Diesel in Rocker cover?

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S

sparg

Active Member
Posts
103
I'm monitoring a slight (at the moment) diesel-in-sump problem.
While doing so, and noticing that, despite the slightly raised oil level in the sump, it doesn't seem to smell of diesel.
Checking for blow-by, from the dipstick or the oil filler cap (nothing noticed) I observe that the rocker cover smells strongly of diesel.
The VTC is also weeping oil, all over the Turbo inlet pipe.
Yet the engine (currently) starts and runs very smoothly - especially for 195K miles
Do these symptoms combine to indicate a cracked head, weeping diesel upwards into the rocker cover, and downwards into the engine?
Does anyone else note the strong smell of diesel when removing the filler cap (engine running)?
cheers
 
If the o ring seals have failed you will get diesel in the rocker cover area which will drain to the sump. It doesn’t always smell of diesel.

Take the rocker cover off and put the vehicle into its fuel purge, you may see which socket the diesel is coming from, you can then check for cracks in the injector socket. If all ok then replace all o rings and copper washers and change oil.
 
Thanks, sounds like a plan - it did have injector seals about 20K miles ago, but I know that's no guarantee.
Incidentally, are the 15p engines just as bad as the 10p engines for cracks in head? - I had read on some info page that they weren't, but I'm not sure why that would be
 
sparg said:
Thanks, sounds like a plan - it did have injector seals about 20K miles ago, but I know that's no guarantee.
Incidentally, are the 15p engines just as bad as the 10p engines for cracks in head? - I had read on some info page that they weren't, but I'm not sure why that would be
Click to expand...

Cracks in the injector sockets are just as common on the later engines as the early ones. I've never seen an AMC head with a cracked injector socket, but they are meatier.
 
I couldn't see any crack in my 15p engine until I tried a leak detection kit. Hard to believe such an insignificant looking defect could cause such a problem.
Crack.jpeg
 
brianconwy said:
I couldn't see any crack in my 15p engine until I tried a leak detection kit. Hard to believe such an insignificant looking defect could cause such a problem.
View attachment 197506
Click to expand...
Brian -I couldn't see what I was looking at....
The leak detection kit - where from - is it the fluorescent dye and a uv light?
Head removed or not?

I had a garage lined up to replace injector seals, but we discussed and realised that diagnostics were not what they were geared up to - they were simply going to do a "visual inspection" - but not using a fluorescent dye, or anything. Basically, it would be a case of suck it and see - run it for 400 miles and see if the problem evaporated, or not. That's an expensive way to diagnose.
So, back to the drawing board... I'll SORN it, then trailer it to someone when I feel that diagnostics is what they can do. It basically needs an enthusiast, rather than a standard business.
so, again, Brian what was the diagnostic kit called?
cheers
 
tom1979 said:
There is a chap on eBay who claims to be able to weld them....
Click to expand...
I'm mulling over this; by the time I'd paid for head removal, testing and so on - would welding be actually the most cost-effective solution? It seems (to me) that, if I'm wanting a solution that will last me for the next 200K miles, then the only reliable way to go would be an AMC head. Not the cheapest, but maybe the most cost-effective in respect of the objective of longevity. I suspect that, with a welded head, I'd always, at the back of my mind, be waiting for it to fail again. Life's too short to waste on unnecessary nagging worries.
I suppose it's all down to priorities - Frankly, I'd rather pay double for a defender that's as reliable and strong as a 'G-Wagen', than buy an actual G wagen. Maybe I'm in the minority, and LR couldn't have made a business out of people like me. Still, I know what I'm aiming for....
 
sparg said:
Brian -I couldn't see what I was looking at....
The leak detection kit - where from - is it the fluorescent dye and a uv light?
Head removed or not?

I had a garage lined up to replace injector seals, but we discussed and realised that diagnostics were not what they were geared up to - they were simply going to do a "visual inspection" - but not using a fluorescent dye, or anything. Basically, it would be a case of suck it and see - run it for 400 miles and see if the problem evaporated, or not. That's an expensive way to diagnose.
So, back to the drawing board... I'll SORN it, then trailer it to someone when I feel that diagnostics is what they can do. It basically needs an enthusiast, rather than a standard business.
so, again, Brian what was the diagnostic kit called?
cheers
Click to expand...
No it isn't fluorescent. You get 3 cans - cleaner, dye and developer. The dye is purple and the developer is white. It doesn't use a fluorescent light. I had the head off as the piston had been badly damaged and as it turned out the bore as well. It might be able to use it in situ with the injector out. The crack is the vertical purple line.
 
brianconwy said:
No it isn't fluorescent. You get 3 cans - cleaner, dye and developer. The dye is purple and the developer is white. It doesn't use a fluorescent light. I had the head off as the piston had been badly damaged and as it turned out the bore as well. It might be able to use it in situ with the injector out. The crack is the vertical purple line.
Click to expand...
So, what I'm looking at is the injector socket?
 
Ah, yes, got it - so, theoretically, I should be able to examine that before taking head off - in fact, it should tell me if I actually need to take the head off. That's what I was after - no point in changing injector seals now, if, in fact, the head-crack is the problem (since the seals+ labour would be totally wasted)
 
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