Moral support needed - T5 camshaft timing & seals
 

The unusual Bank Holiday weekend weather seemed like a good time to tackle a timing belt replacement on the C70:regular_smile:

On dismantling, however, a few 'issues' have cropped up....

Firstly, there was a fair amount of oil down the engine side of the inner timing belt cover. Not dripping, but you could see where it had coated the lower engine mount with 'crud'.

I really should have performed the 'rubber glove test' to see whether the PCV system is functioning properly - but I haven't:confused_smile:

Is it likely that any camshaft seal 'weep' would cease if the PCV system was fixed (assuming it's faulty) - or has the damage been done? Or could it just simply be worn out seals - the engine has 156k on it? There's a trace of oil in the 'nose' of the inlet cam, but it's hard to see behind the exhaust VVT assembly. However, most oil appears to have been seeping down the exhaust side.

Secondly, the exhaust VVT pulley looks a bit wrong. I would not have expected the fixing bolts to be so far up against the end of the adjustment slot, so that might need sorting, too:eek: I would imagine that if the pulleys are coming off then the seals might as well be done at the same time? The timing marks appear to be where they ought to be.

It's one of those times when you really wish you hadn't bothered, and I can't quite decide how to proceed.

I could just fit a new belt, get the car running again and test the PCV system. At least that needs to be functioning properly before any seals are replaced - or it'll just leak again!

Are the seals hard to extract without damaging the sealing surface on the shaft?

Sorry for rambling on a bit - just feeling a bit deflated at the moment:Not_Impressed:

As you are so far in with the timing belt, why not do the seals - as they are suspect - then when you start the engine do a glove test and proceed with the pcv if needed. It will save going into the belt again.

Well, as I unexpectedly had to move the car out of the way I just put everything back together again:eek:

Some good news - the rubber glove was sucked a little into the oil filler, so the PCV system may not be too bad, and certainly not in itself responsible for the seal weepage.

hi bud the camshaft seals ime leak eventually as they go hard and brittle certainly in my own 850 se with b5252s engine that was the case but yes if the pcv becomes entirely blocked then there is a resultant rise in crankcase pressure and it has to go somewhere and will take the weakest point to exit and being as you have some oily mess inside the cambelt cover other than the front pulley seal theres only the cam seals i believe that can leak to inside the cover,the seals were easy enough to remove with the correct tool a type of pick thing i got from local car shop for a fiver.
be careful when purchasing the seals as theres some i seen supposed to be correct size as in they fit the hole but are not the same thickness as original infact nearly 2mm so the lip that seals ends up sitting different place now this may or maybe not be a problem but i thought better not to chance it and sent them back and ordered from a german supplier which was correct,ebay sellers no little and care even less ime and will happily say yes thats the right one even when its not because they rarely bother checking,good luck