Rear cam plug leaks...

[Florsuzo]

I recently replaced my valve covers and gaskets because the gaskets were trashed and hard. Before I did this I had leaks of oil dripping from the arrows onto the starter on the left and the exhaust and front drive shaft on the right. After changing the VCs and gaskets the same leaks exist again. Knowing that I was careful in putting RTV along the cam towers I searched on several forums and it appears perhaps my cam plugs might be the issue here. Does this sound logical?

If so, can I undo the tranny mount and lift up the drive train enough to get rid of that idiodic black bar on the right side? I can't get the lower two bolts off due to exhaust and drive shaft in the way from underneath.

Any tips? Thanks.

[Florsuzo]

Oh, and that is not my engine FWIW, but, merely an illustration to show where the oil still leaks after changing my VC gaskets.

Anyone post here anymore that has replaced these in the past?

[Cat Fuzz]

Can you reach through the fender well? There should be a removable rubber shield that may provide access. It seems like getting access to those plugs is very tight. If it were me, I might try cleaning the area as good as possible and then smearing some Right Stuff sealant around the edges of the plug. It's kind of expensive but it's tons better than RTV.

[Florsuzo]

Too far back to get through the fender well.

I'm thinking perhaps that using RTV (someone's suggestion for the 4 corners of the cam towers on each head) wasn't a good idea for the VC gaskets as well since doing research on the exact sealant Isuzu recommended to use revealed that they used quick setting sealant instead of something that takes almost 24 hours to cure.

The passenger side is the real kicker because of the engine lift bar being in the way so I can't see where it's leaking. The driver's side appears to be exactly as I illustrated, but, it could be either the corner of the cam tower or the plug itself.

[FL 3.2L]

You probably saw my thread. I did it blind pretty much. A small wrench reaches the 2 bolts that hold the cam plug plates in place. It took a little while to pick the old plugs out, but I have no leaks there now.

[Florsuzo]

Originally Posted by FL 3.2L

You probably saw my thread. I did it blind pretty much. A small wrench reaches the 2 bolts that hold the cam plug plates in place. It took a little while to pick the old plugs out, but I have no leaks there now.

How did you get the engine hoist off the back part of the passenger side cylinder head? I tried using a dental pick and a small flathead screwdriver on a Rodeo in the junk yard today but couldn't get anywhere after about 30 mins of trying to remove the plug on the driver's side.

[Florsuzo]

Interesting enough I replaced the valve cover gaskets AGAIN and this time I must have gotten them right because there's no leaks now. I pulled the cover off the driver's side cam plug and there was some oil seepage but not enough to suggest an active leak. I ended up pulling off the heater tubes and hoses completely on the passenger side to get the valve cover back in, and, in the process got enough clearance to get rid of that stupid bar in the back. Fortunately someone was actually thinking here because the metal part of the heater hose routing bolts onto the common chamber without needing that black bar on the back.