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Oh well... Bummer! Green cam cover cap popped out again. It looks like at the very least, I'll have to remove bank 2 cam cover - perhaps even drop the engine again ...
I'm going to try to just go in through the side, via removal of wheel, muffler, muffler bracket etc. I'll probably have to remove the suspension crossbrace so I can lower the engine a bit so I have access to the upper cam cover bolts. I started yesterday evening but probably won't get back to it until Sunday afternoon at the earliest... In the photo you can see the top cam cover cap partially blown out.
Dporto, you may want to drop the valve cover and inspect the oil return drain veins to insure they are not clogged (areas identified by red arrows). If those are clogged I can see the pressure build up that could perhaps be causing the plugs to pop out and the oil build up. I know others have said it but no one had an image to portray the area and better give you and idea as to why it could be happening.
Looking at how much sealant is squeezed out you might have too much when sealing that cam cover.
" there is no gasket other than the sealant you squeeze out -- 1.5mm-- wide & hope it doesn't clog a oil passage but prevent oil leaks. The only thing easy to do is have it leak more after the "fix"."
"Dporto, you may want to drop the valve cover and inspect the oil return drain veins to insure they are not clogged (areas identified by red arrows). If those are clogged I can see the pressure build up that could perhaps be causing the plugs to pop out "
^Yes^ This is the plan! I'm actually wondering if there is a way to get a flexible piece of wire (guitar string) into that passage to possibly clear it without removing the cam cover at all... Hmmm...
"Looking at how much sealant is squeezed out you might have too much when sealing that cam cover."
Yeah, I hear ya! I was so careful putting the sealant on 1 - 1.5mm bead - especially at the ends where the relief passages are (you can see how even the squeeze out is). Regardless, I clearly have a clog, so something went wrong... I don't get why it took so long though...I drove close to 1000 mi. before the cap popped off the first time
So after moving a bunch of stuff out of the way and pulling out the closest spark plug tube (cyl#6) I'm able to look at the clogged passage. The dark area is the clogged oil passage next to the cam
Now all I have to do is fashion a tool that allows me to clear that tiny passage of the cam cover sealant that's clogging it. If I can figure out how to get a fair amount of the sealant out of there, I'll have to pull the cam cover back off and start over!
What little I've tried gives me a new appreciation for endoscopic surgeons!
^^Yes absolutely! Even better if you can relate it to this...
What your actually looking at is number 12 (with red arrow) in the photo above, except in my borsecope photo it's rotated 90 degrees counter clockwise... (I hope that makes sense...)
So , just a quick update to this saga. I spent a couple hours trying to clear the oil passage with a couple different homemade tools that I whipped up quickly with what was on hand - One from a piece of flat stainless steel wire from a windshield wiper blade and one from a guitar string (.026 wound "d" string). While I'm able to get the tools into the cavity and move the sealant around, I haven't been able to extract any of it to any degree. The other problem is that if I am able to dislodge any of it, it's just going to fall into the cam area of the head, and I don't want it to be floating around in there. There's no doubt in my mind that if I had a proper/well developed tool (with say, a tiny flexible cutting head and suction around it) I'd be able to pull this off! I know, just bite the bullet, remove the cam cover, clean out the passage and then re-seal it - more carefully next time!!! I was really hoping I wouldn't have to do that ... Below are few links to the "endoscopic surgery" video's I made of my somewhat feeble skilz... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tleS...ature=youtu.be https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofaD...ature=youtu.be https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DWl...ature=youtu.be
One thing I do to keep from blocking the oil drain is to use a piece of small rope/cord to lay in the passage before installing the cover. The rope/cord keeps the sealer from filling the drain passage and is removed as soon as the cover is torqued while the sealant is still fresh. It literally wipes the drain passage as it's removed.( Note Caution : do not use too big of a rope/cord as it will get pinched and cannot be pulled out.)
One thing I do to keep from blocking the oil drain is to use a piece of small rope/cord to lay in the passage before installing the cover. The rope/cord keeps the sealer from filling the drain passage and is removed as soon as the cover is torqued while the sealant is still fresh. It literally wipes the drain passage as it's removed.( Note Caution : do not use too big of a rope/cord as it will get pinched and cannot be pulled out.)
PS: CEL? lol
Wow! Thanks for the tip 👍 That was my plan - glad to know it works. I'll leave the end of the string hanging out the spark plug hole... I'll measure the passage with a micrometer before settling on what sort of string/chord to use. Any suggestions are welcome!
Wow! Thanks for the tip 👍 That was my plan - glad to know it works. I'll leave the end of the string hanging out the spark plug hole... I'll measure the passage with a micrometer before settling on what sort of string/chord to use. Any suggestions are welcome!
There is room to leave the cord hanging out of the hole for the cap. There is a fair amount of distance between the start of the drain and the Cam.
There is room to leave the cord hanging out of the hole for the cap. There is a fair amount of distance between the start of the drain and the Cam.
Really? That's weird - my first idea was to try to clear the sealant fro the outside - because I thought there was a gap there. I couldn't get even a .010 guitar string past the end of the cam???...
Really? That's weird - my first idea was to try to clear the sealant fro the outside - because I thought there was a gap there. I couldn't get even a .010 guitar string past the end of the cam???...
Yea you can't poke anything into it from the outside ,it is at a 90 degree angle under the cam, anything flexible enough to make the turn isn't stiff enough to push. That's why a cord works best, because any stiffer will be to hard to pull out. I have used the plastic straw from a silicon spray can, but it's almost too big and stiff, I have had them to break off and had to remove the cover and clean it all up again,(PITB). lol Just use a cord and don't try to get one too big, a small one with a knot in it works best.
I've removed the center cross-member under the engine, and am going to remove the transmission support as well.
1) How far can I drop the engine without disconnecting anything major in the engine compartment?
2) I'm pretty sure I'll have to unhook the clips that hold the power steering lines, maybe the fuel line, and I think two air lines to the throttle body...???
3) Exhaust O2 sensors?
Also, locking down the cams/chain tensioners. Crankshaft is locked at TDC (bank 2)
1) Remove chain tensioner for bank 2? (the one under the AC compressor right?)
09-14-2017, 08:04 AM
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I don't get why it took so long though...I drove close to 1000 mi. before the cap popped off the first time 
I was really hoping I wouldn't have to do that 
... Below are few links to the "endoscopic surgery" video's I made of my somewhat feeble skilz...
