Isuzu Trooper Owners Club UK™

[Cruddler]

Hi,

New member here, with my first question which will probably be one of many........

I'm sure you get lots of these questions but I'm trying to chase down an oil leak on my engine.

The oil is leaking from the N/S and looks initially to be creaping out from the head gasket (which looks new, its a 3 notch thickness). Is there anything else I can check or is it definately a head gasket issue?

The engine runs fine, the oil has just been changed, the old oil was black but had no "issues" and the turbo spins up OK. The car starts first time there is no smoke from exhaust and it reaches operating temperature and stays there.

When I changed the oil I also dropped the lower sump cover (not the whole sump) and checked that there was no sludge etc. The internals were really clean, this does makes me wonder if they are normally this clean............

I've checked the breather pipe back to the air intake from the rocker cover and its oily but not blocked. The rocker cover has some pressurisation but that could be rings etc as I don't know the age of the engine (it's fitted in a Range Rover).

The only other worry is that there is a oil film in the expansion tank, but there is no water in the oil. There is no addittional pressurisation in the header tank (i.e. bubbles when cold etc) and its not loosing coolant.

It looks like a head gasket (not sealing correctly on the N/S) but I would love to be proved wrong so I'm looking for next steps.

Thanks.

Steve.

P.S. Anyone got the wiring info for the 4JB1 into a RR, especially things like the rev counter connectivity off the alternator etc.

[Google]

[jjcymru]

3 notches means its on its final skim.

is the leaking from the rocker cover? Also the hose running to the inlet manifold 3" diameter rubber hose tends to weep oil a little. Nip it up and clean the area.

If they fail its probably a case of checking the torque of the headbolts.

[Cruddler]

Hi,

Thanks for the reply, yes I have checked around the rocker cover and it looks clean, it's a little hard to check the N/S as the inlet manifold, injector pipework and glow plugs tend to get in the way.

The pipe work is clean and good, I just removed it and cleaned it all at the weekend.

I guess I'll have to take it off anyway if i want to look at the head bolts.

I have cleaned the engine a number of times and the oil returns after the first journey.

Are the head bolts single use stretch bolts? Though I'll probably try just tightening them anyway, I have a copy of the engine manual so I have all the torque figures etc.

Steve.

[jjcymru]

no theyre not stretch bolts, just nip them up personally.