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I have a Fiesta Freestyle 1.25 zetec on an 02 plate. The car is looked after, serviced and has done only 15k from new. Today I've been under the bonnet and discovered a smashed hole through the top of the rocker cover, spewing oil everywhere. Now, I don't know the first thing about mechanics - how can this happen? There have been no warning knocks, bangs etc. The only unusual thing over the last week is that the car seemed to be pulling 'fumes' through the air vents/blower. I'm gobsmacked and panicking about the potential cost of this repair. Any info/guidance/help would be much appreciated.
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Well first things first, this could be as bad as you think, Its possible part of the valve gear has smashed up through the cover. If you are lucky one valve has has stuck shut. If you are unlucky the engine is about to lunch itsself.
Dont use it, get it checked over..
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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I have never heard of this happening with a Ford Zetec engine. They are normally fairly reliable, as their frequent use in other small scale manufacturers cars demonstrates.
Can only ponder on what has happened to cause this, I'm afraid.
I echo TVM's comments, don't use and have the car examined as soon as possible.
Good luck.
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"discovered a smashed hole through the top of the rocker cover, spewing oil everywhere. Now, I don't know the first thing about mechanics"
Just a (probably daft) thought - this IS a 'smashed hole' isn't it - the filler cap hasn't come off?
Neil
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The only real way to find out what has happened is to remove the cover - not too difficult I would have thought.
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is the engine still running? Assume yes if its spewing oil.
Filler cap sounds possible.
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Does it look like somethings smashed out or into the rocker box, i.e. are their jagged edges on the outside edge of the hole?
The 'fumes' is more than likely crankcase fumes escaping through the hole and are not a seperate problem.
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Mike Farrow
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I think this thread may go down in Back Room legend.
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When are we going to get the answer to what has caused this hole? I can't wait much longer!
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Me neither! Would certainly be the first case Ive heard of anything knocking a hole right through a rocker cover. Surely the camshafts would be the nearest compenents, and if they weren't correctly located the belt would've fallen off and the engine would be dead?!
Sounds patronising, but IMO it's got to be the oil-filler cap left off the car previously, and the owner not realising until the escaping gases started to get noticable. Please show yourself and tell us what the hole was, otherwise we're all going to be thinking it was just the filler cap left off!!
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I have a theory.
I have an earlier Fiesta with the 1.4 version of this engine. What looks like the rocker cover is actually a black plastic "rocker cover cover" which hides the spark plug leads and gives a nice tidy finish to the top of the engine. This cover is thinnish plastic and is secured by a handful of 8mm bolts which screw into the "real" rocker cover. These bolts use o-ring type seals to stop oil leaking past them.
Is it possible that the oil cap (or something else) got left on top of the engine when the bonnet was slammed, and whatever it was got pushed through this plastic cover? If the cover has broken around one of the bolts, the O-ring will not be effective, and this could explain the oil everywhere. Or indeed if it was the oil cap itself that was left off, this explains it also.
Just an idea.
Cheers
DP
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Sorry, for that to make sense, I need to add that this cover is not supported at all in the area above the plugs and HT leads (i.e. between the two cams )
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Here's a very dodgy pic, but good enough to see what I mean. It looks just like the "real" cam cover", but it isn't.
www.andy.berry.dsl.pipex.com/images/Engine.jpg
Cheers
DP
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Good theory, but I doubt a 8mm o-ring failing at the very top of an engine would cause oil to "spew" as described. My money's still on the oil filler cap. I really do wonder though, why manufacturers insist on covering engines with bits of plastic. The sight of HT leads has never offended me!
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True, although when I changed the plugs on the Fiesta I could see the benefit. The leads and the plug wells looked like new, even on an 80,000 miler. Very effective at keeping the crud and moisture out.
But I do hate these whole underbonnet covers like well, most cars have now.
Cheers
DP
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