What's this sealant ?

Stuart McB · Post by **Stuart McB** » 21 Dec 2003, 22:39

Just doing the regular under bonnets checks to day, you know the things, oil & water etc, when I noticed that around one of my diesel injectors was some thick black and very hard paint like substance. I had a poke at it with a screw driver and broke a bit off. No smell and as I said rock hard. All is ok under the bonnet apart from a really annouying oil leak that's running dowm the front of the engine on to garage floor. But does any body know what this sealant could be???? If so where can I get some? [?]
Any idea on the oil leak would be great. ZX TD 1993. Leak on the R/H side of the engine looking from front to back. Can't see where it's comming from. Have tried a new rocker gasket no good, but seem's to be coming from that hight on the engine.

AndersDK · Post by **AndersDK** » 21 Dec 2003, 23:20

Stuart -
Common first issue to trace an external engine oil leak - is a thorough engine cleaning. This is the only way to pinpoint oil leaks within short time.
As for the sealant - sounds to me as a cheapo garage workaround on a nuisance leak problem at the injector. I suggest you leave it as it is - or any old bugger problem may suddenly show up again. If it does not leak - and engine is running without symptoms pointing to this injector - don't touch it. You don't disassemble working parts just to try understand why it works despite any odd appearance [:o)]
I suspect the sealant may be of the same kind as for glueing windshields.

oilyspanner · Post by **oilyspanner** » 22 Dec 2003, 00:05

I think its fossilised soot with a dash of diesel, the injector has probably had a small leak and sealed itself over time, i have seen this before, The recommended course of action is to do nothing unless theres a problem with the injector as theres a stopng possibility of removing a chunk of alloy with the injector should you try to remove it.
Stewart

jeremy · Post by **jeremy** » 22 Dec 2003, 04:17

I found the cause of the oil on the front of my BX TD engine was the breather pipes which were fitted without clips and had become slack with age. New clips solved the problem.
Jeremy

Stuart McB · Post by **Stuart McB** » 23 Dec 2003, 00:20

Thanks for the reply's guy's. I'll leave well alone as all is OK at the moment with the ZX TD. The oil leak seems to come and go so I've narrowed it down to some thing that's expanding when hot. So it could be a broken hose clip or a split in a breather pipe. Oh well after new year I'll have a look again not befor as I'm having a finger amputated on the 29th. An old injury from when I was an apprentice engineer come back to haunt me.
Happy Christmas guy's