Header Oil Leak
Posted: Sun Sep 13, 2015 8:31 pm
by Jessegroves
Hey! First post here, I just picked up a 1990 MX-5 a couple of days ago, the car drives Great and everything seems to be fine, but around the seal where the head/valve cover, there seems to be some oil leaking. Has anyone else had this problem with the early mx5s? Is it something I need to get checked out immediately? Is it an expensive fix?
Thanks, Jesse
Re: Header Oil Leak
Posted: Sun Sep 13, 2015 10:25 pm
by cookie
Common. Replace the cas o ring seal at the same time. Easy diy with a razor and patience and some rtv sealant. Repco stock aftermarket otherwise genuine are good but cost $$
Re: Header Oil Leak
Posted: Mon Sep 14, 2015 7:19 pm
by hks_kansei
As hinted above, replace the rocker cover gasket.
Should be looking at maybe $40 max for the gasket, and maybe $10 on top of that for a tube of RTV sealant.
Have a look on the forum, there's a thread somewhere that explains the process.
I personally don't agree with the "Must be a Mazda brand gasket or it will leak" thing, I've never used Mazda brand gaskets, including the rocker cover, and they've all been fine.
The biggest cause of a leaky rocker cover is installation error, either pinching a bit without realising, or tightening the cover unevenly.