Oil leak again

[lomh 13]

Good evening everyone. I have only had my car (1972 +2 130 S) for 3 months and I am not familiar with these engines at all and need your advice.
I have a leak located on the right front of the engine.


At the junction between the cylinder head and the block.

I have to change the cork gasket.
I have to remove the head, have you some tips ?
Is there anything more efficient than this cork gasket ?
In an other discussion, someone was talking about the oil return betwen th head and the engine? I think it is a good thing to have look at that.
Many thanks for your help

[mark030358]

Hi,
Yes head off. I’m only aware of cork gaskets here. You can but ones of differing thickness, as for the oil return tube it can be changed without removing the head, but it might still leak. Remove the head and do it properly.

Cheers
Mark

[Billmack]

Very tempting to try trimming away the protruding cork dry it off with solvent and slather it with some sort of stuff that comes in a tube! Then go for a spin.

[Concrete-crusher]

It's not uncommon to have a leak somewhere, if it's slight maybe try an external sealant, it's quite a job to change the head gasket and Cork gasket at the same time. You might end up needing new head bolts as well

Steve

[rgh0]

Very tempting to try trimming away the protruding cork dry it off with solvent and slather it with some sort of stuff that comes in a tube! Then go for a spin.

I have successfully done this by cutting a couple of mm of cork out of the join along the length in the leaking area and then pressing a little fuel tank 2 part epoxy sealant into the gap as a temporary repair until the head next comes off.

The cork gaskets leak generally because they have been over compressed with the three bolts between the head and front cover being over tightened.

cheers
Rohan

[h20hamelan]

Thought the Lotus West article etc from the 60’s describes using gasket maker on the top side of the cork. So that only the underside of the cork makes a much easier (most important, easily removable) seal, as it is not swimming in oil.

[lomh 13]

Thank you all for your responses.
I'll try to do it right and remove the cylinder head.
Can you give me the easiest procedure to keep the timing as it is now ?