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Camshaft oil seals...


A8Mark
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Ok this maybe a stupid question but are they found behind the camshaft pully`s?

I take it you have to take the timing belt of etc to replace?

Im asking this as ive now been told one of my camshaft gaskets is leaking and as i know the cam-belt was changed when i bought the car,i dont know when the water pump etc was replaced.

My machanic says he can change the seal but im thinking of getting a complete cambelt,water pump etc done at same time.

Any ideas how much it would cost for the whole front end to be done i.e cambelt,water pump,any other gaskets and pullys to be changed?

I might just phone Audi up for a price but dont think me or my wallet could take the answer.. dung.gif

Mark..

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If you have the ABZ engine (32 valve), there are camshaft seals on the front of the motor, here is the cam shaft sprocket on the left hand side, then the next picture with it removed, it's the seal that you can see there:

tbp31.JPG

tbp34.JPG

I have personally never seen one leak, not to say that it couldn't.

However, the normal place for a leak is on the back of the head, there are removable covers to install a cam lock tool during TB replacement:

tbp26.JPG

That's the left hand side cam, the cam lock tool is being installed. It's a cover that has a $4 gasket that seals it, but most people don't replace it and then it gets flat and starts leaking oil:

tbp72.JPG

So if you're leaking from the back side of the engine and it smells, it's most likely one of these seals, but for some reason it's leaking from the front of the engine (which would require the cam belt covers to be removed, only can remove the left hand one without tearing the whole car apart), then it could be your seal.

What engine is it? Where is it leaking from?

Check this out:

http://www.audipages.com/Tech_Articles/enginemechanical/tbparts.html

http://www.audipages.com/Tech_Articles/enginemechanical/tbreplace0.html

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Im pretty sure its the 32v 4.2 ABZ.

Im told its leaking from the left hand front side as u look at it,my machanic says its the easy one to get to but he needs to check to see if the other is leaking too!

Ive just had the camcover gaskets done thinking this was my oil leak prob,but it has now started leaking from 2 oil breather pipes and ive got a oil leak coming from the front left side(this is the camshaft seal leaking im told).

Mark...

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Never ending m8,its a case of CHASE THE OIL LEAK!.. frown.gif

According to my man its only a small leak and he reckons its mostly coming from these oil breather pipes,so will change them first and see what its like then.

Also i bought me self a prezzie today. grin.gif

Got myself a P-plate... A8 *** grin.gif

Mark..

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[ QUOTE ]

[ QUOTE ]

When you say left hand side, do you mean the driver's side on a RHD (UK) vehicle?

[/ QUOTE ]

Thats the one paul... 169144-ok.gif

Mark...

[/ QUOTE ]

Don't get it.....that would be the right hand side....is the oil coming from the front right (same as driver's side on RHD car), if so, it could very well be a cover on the front of the motor......

Or is it on the back of the motor?

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How can i say this so it stops confusion....ermmmm ok here goes.

If you open your bonnet(hood to u)and look at the engine,the leak is coming from the left front side of engine!!

Ive been told its the camshaft seal that is leaking slightly by my machanic who has looked at it.He has told me that 2 oil breather pipes are also leaking and this maybe the major leak i have,so he wants to try those first.

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Thanks for the clarification. You would normally say it's from the right side of the engine, not the left. It is standard to state what side of the car it is on looking from the rear, not the front, hence a UK car is RHD.

If it's coming from the front right of the motor, there has been others on audiworld (including myself) that has had the same leak.

I believe only one person has correctly had it fixed, and in the end it appeared to be the bottom plate where it says "idler pulley". The gasket on that plate leaks.

tbp71.JPG

Mine still leaks, but it's not that big of a deal. If yours looks like this (which is mine), then I would suspect that plate gasket:

tbp75.JPG

If it's on the front of the motor, I doubt it's your crankcase breather hose, which BTW, can be replaced with a cheap replacement versus the $45 US hose.

breatherhoses1.JPG

Good luck!

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  • 4 weeks later...

Once again paul your unlimited knowledge of A8`s is spot on again.... 169144-ok.gif

The oil is leaking from a seal on one of these points..

engine1.jpg

Can`t remember which one as i only had a quick look..dohhh

They said your infomation was very helpful... grin.gif

Hope this is the end of it... wink.gif

Mark...

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Also their going to change my cam-belt again and any other belts that need doing,but i dont know when my water pump and thermostat were changed.Ive been told that it all looks and works ok so no need to change them tbh,but what do you think i should do?

The TB Damper looks like new,and all pulley wheels also look ok.

Mark...

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Wow, that's great to hear....I think the leak is coming from behind the pulley on the left in the picture (as you view it). When I do my timing belt next time I'll replace the seal.

The water pump is normally replaced when the timing belt is done....if that was done recently, I don't see any real reason to replace it....normally they come out looking like new. And I've never heard of a 32 valve thermostate go bad before. But the 40 valve motors do all the time.

Next time I'm in the UK, you're buying!

beerchug.gifjump.gif

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I don't know....but my girl always likes to go overseas maybe once a year.....I have never been to London, would like to visit there soon.....

BTW, Sven is doing better, emailed with him the other day, he's almost out of the woods with his health problems.

However, he stated he had a lot of life things to get back on track first. Hopefully we'll see him on the boards soon!

Sven, if you're lurking.....get well soon!

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