oil in the vee

[Gresley]

I know this has been discussed before but I cannot find the posts...

Anyway, I have oil leaking into my vee. I was convinced that new cam cover gaskets would cure it, I have checked them for tightness etc but still I have a leak into the vee. I am almost certain that it is coming from the distributor pedestal, has anyone ever had a leak past the O ring? This is getting annoying now!!

Any advice appreciated...

Brian.

[martin]

Hiya Brian, that O ring leaking is not uncommon. There are some cam cover gaskets about that are too thin, tightening down the screws just distorts the cover. Can you see any of the gasket below the bottom of the cover ? If not, you've got the thin ones. Wards do the correct ones, some other suppliers are bound to but I don't know them. Martin.

[deanoed]

hello i had this problem and it was coming out around the front of the head where the timing cover meets i cleaned all around it and put a small bead of decent gasket sealer around it and it cured it but i did take the inlet manifold off though just so i could get right in there properly

[flying farmer]

I have had both the above leaks, also I once had a head gasket leaking from the oilway at the front which is surprising since it is not at full pressure. That was ignored as it wasn't bad and wasn't worth a head gasket change.
Distributor O ring is probably easiest to try first.
The other possibility is from the bottom of the water pump, but like the distributor this has to come uphill so tends to happen only if the crankcase breather is partly blocked
Neil