Removing camshaft cover, all bolts were loose...

I've been told my head gasket will need doing, after I had overheating issues. I come to take off the camshaft cover and find all the bolts loose. Not only that where the injectors are some have pools of oil. Ok I'm sure the bolts are not supposed to be loose but would this mean I would get the head gasket blown symptoms of exhaust gases in the coolant?

Thanks

Could possibly be oil in your injectors from loose cam cover or could be diesel from leaky injectors or duff crush seals or leaky spill pipes. Worth confirming by smelling and cleaning out to see if you can see where it comes from. If you see air bubbles in the oil while its running, the seals will need changing. Spill pipes are an easy inexpensive fix, injector seals take a bit more time, if its the injectors themselves then it starts to get expensive.

Have you done all the other eliminations for the cooling system? Its been well documented on here recently (spose its the warm weather) but rads, thermostats, pumps and fans should all be considered first. Unless you definitely know you have a duff head gasket - i.e. your coolant keeps disappearing, oil in water water in oil etc, oil and coolant leaking down the block.

Tighten up the cam covers and do a search on here to see what people have done to solve their overheating before going to attempt the head and gasket. If it has overheated before in a major way and on more than one occasion, you may also be looking at a cracked head.

All the above I assume is for a diesel P38 ( cam cover as opposed to covers) as you didnt mention which

it wouldnt give the same symptoms of leaking head gasket ,seperate issue unless its been really hot

Loose cam cover bolts... yep seems about right. Every oil change check them.

Thanks for all your replies, it is a diesel P38, but had another thread diagnosing my heating issues after replacing radiator, water pump, thermostat then getting a garage to do a chemical test which found exhaust gases in the coolant, not that I had any loosing of coolant.

Interesting that you say it sounds normal having loose bolts, but sounds like not the reason for my head gasket, which means I'll still have to do it

did the garage show you the evidence or did they just tell you in the waiting room? Be careful especially if its not a garage you trust.

Not normal to have loose bolts otherwise why have them in the first place? they aren't a high torque but should still hold the cover on! Your garage didnt play about with them did they, because if they were any good they would have tightened them for you and told you about it.

If you replaced most of the cooling system with new and high quality parts, assured yourself its working properly, then you maybe looking at head/head gasket.

Going to ring the garage to double check the results tomorrow, they had been kept up to date with my cooling issues and I decided to do the gasket check.

Yeah so must of the coolant system changed, possibly a duff new radiator might also be a reason for the overheating, but as the test for head gasket seemed to suggest it needing replacing thought I would do that first just to make sure the radiator definitely isn't the heating problem. Before the radiator core blew I'd run the truck on many a journey without any temperature issues.

Thanks

virtualme123 said:

Going to ring the garage to double check the results tomorrow, they had been kept up to date with my cooling issues and I decided to do the gasket check.

Yeah so must of the coolant system changed, possibly a duff new radiator might also be a reason for the overheating, but as the test for head gasket seemed to suggest it needing replacing thought I would do that first just to make sure the radiator definitely isn't the heating problem. Before the radiator core blew I'd run the truck on many a journey without any temperature issues.

Thanks

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Personally, before disturbing the head and letting yourself in for a lot of grief, I'd be checking that RAD as I seem to remember you saying it only got hot at the top. I would certainly get a second check on the coolant for exhaust gas and want to be there when it was done, garages will tell you anything if they are looking for work.
I reckon the garage left the bolts loose, they have never come loose on mine.

Spoke to the garage again today and he said it was definitly showing signs of exhaust gases in the coolant, so it has to be the head or gasket. He knows I'll be doing it myself so has nothing to gain from shading the truth. Whether the radiator is still a dud I'll know more after doing the head gasket and getting the head skimmed for good measure.


Thanks

virtualme123 said:

Spoke to the garage again today and he said it was definitly showing signs of exhaust gases in the coolant, so it has to be the head or gasket. He knows I'll be doing it myself so has nothing to gain from shading the truth. Whether the radiator is still a dud I'll know more after doing the head gasket and getting the head skimmed for good measure.


Thanks

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It's a diesel not a petrol, ONLY skim the head if it is not flat, any skimming will weaken it.