I’m looking for technical help or recommendations on: Cam Cover Gasket
Noticed that the engine oil level is low, and the top of the block and surrounding areas look quite damp with oil as you can see in the photos
Assume that this is the cam cover gasket that’s leaking and a new one is required? Checking Google, it seems like a fairly simple job, once you get the coil bracket off the back of the engine. MX5 Parts have an aftermarket gasket for £11 - would you recommend that or go to Mazda and get OEM?
Anyone in Basingstoke have a Torque Wrench i could borrow?
Definitely go genuine Mazda gasket, do the CAS seal too, easier to sort that whilst the cam cover is off.
I didn’t need a torque wrench, follow the tightening sequence until you need firmer pressure on socket wrench/bar, then on all bolts just apply two finger pressure to the wrench on the final tighten down sequence.
Interesting - i was concerned that without a torque wrench i could either over or under tighten - what you say makes sense though.
I guess if it leaks after replacement, you can always give it another half turn
Just a tip I picked up from somewhere but it worked. Never leaked again, do use the silicone in the points shown (if you’ve seen the how to) you’ll need the stuff for engines heat proof.
I replaced mine with a Cheap eBay gasket. it was a MK1 1800 engine in a GBS zero. I had removed the rocker cover to get it powder coated and decided a new gasket was the way to go, obviously. I sealed the corners of the half moons with silicone and torqued down as prescribed. It p155ed oil out.
I complained to the seller and they sent another. I spent hours cleaning it and doing it again, more silicone than last time. It p155ed out again.
Lost my head with it, cleaned it all up again, dragged the old gasket from the dustbin And fitted it dry, you could just see the quality difference between OEM and cheap tat. The old Mazda gasket was superior in every way. Sealed perfectly first time.
Lesson learned. Buy genuine gaskets every time in future!
I was so fed up of it I actually put the car for sale £4K bellow market value and sold it. It wasn’t a good day Unsurprisingly I had dozens of people mail me to buy it. . All ended well tho, I was then offered my ND for a song and happy day’s.
Take exceptional care torqueing down the cam cover bolts.
They could either snap or twist like hot toffee if you exceed the Mazda workshop dictate of between 4.9 to 8.8 Nm’s.
Start with the lower figure…see how it goes, any hints of minor weeps, gently nip them up if needs be.
As said above OEM gasket every time.
I would also advice against doing them " VFT " if you are reusing the original bolts.
Also I would advise against " you can always give it another half turn " as that could be enough to snap them. As has been remarked on before, Mazda bolts seem to be made of cheese, and these thin bolts will snap all too easily. The torque for these bolts is 43-78 inch pounds ( 3.6-6.5 foot pounds ) which is not very much at all.
Torque wrenches that go this low are quite rare. When I did mine I got a peice of copper pipe that fitted nicely along the handle of my small socket wrench and measured 12 inches along from the fulcrum and then used a small electronic scale with a hook ( for weighing bags I think ) to pull at 90 degrees from the pipe at the 12 inch mark. Not as accurate as a calibrated torque wrench I admit but it made me fell better.
Good luck.
D.
P.S. I’ve got a CAS seal if you want it. I’m in Maidenhead if you want to collect.
I say VFT, I’ve been spannering for many years, there’s kind of a feel, but I did them far tighter than advised. You do risk snapping rocket cover lug that way but again there is a feel, famous last words.
I’ve used after market gaskets loads of times but there are some gaskets experience tells me do need to be OEM, I was hoping that wouldn’t be one of them. I’m not a mechanic, I’m an enthusiast, so mistakes can happen
The torque wrench I bought (my first ever and bought for doing the cam seal) implied on the eBay auctions’ information that however much you turned the bolt once it had reached the set torque the wrench wouldn’t go any tighter - result, a sheared cam bolt
I was lucky that mine had a slight lip I could get vise-grips on and slowly turn it out until I had enough out to get a better grip, but it’s something that (as others have mentioned) you definitely want to avoid happening to you
I think my gasket sealant was about £5 for a very small tube of red gunk from eBay - I was on quite a tight budget.
I used to judge it by hand but now use a low-range torque wrench. The rated torque surprised me by being a bit tighter than I would have dared to go without measuring.
My tip for this job is to go around several times tightening just a little more each time. Down the middle and then around the outsides. The gasket compresses as you nip up each bolt, making its neighbours loosen again. I find once you get toward the right torque they stay firm.
Unsurprisingly I had dozens of people mail me to buy it. 
. All ended well tho, I was then offered my ND for a song and happy day’s.
