I have a leak from the camshaft cap to head seam on the passenger side (about an inch back from the front of the engine, so probably not the camshaft seal) of my 2.5i that is dripping oil onto the exhaust. The head gaskets and valve covers were replaced in April (with MLS gaskets, etc.) by the local specialist, and this has shown up this leak. The leak isn't that bad - no measurable oil loss - but it smokes occasionally when a drip gets onto the exhaust.
I've tried using Permatex Spray Sealant 82099 today as a stop-gap measure (I figured it was a lot safer than a oil additive, and worth a try) since the oil seemed to only be weeping out when running on ramps. That seems to have only partially worked, and is showing a couple of small points where the oil is coming through the spray sealant, and oil is still getting onto the exhaust.
Two lines of questions:
Could a bad PCV valve cause this? Does the PCV system vent the heads?
How hard is pulling the camshaft cap to redo the Threebond liquid gasket there? Is it an engine out job or can it be done in place? I know it's just about possible to pull the valve cover in place. This is probably a trip back to the specialist for this rather than a DIY job.
I've tried using Permatex Spray Sealant 82099 today as a stop-gap measure (I figured it was a lot safer than a oil additive, and worth a try) since the oil seemed to only be weeping out when running on ramps. That seems to have only partially worked, and is showing a couple of small points where the oil is coming through the spray sealant, and oil is still getting onto the exhaust.
Two lines of questions:
Could a bad PCV valve cause this? Does the PCV system vent the heads?
How hard is pulling the camshaft cap to redo the Threebond liquid gasket there? Is it an engine out job or can it be done in place? I know it's just about possible to pull the valve cover in place. This is probably a trip back to the specialist for this rather than a DIY job.
