2.0 zetec mk1 auto - Focus burning oil smell

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Thu 27 Dec 2012 17:30
2.0 zetec mk1 auto - Focus burning oil smell - mattlostatsea
Hi, can someone please help as im pulling my hair out here. My zetec mk1 has a strange misty smoking burning smell coming from the right hand side of the engine near the pcv valve. I have changed the rocker cover gasket, changed the sump as it was badly corroded and replaced new oil. Im pulling my hair out as i cant pin point where its comming from. There is a misty burning smell, oil is dripping onto the exhaust and then its burning up through the exhaust and thats when you see smoke comming from the front right of the engine. Are there any common problems, cars done 70.000 miles. It drips down from somewhere near the water pump. Please help.

Thanks matt
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Fri 28 Dec 2012 13:26
2.0 zetec mk1 auto - Focus burning oil smell - countryroads

The best thing to do is to thoroughly clean and degrease the area of concern, and then run the engine, if its leaking that much it should then be easy to spot. Some areas to focus on (pardon the pun!) are the headgasket corners and the camshaft seals. You could try removing the top cambelt cover for a quick look too.

Did you use a genuine cam cover gasket though? the pattern parts for those arent very good at all and are prone to being a bit too small and still leaking.

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Fri 28 Dec 2012 13:39
2.0 zetec mk1 auto - Focus burning oil smell - skidpan

Used a pattern cam cover gasket many years ago on a Zetec, it was the Mondeo engine with the alloy cam cover, the Focus uses a plastic cam cover nad is a different. Once the hot oil hit the gasket it deformed, moved out of the grove and the inlet cam ate part of it. The valley in the head where the plugs live part filled with oil and the car eventually stopped. New plugs required (and a new OEM gasket).

The plastic cam cover can deform with age and this results in it not sealing regardless of the gasket, easy to check, remove the cover and place on a perfectly flat surface (kitchen worktop is ideal (when wifey is out).

There are no cam seals at the back (gearbox end of the engne) to leak, the seal is part of the gasket, use OEM as above.

The front cam seals leak into the cam belt cover and generally don't get anywhere near anything hot, east to check, 2 bolts to remove top cover. If leaking replace or it contaminates the belt (which will also need replacing).

My money is on the cam cover or gasket (or both).

Edited by skidpan on 28/12/2012 at 13:41

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