So Fabia has an oil leak from somewhere inside the engine. It has a leak from the crank pulley oil seal, which was sorted the back end of last year. That oil leak was dripping out onto the driveway, that doesn’t appear to be happening now.

 

I’ve recently taken the engine cover off, and replaced my filler cap and seal with a Felicia one (as instructions kindly supplied on here), and now there is oil all over the top of the filler cap and surrounding area.

 

I think that the leak was there before the engine cover was taken off, the oil would just have gone on the underside of the cover.

 

will try and get a photo tommorow.

There are two rubber seals below the rocker cover nuts which could be leaking. The rocker cover gasket can also leak but I doubt the oil would end up on top of the cover.

 

Edited 24 February, 20197 yr by TMB

Cheers I will take a photo later? Do you know where I might be able to find the part number for that seal? Am I correct in thinking the bolt on top has to be tightened to a certain torque?

Added photos, they aren’t great due to the sunlight! The second one is just to show the random oil that’s around the rest of the engine. (Probably due to it spitting oil out for years!)

 

So couple of bits I’ve noticed - in the diagram above, there is a middle “bolt”. Mine appears to be missing, although the hole is “dry”, so the oil isn’t coming from here. Is it worth getting the missing bolt sorted?

 

i prodded the potentially faulty seal. It didn’t seem loose or squashy, but then that’s not a diagnosis!

 

Finally, when I took the engine cover off, the dipstick and it’s rubber housing seem a bit “wobbly” when I’m taking an oil reading. Is this normal? I’ve just checked it, and it seems to be firmly attached so hoping the oil isn’t coming out of here!

The missing bolt doesn't matter. It was used to hold the engine cover. It's a blind hole so can't leak.

 

The rocker cover rubber seals don't look to be leaking. It might have been where the engine cover seals were leaking. Also, the rocker cover gasket might be leaking as they go hard after a while.

 

I will have a look at the dipstick on mine to see if it moves.

 

 

Cheers.

 

i know what the rocker cover gasket it (rubbery thing!) I’m guessing i’d have to undo the rocker cover to look at it? Would this be a sensible idea, or leave it to the garage?

My dipstick is solid and there should be no rubber housing. That was only needed when the engine cover was fitted. You can remove it.

Changing the rocker cover gasket is very easy. Just remove the breather pipes, undo the two nuts and lift the cover off. Pull the old gasket off and fit the new one. The are made of a rubbery type material. The nuts do have a torque but I just do them up by feel. Don't overtighten them. 

Just for info - the rocker cover nuts torque is 3 Nm.

I have to go out now but will be back in about an hour if you need any more help.

Cheers I will look at it later this afternoon when I have more work to do on it.

 

how do I get the metal clips on the breather pipes open? Can they be reused, or a single use item?

The hose clips look like the original crimped ones which are one use  You can break them off with some pliers and just get ordinary hose clips.

https://www.mpdonline.co.uk/skoda-fabia-1.4-petrol-2002/product/engine-parts-en-engine-gaskets-seals-egks-en/rocker-cover-gasket/UJM440

 

I presume I’m going to need one of these, or is it best to open up the rocker cover to start with and see what’s inside?

Yeah that's the one. Not much point having a look at the old gasket. If it's been on for years it will have gone hard.

Febi is a good brand too...

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Skoda-Fabia-6Y2-1-4-Genuine-Febi-Engine-Rocker-Cover-Gasket/362050097351?hash=item544bde10c7:g:fS4AAOSw0xZZd4eS:rk:8:pf:0

Thanks I’m going to get shopping this evening. Any idea roughly what size hose clips I’m going to need before I buy any?

 

i was reckoning about 30mm and  12mm, so something that will suit those sizes?

Not sure what size they are but you could even use cable ties as they are only breather hoses which are normally under a vacuum when the engine is running.

Cheers I’ve ordered a rocker gasket and some hose clips (hoping they are the right size!) 

 

will keep me entertained one night this week; probably Thursday by the time the parts arrive , and I don’t need to use my car.

 

I hope you like getting your hands oily 

6 hours ago, TMB said:

I hope you like getting your hands oily 

 

I will “borrow” some gloves from the cleaners cupboard at work!

Try and keep to the recommended torque for the rocker bolts. i had a Cavalier where some idiot had overtightened the bolts and I had problems sorting out rocker cover oil leaks. Sometimes, I  prefer to use something like instant gasket ,in addition to the rocker gasket to make sure that I'd seal the rocker without undue strss on the cover. If you are not sure of nut torque, it might be worth buying a cheap torque wrench. IMHO, rocker covers are the one thing that DIY  hamfisted ( blokes) over tighten.

The rocker cover gasket on this engine is made of elastomer and doesn't need any sealants applied to it.

1 hour ago, TMB said:

The rocker cover gasket on this engine is made of elastomer and doesn't need any sealants applied to it.

 

I'll go further than that, and from personal experience, don't consider using any other sealant with a "rubber" cam cover gasket except at in some instances a couple of points where dictated by the manufacturer.

 

I used to have a Cav GSI 4X4 a really handy car in terms of performance, it and others had a nasty habit of weeping engine oil out at a couple of points where there was an extreme angle change over a cam shaft bearing cap I think.  I replaced the rubber gasket and a few weeks later it started leaking again, so I thought "I'll sort you out for once and for ever you B****rd!" - so I removed the cam cover cleaned everything up and found some really old Golden gasket paste, used that over the entire length of that rubber gasket - perfect job, maybe or maybe not!

 

Next day, burning smells and followed by smoke started appearing from under the bonnet, stupidly I got the "homing instinct" and got it home, and found that the extra gasket paste/instant gasket had acted as a lubricant and a section of gasket got pushed out and split, the broken end sat on the exhaust manifold and it got sort of lit with the escaping engine oil helping things along.

 

I was very lucky that day, that cost me a new gasket, new MAF box, new under bonnet sound damping, new EVAP piping and new heated windscreen washer nozzles - and maybe more! 

 

Lesson learned there for me!

Edited 26 February, 20197 yr by rum4mo
Spelling or word used!!!

Moral of story  was that idiot with large spanner over tightening rocker covers creates a lot of leaks.  rum- my Cav was a standard GLI,with a bog standard cork gasket fitted. But sadly, one previous owner had refitted rocker cover and proved his manhood on the nuts, distorting the cover.

Gasket changed this morning. Lucky I am not male so haven’t over tightened the bolts