Leaking rocker cover

[100BUR]

Would a slightly leaking rocker cover, for a short drive 10-15 minutes, damage the rockers?

[timmy201]

If it’s leaking out of the rocker cover gasket then it’s already down past the rockers, so it shouldn’t cause any problems to the rockers

[100BUR]

Thanks
Been out for a drive on Thursday, noticed when I was parked on to the drive, a oil leak.
Checked and found slight oil leak at the front of the rocker cover, engine oil level was roughly the same.
Changed rocker gasket yesterday, not been out for a drive yet as awful weather.

With the engine running in the garage and my head above the rocker cover I can hear the rockers....
I'm assuming this is normal?

My wife has started calling me Lando Norris after watching drive to survive, as I'm a bit of an over thinker

[DougR]

Hi 199BUR, if you weren't able to hear the rockers I'd be worried. You say that you have replaced the gasket. I'm wondering what rocker cover do you have? Could it be that it is not compressing the gasket sufficiently? Is it an original or an after market one? Do you have an original one available?

[100BUR]

Hi Doug,
Thanks for the reply.
It's an aftermarket MED rockercover, as I have their roller rockers.
I do have an original type of rocker cover that came with the engine.
I've ordered a couple of rocker cover gasket and the rubber seals for the screw caps that hold the rocker cover down from MiniSpares, due to easter holidays they are only now being delivered to me today.
I'm looking at having a run and checking the car again over the weekend.
Cheers

[Tim]

I drove my Moke for almost 20 years with no oil feed to the rockers. The rocker gear had been incorrectly assembled so that the pillar which is drilled for the oil feed was mounted in the wrong position, and no oil was flowing through it to the rocker shaft. The only time oil got to the rockers was when I did an oil change or topped it up through the filler cap. I discovered it when one of the rocker bushes failed and I started to get a misfire. I ended up having to replace all 8 rockers and the shaft. I don't do thousands of miles annually, but it did take 20 years to show as an issue.

Once I sorted the rockers and oil started flowing I had a terrible smoke cloud every time I started it from oil leaking down the knackered valve stems. I got the whole head done and it's much better. You can barely hear my rockers now.

Tim

[100BUR]

That's good going Tim 20 years for a fault to occur

My initial question, stemmed from the fact I'd changed the rocker cover and a short drive afterwards I noticed them ratterling coupled with a small oul leak at the front of the rocker cover.

Hopefully the ratterling is down to coincidence and nothing more expensive

I'm still on a learning curve, around Mini mechanics, a friend is going to help me next week with setting the rockers,upgrading/changing the radiator adjusting, bleeding the brakes.
Hopefully I can then get out and enjoy the car a bit more.
Cheers

[DougR]

Hi 100BUR, you needn't worry about damaging the rockers due to a leak at the rocker cover. The leak and the rocker noise are not connected. There's always a bit of rocker noise. However you can run the engine with the rocker cover off. You should see a small amount of oil coming from the rocker shaft and running back down the pushrod holes. The oil feed to the rocker shaft is a single pulse for each rotation of the cam, so not a lot. This will assure you that lubrication is working. I worked in a British Leyland dealership years ago and the guys used to do the tappet clearances with the engine running. Cheers, Doug.