Rocker shaft 'blind plugs'

[AndyBaur]

In a desperate attempt to stop the oil leak on my 320/6 I bought a new set of 'blind plugs'. They fill the gaps left so the rocker shafts can be withdrawn (I think). I put a new gasket on but there is a fairly steady drip when I've been out in the car.

The new gasket doesn't appear that oil tight & the blind plugs have been fitted with silicon all around them. The Haynes manual doesn't make any mention of using silicon / gasket cement on either the plugs or gasket.

Should they be fitted dry?

If it's not the blind plugs then it will probably be the cam oil seal

[AndyBaur]

Just spotted the problem with the cam cover. I nicked the one off the parts car & painted it up ready to use when I did the valve clearances. I didn't know that where the later torx bolts have been used a boss on the cam cover has to be ground off. When I compared the replacement cover with the original I see the boss hasn't been ground down.

So, fitting the original cover should solve that problem.

I'll try the plugs in dry & see how it goes.

[AndyBaur]

Well that seems to have sorted it - no more oil leak even after a 75 mile blast around Northumberland (roof off too!).

Roll on Summer

[Jeroen]

[e21mad]

Lol. How many times have I done something like that. I once rebuilt a 323i engine, spent 5 grand on it. When I was done the car smoked. I took the engine apart twice changing the head gasket each time only for the car to keep smoking. Turns out I forgot to change the gasket on the throttle housing for the preheater, it was dumping antifreeze straight into the cylinders!