that while engine braking, nill throtle input, it was sucking a bit of oil in. As when running up hill on flat there is no smoke.

[Rovernaut]

Thonger give the engine a good degrease , then keep an eye on where toe oil is actually coming from.
I had a leak similar to yours and it was the head gasket at the front.
I took it back to the dealewr under warranty.\
They told me some crap that it was just spilt oil from a service and said the fixed it. sure they did, left the car with them for a whole day, all they did was degrease it.
Then the warranty finished and I pulled the head and fitted a new gasket.

Oil pressure senders also can leak and squirt oil up where you have this oil. The engine fan can spread it up the head face near the block junction. Depends on which side of the engine yours is. This also happened to me

[Philip A]

Thonger, you probably have a few separate probs that you are now noticing together.
The downhill then smoke bit is usually just old worn valveguides, or even new unworn with no stemseals.
A crook head gasket may be pressuring the sump and pushing oil out of the valley cover end, usually at the front around the dizzy.
There is only one oilway each side between the block and head. One is at the LH rear and one RH front. I have never seen oil come out there but here is always a first time. never say never. Of course it is most likely to be an old dried out cork rocker gasket. regardless buy neoprene ones next time.
Regard s Philip A

[Thonger]

Thanks guys.
I'll degrease and check again. Can I check the condition of the valve guides/stem seals without pulling the heads. I replaced the rocker cover gaskets less than 12 months ago when doing the road worthy, but might be worth going over them again.

[Philip A]

NOT really, but you can see if there are any umbrella seals there by taking off a rocker cover. Only on the inlet valves.
If they are not there you can fit in situ by compressing through teh polug hole. Or this a good one. the Poms fill a cylinder with rope, then bring the piston up. Then compress the spring and voila, or WALA as the yanks say.
Regards Philip A

[Thonger]

Ok after a week or two of degreasing and watching I am confident that the oil is coming from the timing cover. It apears to be pooling above the power steering pump, around the dizzy shaft. Or am I wrong again?
Oil does not flow through the inlet manifold does it? only water.

[up2nogood]

The rubber o-ring seal in the distributor could be shagged, or the inlet manifold seal is allowing oil to flow out.

There is oil being tossed around everywhere inside the engine, so it will leak from those areas. Just not under pressure.

As the dissy o-ring is the easier of the two jobs, do that first and then consider the inlet manifold seal.

[Thonger]

Cheers, I'll get into it this week and try again.

[Loanrangie]

I had the same prob on my 81 RR, it was the valley cover gaskets - the end rubber ones under the clamps.

[Thonger]

Cheers I'll have a look around there as well.