Diesel owners must read. Mad, Bad, Bonkers design !!!

[crazy frog]

Hi ,
Hope this helps in preventing a few heart attacks amongst Members.

The other day I decided to do a little job on my 2005 Ztt Cdti . A couple of replacement vacuum hoses.

We had both been laid up for a while so was looking forward to a leisurely hours tinkering.

Anyway off with the engine cover and pre filter air intake just for better access visibility and sparing my lower back, so I could sit on the engine.

Ok Brake and EGR Vac hoses off , then a forward and back shunt to loose all vacuum and Elephant foot to make the brakes work. ( OCD just wanted the comparison)

Ok right, now back under the open bonnet to connect the new hoses.

Holy Holy Sxxx. !!!!!!!!!!!!! I couldn't believe my eyes. My heart nearly jumped out of my mouth.

Engine oil all over the place .Oil filler cap, f/o/s shock tower, MAF, up the wipers and windscreen, pooling around the nearest injector etc etc.

Anyway after cleaning it up to find where it was coming from on my otherwise bone dry Engine.

I found it coming from the engine cover mount bolt hole . long story short I put just the bolt back (only hand tight) then wrapped in paper towel and elastic bands and gave here a 10 mile high load drive and thank god the paper towel was bone dry when I got back.

Unfortunately for you guys I only then took photos after cleaning the excess oil .so when looking at my pictures anything that is shiny had oil on it, and you can still see a few speckles here and there

I did an emergency google search and found it has happened to others before, who had then put silicone in the bolt hole and or put PTFE plumbing tape on the bolt thread.

Which I don't fancy doing , I don't want silicone or PTFE going around the engine potentially blocking small galleries before it gets to the filter. Ive had that cover off at least yearly from having her from new and no signs of anything.

During my Google search its been suggested that one of the 3 cover bolts is longer than the other 2 and therefore if replaced wrong the longer bolt could pierce what ever is at the bottom of the bolt hole . But my bolts are all the same size.

Whatever is at the bottom of the bolt hole ? thin plastic or a gasket.

This has got to be Mad, Bad, Bonkers, Oversight lack of design.

Has anybody come across this before . its obviously a .50p or £500 fix . so has anyone got a .50p fix so I can remove the bolt and confidently replace my engine cover without worrying and then be able to remove it wirhout dumping silicone or PTFE into the engine.

I hope this has helped because never in a million years would I have thought such a thing could happen.
Might be worth starting your engines and giving it a few revs next time you have the cover off and having a look ?

Thanks Paul
P.S trying to upload my Pictures














I have tried and tried to learn Latin but it seems I just cant manage it unless someone teaches ME . Is Latin still necessary.
I've just managed with a great amount of time and expenditure and difficulty to post some pictures from "our online Account" .But cant add descriptive text . I'm sorry but I must be Mentally deficient unless trained in the art of stupefying over complicated nonsenses

[trikey]

Its a good design...

It goes bad when previous owners use the wrong bolt to secure the engine cover, this over length bolt then punctures the base of the brass insert causing an opening!

[crazy frog]

Originally Posted by trikey

Its a good design...

It goes bad when previous owners use the wrong bolt to secure the engine cover, this over length bolt then punctures the base of the brass insert causing an opening!

WE have been here before Lets not continue, Please. This is a motoring help forum.

As clearly stated in my post all my bolts are all the same length and have been measured to the millimetre and there has been no previous owners.
just out of curiosity as you are up, what is the bolt size difference of those that you know have different length's. Just in case you are talking of 1000th of an inch.

[crazy frog]

Originally Posted by trikey

Its a good design...

It goes bad when previous owners use the wrong bolt to secure the engine cover, this over length bolt then punctures the base of the brass insert causing an opening!

P.S how can a Primarily acoustic and cosmetic part that if "potentially fitted wrong" can cause engine oil loss be a good design ?

[crazy frog]

Originally Posted by trikey

Its a good design...

It goes bad when previous owners use the wrong bolt to secure the engine cover, this over length bolt then punctures the base of the brass insert causing an opening!

Yes I think I and others have realised an opening has been created, thankyou.

Apart from the obvious visible brass thread can you tell me and other members what is has actually punctured with this good design

[Rogue]

Same problem with mine... Just remember to replace the bolt if you are going to leave the cover off and no issue.

[Mike Noc]

Originally Posted by crazy frog

This has got to be Mad, Bad, Bonkers, Oversight lack of design.

Nothing to do with the design - as Trikey says your cam cover has been damaged.

[crazy frog]

Originally Posted by Rogue

Same problem with mine... Just remember to replace the bolt if you are going to leave the cover off and no issue.

Thanks Rogue,
yes I intend to keep the bolt in, but what a crazy way of potentially Knackering an engine through oil loss.
I don't Know about you but I've had my car from New and all the 3 bolts are the exact perfect same length. So I can only imagine and guess perhaps its the tightening torque that causes the leak due to a bad weak design.
Who would have thought a cosmetic, acoustic, non critical part could have such possible consequence's.
Thanks Paul

[crazy frog]

Originally Posted by Mike Noc

Nothing to do with the design - as Trikey says your cam cover has been damaged.

Thankyou Mike Nok, I'm sure trikey will be grateful for your support .
However how do you think my cam cover has been damaged?
And more Importantly how do you think I can fix it .

Thankyou

[clf]

Originally Posted by crazy frog

P.S how can a Primarily acoustic and cosmetic part that if "potentially fitted wrong" can cause engine oil loss be a good design ?

perhaps if it was not overtightened when fitting it would not cause a problem. IE by turning that extra turn - just to be sure - is what causes the issue?

As I understand it, providing the bolt is refitted oil loss should be minimal or non existent?