Shrinking Cam Cover Gaskets?

My 308 has started leaking oil, getting significantly worse quite rapidly. For the first 200 miles after my major service, the engine was dry as could be, then the oil leaks started from each lower corner of the cam covers.

So tonight I started the process of pulling the cam covers. After removing the rear cover, it appears that the gaskets have shrunk, pulling hard enough to tear out the bolt holes and away from each end.

I am sure that the gaskets did not get damaged during installation. Has anyone experienced such a phenomenon before?

Thanks, Jeff

p.s my apologies for the phone photos. The third photo is of the British car in my garage that doesn't leak oil (well, not as much as the 308!)
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I did my cam covers and cam seals last winter, and mine are weeping slightly - at the lower front. I havent pulled the covers yet to see what happened. I was pretty meticulous about installing the gaskets especially around the cam seals and the valleys, but it can still happen.
Where did you get the gaskets? I got mine from Superformance, and they were just OK.

 

When I got my 308 it was leaking like a seive. My gaskets were pulling away and torn like your and had black gaskets like in your pics. I assumed it was from heat cycles and age but didn't give it to much thought as I was tearing the engine down. They were extremely difficult scape off. I replaced my gaskets with the green ones for T Rutlands and have had zero issues.
Nice TR3

 

Mine came from Superformance also.

 

My replacement 328 gaskets are light green in color not black, I wonder if there's a different color between the gasket for different years or different manufactures?

 

Use original gaskets, printed on Klinger stock.

 

A few years back I had a problem like this on the forward cam seal cover. Turns out the gasket edge had cut into the exhaust cam O ring creating a pretty bad leak and lots of smoke as it dripped down onto the exhaust header. I replaced the gasket with one of green ones from Rutlands. Before I seated the gasket, I made sure to spray both sides of the gasket with some permatex spray-a-gasket sealant. No more leaks! Not even into the plug journals.

 

+1

Saving a few bucks on parts isn't worth the cost of the rework.

 

Hello from Germany,

some time ago, Superformance stocked two versions of those gaskets. The green Klingersil gaskets, and those black cheaper ones.
I have the green ones on my car and never experienced any problems. I also have a set of those cheap black ones on my shelf and will scrap them right away now.

BTW; had a similar problem on my Alfa Romeo some years ago. Cam cover gasket shrunk near the camshaft timing chain and made an incredible mess. I saw the oil coming out from under the hood, spraying onto my windscreen.
Luckily it was near my home and renewal of the gasket on the Alfa is a matter of half an hour. Not so on the 308.

Best Regards

Martin

 

I would like to replace these seals myself. How difficult is it, and are there instructions on how?

 

Jeff, great looking garage! I like that TR3!

 

Thanks Jim- the TR3 is a very late one, 85th from the end, so has the TR4 engine and transmission.

I haven't pulled the front cam cover yet, but it was leaking worse than the rear. I'll be interested to see what has happened to that gasket.

I let Superformance know about this gasket issue. They responded immediately and are looking into it, contacting their supplier, etc.

 

Over the recent extremely hot summer here in Dallas, my previously leak-free GTS developed a small engine oil leak. I drove it at least twice a week, even in 100F+ temps.

After reading this thread, I suspect that heat expansion and cooldown contraction in the metal parts caused a tear in a cam cover gasket or the timing belt cover gasket.

Live with it or take it to the shop? I don't have the space or facilities here at home to go after it myself.

If a gasket does indeed need to be replaced, I want to put in the best available, cost of the parts be damned.

 

I vaguely remember some years ago reading that some oil additives tended to cause that shrinkage with some types of gaskets. I don't remember anything about what additive that was or whether it was an additive that was blended into some oils from the factory or whether it was one of the aftermarket additives.

I do know that I've seen engines that had shrunken gaskets while other engines of the same model and the same gaskets did not. So it seems to me that there is something to that additive thing that could be involved. But obviously, gaskets that are unaffected by any of that would be the way to go.

 

There is. The green ones are OEM and don't leak, or shrink. The black ones are cheaply made junk...fit poor and leak.

 

These gaskets were light gray in color before being installed. However, they did turn almost black after use. The material has an imprint on it- says "Interface Solutions" Made in USA.

I pulled the front cover tonight. The gasket had shrunk on the timing belt end and left a small gap between the camshaft seal and the gasket. So oil was dripping out of there right onto the exhaust system.

What alerted me to the severity of the leaks was the smoke from oil burning off the outside of the exhaust. At stoplights there was quite a bit rising up from the louvers. I was afraid somebody would call the fire department...