leak

[D-money]

just finished replacing my water pump, when right after, an oil leak occurs. and it was the next day too. well i looked around and i think i pinpointed the leak area, it seems to be coming right above the water pump below or around the first air injector tube. is this the head gasket?? or some other gasket that can be replaced. ( any gaskets in that area that are know to leak) if any body knows anything plz let me know
(pics taken at night sorry)


http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l149/dimonb16/headgasket-1.jpg
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l149/dimonb16/DSC00952.jpg
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l149/dimonb16/DSC00951.jpg

[NISMOPOWERED]

clean it all off and recheck it. could be a valve cover, oil cap, head gasket leak.

[D-money]

its leaking somewhere right below the first air tube. its definitely not the oil cap, and not the valve cover gasket, does this only leave me with the head gasket which i so much fear?? is it possible to just replace the air injectors gasket?? (circled in pic)
http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l149/dimonb16/headgasket-2.jpg

[Logic]

how long was the water pump leaking until you replaced it? could you have waited too long and cause the head gasket to warp from the heat?is there any water or signs of water in the oil?

[D-money]

how can i tell if there might be water in the oil? way to check?

[Nelson Lago]

oil change

[D-money]

i had actually did my oil change 2 days ago, and there was no signs of water at all, i dont get white smoke from the exhaust, and no bubbles coming out of the coolant.
I dont really understand how driving with a leaking water pump could have warped the head gasket, i just always topped it off with water, never short, so at a given point i was running 100% water for about a week, and the car never showed signs of overheating. there was no oil leak right before the pump change, then the next day after the change, the oil started leaking.
thanks

[Nelson Lago]

dont feel bad man two weeks ago my CEL came on and the engine was skipping so the next day i go to the stealership and thay replace a coil and two wires. Two days after getting it back the tranny blows

[NISMOPOWERED]

The part your looking at in your pic is the exhaust gasket. The intake is the round ones with the little bump. and the intake wont leak oil. IF is not your valve cover and your sure its oil then the head gasket is the only other one there.

[D-money]

my bro replaced the head gasket on a 96 bmw 740 by himself, if i was to get him to replace my gasket, what other gaskets need to be replaced. I know i need to change valve cover gasket, timing cover gasket, and head gasket, what other gaskets and seals need to be replaced when doing a head gasket job??
and are there any other things i might as well replace/clean/do when the head is apart?

[OzC36]

D-money, you made a mistake. The part you circled is the exhaust gasket, while the photo shows the intake side of the engine. Nismo pointed out this error to help you.

In this area, Oil can only leak from:
1. The Head Gasket.
2. The Valve cover.
3. The Timing case cover.

If you are going to replace the head gasket, you will need a head gasket kit, new cylinder head bolts (stretch bolts are for one-time use only) and possibly a few other odds and ends.

I have found Autohaus to be a cheap and reliable source of parts.

http://www.autohausaz.com/search/product.aspx?sid=mu1fw555ra2wvsvz0bsyua55&makeid=800016@Mercedes&modelid=1195488@C280&year=1996&cid=20@Engine%20Parts,%20Seals%20%26%20Gaskets&gid=5416@Cylinder%20Head%20Gasket%20Set

http://www.autohausaz.com/search/product.aspx?sid=mu1fw555ra2wvsvz0bsyua55&makeid=800016@Mercedes&modelid=1195488@C280&year=1996&cid=20@Engine%20Parts,%20Seals%20%26%20Gaskets&gid=5308@Cylinder%20Head%20Bolt

http://www.autohausaz.com/search/product.aspx?sid=mu1fw555ra2wvsvz0bsyua55&makeid=800016@Mercedes&modelid=1195488@C280&year=1996&cid=20@Engine%20Parts,%20Seals%20%26%20Gaskets&gid=5728@Timing%20Chain%20Guide/Rail

http://www.autohausaz.com/search/product.aspx?sid=mu1fw555ra2wvsvz0bsyua55&makeid=800016@Mercedes&modelid=1195488@C280&year=1996&cid=20@Engine%20Parts,%20Seals%20%26%20Gaskets&gid=5736@Timing%20Chain%20Tensioner

Good luck with breathing new life into your ride!

[D-money]

what is the timing chain guide/rail for? what does it do where is it used. is it just a helpful tool, or a required change

so i made a list of everything i need for a headgasket job.

head gasket set
cylindet head bolts and washers
valve cover gasket
timing cover gasket
timing cover oil seal
timing chain tensioner
valve stem seal set

if i am missing something please let me know, as i want to have all this shipped under one shipping payment. (not having to pay 8 bucks shipping for 25 cent gasket which i might have forgotten)

[OzC36]

I guess they are the bits that keep the timing chain under control. You might want to change them while you have the top off your engine.

Timing chain guide rail:

http://www.autohausaz.com/search/product.aspx?sid=lgfe2o45ucekgwn1xagbwv3j&makeid=800016@Mercedes&modelid=1195488@C280&year=1996&cid=20@Engine%20Parts,%20Seals%20%26%20Gaskets&gid=5728@Timing%20Chain%20Guide/Rail

http://www.detali.ru/cat/oem_mb2.asp?TP=1&F=202028&M=104%2E941&GA=722%2E328722%2E424722%2E604722%2E605722%2E629&GM=717%2E441&CT=M&cat=520&SID=05&SGR=015&SGN=01