Identifying F355 oil leaks (valve covers?)

Trying to identify oil leaks on my F355. Previous owner said he never had to add oil, but he drove under 2k miles a year with annual oil change. I put 3K miles and had to add a quart.

I cleaned up the engine and took pictures of where oil drips are (it's collecting on cylinder heads - the front and the back of the engine - and on the right and the left side).

Does this look like valve cover gaskets or something else?

Thanks
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The ends of the gaskets are the typical leak points. In the front it could also be the cam seals and o-rings. You won't really know until it's apart and fixed.

I just discovered a cam cover on a client's car that was assembled without a gasket, just black silicone. Not the only substandard part of a recent major on that car.
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^ Something else looks askew in that picture, but I'm holding my tongue. What year is the car?

 

What Tim said.
Also, read owner's manual regarding oil usage.

 

The cambelts?

 

To me it looks like the front oil seal o-rings. In order to get at these, a major service is the proper course of events. The gaskets and o-rings are replaced as part of the blet change operation (and the cams need to come out to do this.)

 

Which car? The one I showed is a '95. The engine is out of the car, a lot of things askew.

 

Sorry for the late reply. I was stuck in airports all day.

Tim -- that is a 94 348, right? What struck me was the use of green cam o-rings 158349, instead of the brown/black (and thicker) 117275 ones.

 

It's obviously 355.

 

Is it normal for this gaskets to seep oil? Supposedly they were replaced during the last major back in May.
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I would not expect such leaks in a car just serviced a few months ago. Poor workmanship? Take it back to the shop and show them.

 

This issue has absolutely nothing to do with poor workmanship.....

 

If it cost this owner $7500.00 labour to change the belts and cam seals somebody got raped..and you wonder why are cars are going down in value thats just nuts.

 

What is the cause of the issue?

 

Would you say that your sticky interior parts got that way from poor installation by the Technician?

 

It's very likely that workmanship is the cause. Attention to detail is required and not everyone is good at it.

 

Labor also included removing sticky interior pieces for destickying, putting new pins in to the electrical harness and replacing a torn CV joint boot.

My question is still though - why is it seeping oil after recent service - both banks, and front and back. I only had to add 1 qt in the last 3K, so most owners probably wouldn't even notice. It's pretty minimal, but is it normal?

 

It is possible to have zero leaks but it requires extra care and use of proper sealants along with OEM gaskets. If it's leaking on both banks, front and rear, I would recommend a do-over on the cam covers. they can be done in the car.

 

I agree with this statement,"Attention to detail is required and not everyone is good at it".

But knowing some of the best Ferrari technicians(worldwide) and talking about the quality(lack thereof) of some of the parts coming out of Maranello Concessionaires my bet is on the part(s) and not the technician, who I know.

Heck, he is more meticulous than me and I'm borderline OCD..lol

I'm tired of opening engines and seeing silicone/other sealants gooped in excess being used on machined mating surfaces which were designed to be completely sealed via dry gasket or o-ring.

 

Apples an oranges, but if I took my car in to have the sticky parts fixed and they were sticky again in a few months, yes I would say it was due to poor workmanship; the job hadn't been done correctly.

If I took any of my cars in to have them serviced and part of that service was to replace oil seals and it started leaking in a few months, yes I would say the workmanship was bad. Either defective seals were installed or the installation was done poorly. Either way, it's the responsibility of the shop to do the job right, and they should correct it. This isn't an isolated leak at a single point; according to the OP it on both heads, and front and rear. That says job poorly done to me.

As for the amount spent, my 355 was also serviced in April as part of the purchase agreement. The service cost was similar, $12,000, but it included a complete head rebuild with new guides, all new valves and valve seals, about 1/2 the lifters replaced, new shift shaft seal and rear main seals. No oil leaks.

This is one reason I don't fix what isn't broke. I don't replace oil seals that are not leaking for just this reason. In fact, the cam seals on my 308 were replaced for the first time ever (I've owned that car from new) in 2010 because that was the first time any leakage was noted (a little oil in the rear dizzy). The shop that did the work kept the car 2 weeks after completion to run in and check for leaks. When I picked up the car I was told there should be no leaks, that they stood by their work, and to bring it back if I noticed anything.

[edit] Sticky parts in my car were corrected by the selling dealer, also as part of the deal. Mechanical service was sublet.

 

I don't know the cause which is why I asked...

 

Same here!!!

My partner company does a great deal of the laboratory apparatus for Henkel. We have been privvied to lots of destruction tests. WORD- try to do it the right way

The old band aid on a broken bone