[Mk2] [Turbo] silicone on cam cover gasket ?

[Spidey]

I've an oil leak - oil collecting on exhaust manifold and gets quite smokey when it warms up !

So, want to eliminate the rocker cover gasket. The bolts weren't very tight.

Anyway, gasket arrived but i had been recommended to use RTV silicone sealant - good for up to 400 degrees celsius. Local motor factors just had a few different brands good up to 200 consintantly or 250 intermittent.

Will 200 degrees silicone be good enough ? or should i wait for the 400 degree RTV silicone sealant (which i ordered) ?

Also, any other ideas on what the oil leak might be ? it is collecting on both ends of the exhaust manifold.

i hate my 2 at the moment - chargecooler won't bleed - car looks like its going to go on fire with the smoke coming out of it with the oil leak

Any help appreciated
TIA
Rob

[dawesy]

any RTV should be ok.
you should only need it at the corners where the cam caps meet the head due to it being a sharp inverted corner the rest should seal no worries.
make sure that when you refit you tighten the centre row of bolts first (they and bustingly tight only 9-16Nm iirc) then do the others alternating from inlet side to exhaust side. this will pull it down nice and even. dont go mad on the torque though, i have cracked 2 covers now on the exhaust side

[Spidey]

Cheers - i have the torque wrench at the ready and when i get the RTV silicone, i will double check torque settings on the BGB.

Yesterday, i actually took off my St205CC core so that i might be able to see where the leak was.

And i turned the engine on and watched. Then, i see little drops just "forming" on the lip where the cam cover sits on the head. It wasn't seeping out the seal - it was like as if the drops were falling like rain.

So, i put my hand around the area to make sure that they weren't coming from anywhere else. And they weren't. Def the cam cover gasket.

Should be able to pick up the RTV silicone on Tuesday and hopefully thats the only leak ! and the end of my car looking like a steam train

[Spidey]

Silly question - but i assume the silicone goes between the gasket and the cam cover and not between the gasket and the head ?

[Quigonjay]

it does indeed go between the gasket and the head, just squeeze a blob on to your finger, about the size of a pea and sort of scrape it on to the corner bits from your finger