Cam Seals Leaking After 8 Months?

[rico05]

So I was doing some house cleaning under the hood, and I noticed a lot of caked oil and grit around the timing cover. It seems that my cam seals, which I replaced back in April are leaking. I am redoing the work with new seals, but does anyone have any ideas to keep this from happening again. My process for original install is here:zerothread?id=412298

And I had done this on my old motor with no leaks...

[float_6969]

I was always told to use axle grease on the inside part of those types of seals.

Prob BS, but mine have always sealed.

[sjbsuperman1425]

not to threadjack, but would putting the head/cams into a solvent tank to clean the runners have any effect on the camshaft seal and things of that nature?

[rico05]

Ryan: Thanks. I picked up some moly and will be installing brand new seals tomorrow. Last time I just soaked them in motor oil first as per the FSM.

SJB: I bet it would screw the valve stem seals as well as the cam seals. Solvent that can eat through carbon buld up can eat through rubber for sure. The solvents are designed to dissolve pteroleum based deposits and the butyl rubber used in automotive seals are also petroleum based.

[bentvalves]

you could take a look at the sealing surface of the end of the camshaft and make sure there is no buildup, corrosion, pitting etc that is keeping the seal from doing its job. I like to use an old piece of scotch brite and some wd-40, or even fine steel wool with wd-40 to clean those types of surfaces.

and on a sidenote when installing the seals, I like to have all the cam caps basically hand tight, caps bottomed first; then install the seal with oil/lube by hand get it flush with your fingers in its bore, then finish torquing the cams to spec.

[rico05]

I did mine when the caps were all the way tight. I am going to tackle this when it warms up from 30*, lol.

[sjbsuperman1425]

[/QUOTE]SJB: I bet it would screw the valve stem seals as well as the cam seals. Solvent that can eat through carbon buld up can eat through rubber for sure. The solvents are designed to dissolve pteroleum based deposits and the butyl rubber used in automotive seals are also petroleum based.[/QUOTE]

hmm..i wonder if the shop knew this..sounds like im SOL and JWF'ed...

[rico05]

If you actually paid them money to just soak your head in the solvent tank, then they screwed you coming and going.

Coincidentally, the above statement will cost you $35 on Craiglist.

Oh...and got them in. There was oil EVERYWHERE behind the cam gear backing plate. I used some moly grease as per your advice Ryan and ks13's adivice of installing them finger flush, then tightening the caps. Hopefully this will work.

[sjbsuperman1425]

i paid them to "resurface and clean the head"..told me they hot tanked (or solvent tanked) it and used a wire brush to finish the runners. I may go have a chat with them next week.

[sjbsuperman1425]

btw, can you reuse the camshaft cap bolts or no?

[rico05]

If they are doing the work you described, they sould disassemble the head to a bare casting then then do the cleaning and maching. If they do not, some bad seals are the least of your worries.

Yes, you can reuse the cam cap bolts.

[sjbsuperman1425]

maybe i should make a new thread? lol..

they resurfaced both intake/exhaust gasket flanges and the head gasket surface, then cleaned the intake/exhaust runners. You think maybe there is some "metal material" in side somewhere? I know for sure it was tanked after it was machined.

[rico05]

Start a new thread ya bum

Any time I have seen that laundry list performed, the valves came out and so did the cams with new seals installed upon rebuild.

[sjbsuperman1425]

lol i think im just gonna suck it up and replace the cam seals and valve stem seals. 1988 Nissan Pulsar NX SE i assume. shouldn't cost me more than $50 and i will have new seals i suppose, unless i end up like you rico..man i'll be pissed lol i kid i kid, but for real, i'd be angry..

[sjbsuperman1425]

but back on topic:

tighten all the caps hand tight, install cam seal by hand, then torque to spec. while using engine oil and moly lube?

[rico05]

That's what it did. We shall see how it works.

[r34 gtr]

Ha! Lube.... I find that amusing...

Side note, and take it as you will, but I never did any of that crap, I just replaced mine straight up, and they didn't leak. If I remember correctly, I did coat them in RTV Silicon (my specialty) like crazy, which I understand is a terrible idea.

[sjbsuperman1425]

what kind of grease did you get Rico? all the grease at Advance Auto said Multi-purpose and Lithium..thanks.

[rico05]

I just bought a tub of moly lube at O'Reilly.

[ard]

i guess that main reason why new seals are leaking is that new seal is put into exact place where old seal was. 20 year old engines has scratches on surface where seal is touching the cam, so new seals are worn out really quick. i am facing this problem with crank rear seal :|

[sjbsuperman1425]

i have to get around to doing this. i have the Moly Grease, i have the seals, im just a huge procrastinator. not to mention i start my Body Electronics class tomorrow.. i absolutely hate going to college

[sjbsuperman1425]

i just installed the cams and seals. but did you guys soak the whole seal in oil, then use the moly grease on the inside of the seal, or just put oil on the outside of the seal and grease on the inside? just making sure. Thanks.

[float_6969]

Grease on the inside and the outside. I didn't use any oil.

[sjbsuperman1425]

alright, i'll just take them out again and grease those bastards up lol.