Cam cover leaking - again!

[Hotravco]

2009 D5 XC60 I replaced the cam cover gasket (during swirl flap replacement) about a year and 6000 miles ago and it’s leaking again from the back over and down the exhaust manifold cover. Oil is finding its way down to the steering rack gaiter on the offside (drivers side) and then onto the under tray. It’s not much quantity only about an egg cup in that time but making a terrible mess underneath.

No gasket sealer used and torqued correctly. Any advice before I do the whole tedious job all over again?!

[rgracin]

No advice really, but a question. Which make gasket (and swirl flaps) did you fit?

[GrahamBrown1]

How was the head surface cleaned, I have seen it where power tools are used and this is enough to cause dips in the surface allowing for leakage. It doesn’t take a lot of pressure. I clean stuff like this up by hand generally. Just a thought. If genuine bits were used you shouldn’t really have a problem.

[Hotravco]

The swirl flaps came from https://www.ebay.co.uk/str/partsmons...mis&media=COPY

[Hotravco]

Originally Posted by GrahamBrown1

How was the head surface cleaned, I have seen it where power tools are used and this is enough to cause dips in the surface allowing for leakage. It doesn’t take a lot of pressure. I clean stuff like this up by hand generally. Just a thought. If genuine bits were used you shouldn’t really have a problem.

It’s not head gasket but cam cover gasket. I just cleaned the cover itself and the mating surfaces with a rag and cleaned it best I could. No power tools involved.

[GrahamBrown1]

Yes but the cam cover fastens to the top of the head. But sounds all good there anyhow. I only mentioned it as I’ve seen it happen before with someone getting a little to enthusiastic with the die grinder and cleaning disk.