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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Valve Cover oil leak

Just finnished up my restore and put a new gasket for the valve cover but can not seem to get it to seal. I permatex the gasket to the cover and tightened down good but it leaks on the gasket to head. Any have any problem like this?
RC Bishop

I assume you are using a cork gasket...?

Get a new gasket, clean the mating surfaces with a solvent of some sort, GLUE the gasket to the cover with a 'contact' or 'impact' adheasive, then WITHOUT any other gasket sealers, fit the cover to the engine and tighten down to a good 'nip' but don't over tighten. Allow this to settle and then give it another 'nip' about a day later. This should sort your leak. IF it doesn't, then something else is wrong.....

Mark.
M T Boldry

Could be thant teh cover is bent. If it's a pressed steel one they can get a little out of shape through years of over tightening.

I had this problem and fitted an aluminium replacement and the engine has never been so oil tight :-)
Rob Storer

can you clarify?

Is it leaking between the cover and the gasket OR the gasket and the head?

Id think the permatex is more then adequate to do the job. but Ive always used the "red" gasket maker stuff, with no problem.

You might try a bit of oil around the bottom mart of the gasket or even a thin layer of grease.

But like mark said ....don't over tighten, its a fine balance....make sure the head is clean and smooth where the gasket meets


Prop
Prop

On my 1500 I used blue RTV to "glue" the gasket into the groove around the cover flange, and then tightened the cover down with no additional sealant between the gasket and head. It's been oil-tight for a long time now. Actually, I used the sealant mainly to ensure that the cork gasket would stay properly aligned in the cover groove.

-:G:-
Gryf Ketcherside

if it is an original
check the rivets holding down the plaque on top

on mine it leaks slightly out of the center of one

now i just need to bring my aloy one to a shop who can weld a pipe in for the sump vent
Onno Könemann

Onno, why weld? Just drill a hole, cut some thread and plunge in a hose pillar.

Alex G Matla

Besides, it's a cast kind of aluminum, probably near impossible to weld.
And furthermore, I don't know if its a used or new cover, but if it has been used there will be oil in the aluminum wich will come out as soon as the arc is fired.
Alex G Matla

got a hose pillar?
Onno Könemann

MGWS?
I may need one too
Alex G Matla

i just remeber i plugged one off wit a hose and bolt in my weber mainfold!

so i just need a wide short bolt for the manifold and i've got one

one of those must be in the mgws "drawers"
Onno Könemann

Ha! Take a cup of tea, a sandwich, a long bolt or piece of pipe and start digging in Bart's drawers.
Alex G Matla

I aggree with Rob stoner. Mine is original and leaked a bit before I took the time to straighten out the flanges so that it lies flat.
S.A. Jones

Early in my sprites life I fitted a cast aluminium rocker cover and it was alright but later thought that I couldn't think of any benefit from it other than it looking pretty so I changed it back to a standard later pressed steel cover as it was lighter and didn't leak when the gasket was applied correctly. As it was a late one it didn't have the riveted plate, only the position for it and no holes.
David Billington

I have RTVed gasket to the cover and tightened. Just tighten a little more but have not been able to drive for a couple days. If it still leaks I will get the aluminium cover. Tring to get all those leaks stopped and on a midget thats a job.
RC Bishop

I've seen these on ebay. It looks like it should work OK, but I don't have any 1st hand experience.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Sprite-Midget-BMC-A-Series-Silicone-Valve-Cover-Gasket_W0QQitemZ130257599235QQcmdZViewItemQQptZMotors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories?hash=item1e53f53b03&_trksid=p3911.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318
Tim Michnay

RC,


Am I understanding you correctly,,,,You want to stop ALL the oil leaks.....No, Say it anit so...HAhahahahahahahahaHAHAHAHAHA....Oh, oh, that was funny.

I got ask, If you dont have any oil leaks how will you know when to add more oil....AHHHhsaahhhhhh, see, theres a reason for having oil leaks.

Sorry...I do really wish you all the best suceess, many of us, including myself have tried, but never suceeded at it permentally....longest I got was about 6 weeks

Good luck
Prop
Prop

Prop, you're right.
I came to think that these fine machines, like other superb british engineering products as the Rolls Royce Olympus, have the leakage built in on the drawing table.
Very clever, as in this way they secured job oportunities for maintenance, and spare parts production.

8^P
Alex G Matla

Just drove her again today, stopped the leak around the valve cover gasket but found that the rubber on the oil filler cap had a couple splits and was leaking around the filler.

Will call brooklands in Tacoma, Washington or have to order off the internet.

I don't expect to spot all leaks just the major ones.

RC Bishop

I just used a heat resistant glue kit instead of the original cork gasket. No oil leaks whatsoever. The same kind of silicon glue kit is also used on modern cars (especially for oil sumps).
I ensures elasticity at high temperatures preventing oil to leak outside the valve cover.

cheers

Gerrit
Gerrit

Hey RC,

If your blowing oil out around a worn seal in the oil filler cap, You may want to rethink replacing that seal, It sounds like your suffering a bad case of engine blow by, vary normal in our little engines, if you seal the oil cap, there is a good chance it will find a worse outlet to whiz out of, like the rear main engine seal...(vary common) YEAH, YEAH YEAH,,,there is no seal, just what is known as a scroll seal...but you get my thinking.

Id be inclined to put an athltic sock over the oil filler cap with a rubber band to hold it on and catch the excess oil coming out that way, and just wash out the sock in some kind of cleaner when it gets really groady...the reason I say a sock is bcause the sock will breath...but anything that breathes will work, an old bath wash rag even.


just a thought

Prop
Prop

Just replace the oil filler cap with a new one from Brooklands out of Tacoma, Washington. No leaks on the valve cover now, but having a problem sealing the water fill plug. Just looked in the Moss catalog and see that someone before me put in the wrong type.
Well to the auto parts tomorrow to see if I can fine a generic replacement.
All these nice days going to waste, but hope for a long warm summer here in the NW.
RC Bishop

This thread was discussed between 26/05/2009 and 02/06/2009

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