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So I have a very small oil leak / blown head gasket.

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#1
Do I buy Blue Devil head gasket repair or Blue Devil stop oil leak for myself I had found oil coming out of the valve cover facing the windshield not facing towards you and it drips down to the exhaust making it look like it is the rear main. Thanks.
 
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#2
Do you have oil/coolant coming out of your exhaust? If it's at the valve cover, make sure the PCV and all other breathers are working properly. Also, check your oil level and if it's full, take out a few ounces. I filled my engine as-per the manual and it turned out to be just a bit too much. I had oil in all the plug wells and also filling the breather "pocket" under the air filter where the little open-cell foam catches oil before recirculating gases back into the engine. Andy here explained why in a thread some months back. So I think I took out maybe 3 ounces and it's run perfectly since then.
 
OP
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Thread Starter #3
Do you have oil/coolant coming out of your exhaust? If it's at the valve cover, make sure the PCV and all other breathers are working properly. Also, check your oil level and if it's full, take out a few ounces. I filled my engine as-per the manual and it turned out to be just a bit too much. I had oil in all the plug wells and also filling the breather "pocket" under the air filter where the little open-cell foam catches oil before recirculating gases back into the engine. Andy here explained why in a thread some months back. So I think I took out maybe 3 ounces and it's run perfectly since then.
This oil leak happens only while I'm driving in motion it does not happen at all when the vehicle is parked or just parked and running.
 
OP
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2013 SE Ford Fiest 4 door Hatchback
Thread Starter #4
Do you have oil/coolant coming out of your exhaust? If it's at the valve cover, make sure the PCV and all other breathers are working properly. Also, check your oil level and if it's full, take out a few ounces. I filled my engine as-per the manual and it turned out to be just a bit too much. I had oil in all the plug wells and also filling the breather "pocket" under the air filter where the little open-cell foam catches oil before recirculating gases back into the engine. Andy here explained why in a thread some months back. So I think I took out maybe 3 ounces and it's run perfectly since then.
Also no oil into my spark plug ports it is just leaking out of the valve cover. I'm sure if I were to put on a new head gasket and valve cover then no more oil leak.
 
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2013 SE Ford Fiest 4 door Hatchback
Thread Starter #5
Also no oil into my spark plug ports it is just leaking out of the valve cover. I'm sure if I were to put on a new head gasket and valve cover then no more oil leak.
No leaks period coming from my exhaust. Also I don't really understand why the repair shop would tell me I have a blown head gasket when the exhaust smoke is almost clear to transparent it is not the White billowing smoke that 99% of blown head gasket vehicle's
Also no oil into my spark plug ports it is just leaking out of the valve cover. I'm sure if I were to put on a new head gasket and valve cover then no more oil leak.
1 Last thing my coolant is all there and it has been ever since I had bought the car so for like almost 2 years now the coolant level has been and stayed the same.
get.
 
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#6
Let Handy Andy chime in with some tips. If it is something much more simple like a bad PCV, then that will save you a ton of $$.
 

Handy Andy

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#7
Best to take a pic of the engine and compare...

Here's one that doesn't leak - yet... 20200309_132319.jpg

There are several hoses that go to that engine...

The obvious one is on the top valve cover - that heads off to the air box (Air filter) - it's the other half of the PCV valve breather - it takes in air to equalize pressure inside the engine - that valve cover is only supposed to keep fumes from escaping and oil leaking out.

1658700966629.png

So, if oil is leaking out - two things cause this...

Poor gaskets - old ones - they do fail causing leaks.

OR PCV valve - lost vacuum - doesn't pull fumes from the engine anymore.

So for oil to leak from the valve cover - means the valve gasket is blown - that valve cover gasket - not the cylinder head gasket.

Means the top of the motor has to be cleared off to get at the cover.

But before you do that, do some easy checks so you won't be having to repeat this whole process.

See the PCV valve hose in the "Gap" between cylinders 2 and 3 intake manifold?


That PCV valve is an assembly, a cover that bolts to the side of the motor, and the PCV valve itself rests in it. A hose of 7/8" diameter routes off of it to the intake manifold. and draws vacuum all the time. The hose is rubber - so it does flex an as it ages, can collapse. Caused from vacuum overcoming the resiliency of it to maintain shape and allow air to get sucked into the motor, instead it gets pinched off closed completely and never ventilates.

The PCV routes air - FROM the Air Cleaner (Airbox) thru that upper hose - thru the crankcase - into the PCV valve then into the intake manifold - so it's an Air quality - Idle Quality "hit" that the engine uses to maintain Idle speed and mixture to keep the system running

What it (PCV) does is help sort out oil and the splash and spray from the fumes and air that goes bad from combustible by products. But let's those fumes that would otherwise collect and do damage in there - get purged in a vent to the intake it's why it's called Positive Crankcase Ventilation Valve - it purposely causes a negative vacuum pressure in there to PREVENT the fumes from collecting and generating a positive pressure - blowing the seals.

IF you didn't have the PCV valve in there - you would have lost the motor a long time ago from excessive blow-by pressures building pressure in this system until it finally popped and oil fumes and the stench of burning oil leaked out.

So, in some ways, you're accomplishing what other carmakers used to do, the older cars provide a tube for that crankcase vapor to escape to the outside - making a messy smell for others to follow. You just don't have that tube.

You'll have some work to do.

Take off the Valve cover, and the Intake Manifold - so that means a tear down of most of the top of the motor to replace those seals. It's time consuming and physical work - not a simple job - lots of steps to it.
 


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