Grease pit

[Lawler]

Hi guys, got a problem with the 1.4 mk3. Again. Oily engine. Fine usually but the oil is actually on the outside this time!

Info: Drives fine, no milky oil, no fumes in the expansion tank, no moisture in the exhaust fumes either so not many signs of a blown gasket. It's done about 2,000 miles in a few weeks without so much as a hiccup, been sat ticking over in traffic jams for hours and passed many a more expensive car in the hard shoulder.. It's been an absolute champion and sooo reliable. But this oil is still spurting out from the top of the head.

It never overheats and has had a new water pump, cambelt, oil pump, fuel pump, new everything in the last year basically. Thing is, the head gasket is apparently about a third of the way down the mill on the ABD? But the oil is coming from further up, there is like a black steel cover which holds the oil filler cap on the top of the lump, and it appears to be coming from there. I'll post a pic of it later if no-one catches my 'unique' method of explanation.

I hope someone has an idea, I need to put more oil in it to get to work and I can't afford it... It's ****** out a liter in less than a week! I don't wanna see my car die, she's served me well over the last few months!

Cheers in advance anyway. Peetree

P.S, the idle is set up on full tilt, but it only idles at about 800 rpm. If the mill was in good nick then i'm assuming this high a setting would cause it to idle at about umm, 2000? The idle fluctuates slightly too, between 700 and 900 rpm, anytime, not just when hot or cold etc, just whenever it feels like it. Low compression?

[eyeflys]

Sounds like it's your valve cover gasket, they're dead easy to replace.

[herby0001]

As eyefly suggests, it sounds very much like the rocker cover gasket. Three bolts, five minute job. You'll probably find the gasket has perished and that's why you're getting a lot of oil coming out.

[Lawler]

Tow other people have said the same thing, one of them was a mechanic at Martin's vee-dub garage in Amazingstoke. Cheers for that guys, really appreciate the help. Car is for sale now so I can say for certain that my price is justifiable