Triumphrat

02-04-2004

General question(s) - I have oil seeping out near the exhaust pipe as it comes off the head on my 96 Thunderbird - what are the possible causes - what can be done - what is the approx cost of a repair like this - and lastly where can I get work like this done in Jacksonville, FL

Thanks

Slinky · 02-05-2004

The leak is either coming from the cam cover (cheap, easy fix) or the head gasket ( a lot more expensive).

If the leak is originating above the header pipes it is the cam cover gasket. The cover may only need torqueing down.

The best thing to do is clean up the area and then work out exactly where the oil is coming from.

MickMaguire · 02-05-2004

The torque setting for the cam cover is very low (IIRC 10nm) so dont over do it or you may strip a thread. Triumph also say it shoudl also be tightened in a diagonal sequence (like a cylinder head) from the indie to the outside. I think that if the cover is leaking on a 1996 bike I would be tempted to ssupect that the rubber sealign gasket had hardened / shrunk and would buy a new one.

02-05-2004

I posted 'the reason for my oil leak' which was a case of crankcase pressure, due to a blocked breather, finding the easiest way out; which happened to be the cam-cover joint.
I think it's worth a look to see if the breather is working ok.
click here