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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - New rocker cover = oil leak?

Hi,

Not having much luck with my 1500 Midge at the moment.

Having finished most of my 'jobs' and got it up & running again I took it out tonight but before even leaving the drive I noticed oil spilling on the drive.

I had recently fitted a alloy rocker cover which I seated on top of the cork gasket that it came with.

The gasket was a little fiddly and although I have tucked the Midge up into Bed tonight leaving the investigation for tomorrow night I suspect given the volume of oil left on the drive that it may well be the rocker cover and the ill fitted gasket perhaps?

I take it that the cover is supposed to sit directly onto the gasket?

Has anybody else experienced this?

Thanks.
L Huggins

Get some Blue Hylomar or Wellseal and bond the gasket to the Alloy rocker box. Then sparingly coat the gasket and bond the lot to the head.
Deborah Evans

Deborah,
would you mind dropping me your e mail address i have a few questions that i wanted some help with off forum , I have e mailed you before but it keeps bouncing back
cheers
Andy
Andy Chaffey

EMail sent Andy
Deborah Evans

I'm not familiar with the alloy rocker cover does it have the breather pipe that's part of the steel cover? My 1500 has the steel cover and the vacuum (slight depression) provided by the breather is quite noticeable. Removing the oil filer while the engine is running causes a noticeable drop in engine speed. If you haven't got a breather it may be crankcase pressure is forcing the oil out.

Bob
R.A Davis

The cork gasket is a bit fiddly and squirms all over the place. I spread ever such a light smear if grease on both sides of the gasket so that it stuck to the cover then placed it in the head and where I saw an uneven sighting of cork I lifted the cover a bit and with a small thin screw driver pulled or pushed the gasket into place. By have a small smear of grease the gasket stayed in position until all things were equal. No oil leaks at all.
MA Wilson

obviuosly assumimg you've got the correct cover and correct cap (hot topic for me at the moment)

very easy to overtighten and squash out cork gasket

make sure all surfaces are very clean and level (no lumps, bumps or dips of muck, metal or previous gasket)

if your presnt gasket is polished with oil I'd get a new one they're a pound or so

watch out for long side bowing in on present or next gasket
Nigel Atkins

This thread was discussed between 16/05/2011 and 22/05/2011

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