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VZ 3.6L Alloytec - Leaking oil from timing cover seal and rocker cover seals

wagon37

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Stretch can cause engine damage but you'd have a light on before it did.

It does idle a little high / rough when cold (1,000rpm) and on one occasion the light did come on and it died, but it's fine when up to temperature, so assume that's probably unrelated to the chain?

No other indications of chain issue
 

wagon37

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I'd say that's to pull the timing cover off. If it's $590 to do a crank seal and the valve cover seals there asking a bit much.

I would be quoting new plugs and coils as you're at the KMs they start to fail and while you're there...

I'm trying to think of who I know that would want to do it. Most my mates are all performance mechanics.

There's a guy in Wanneroo that does timing chain replacement drive in drive out warranted and insured for $1200 advertised on gumtree. I'd give him a message.

Thanks for the tip mate - much appreciated. Will give him a call
 

_R_J_K_

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If I am going to have the timing cover off, is it worth replace the chain whilst there?
I had it in at a RAC Service Centre who said oil appeared to be leaking from rocker cover seals and timing cover seals (don't know more than that)
If it ain't broke, don't fix it - that goes for both the chains and the timing cover. Replace the rocker cover gaskets, hose the engine off. Go from there if it is indeed leaking. This is literally one of those scenarios where you can clean off the engine and actually confirm where the issue is, don't throw away money because a mechanic said it "might" be leaking.

Leaking timing cover is not a common issue, not impossible, but definitely not common.

on one occasion the light did come on and it died
The chains are a persistent issue, they physically permanently stretch so the code will not go away if they are stretched.
 

J_D 2.0

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They want $590 to remove rocker cover seals and timing cover seal to have a look and then $$ on top of that to repair as required
Tell em their dreaming. 590 bucks to do nothing is a fuking ripoff unless they are actually removing the timing cover. If it’s only rocker cover gaskets and harmonic balancer seal the labour should only be a couple of hundred as it’s only a couple of hours work at most.
 
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harrop.senator

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Tell em their dreaming. 590 bucks to do nothing is a fuking ripoff unless they are actually removing the timing cover. If it’s only rocker cover gaskets and harmonic balancer seal the labour should only be a couple of hundred as it’s only a couple of hours work at most.

Theres probably $150-180 in retail costing gaskets. Gotta remember the entire intake manifold , upper and lower and the fuel rails need to be removed. All the coil packs and plugs , need to drive the old spark plug tube seals out and fit the new ones.

I've only done them over beers and takes me a couple hours.

But there's $240-300 in labour and $150 retail in gaskets and seals.

So there's almost $4-500 before the balancer comes off.

Reason I'd reccomended the Gumtree guy that does chains is you need to pull the rocker covers off , the manifolds and the timing cover.

So all those gaskets should be included in the price. So yes it's double the quote but it should involve the entire job being done and repairing what's already and issue and giving the motor a good chance of doing another 200kms.

Sludge does these in , pick up , galleries and chains. If they have been serviced regularly and chains aren't an issue guys are getting 400k before compression Or bearing issues.
 

wannaeatyourbrains

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Running thicker than recommended oil and especially blocked PCV cause those oil leaks.
 

wannaeatyourbrains

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Yeah I said it before once somewhere. I don't know why, but 10w30 engine oil here is half the price of all other types. So for a long time it was all you could buy in servos, and all anyone would buy anyway cause it is cheap, and because things like numbers on oil bottles are considered as inconsequential as giving way at a roundabout or driving in your lane.

Every car in the wrecker's plains with an Alloytec engine is the same. OIl bursting out the seams, and puddled in the intake. Oil pump buggered from hard labour.
 
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