Valvecover bolt lifespan+oil spray
 

So I got the turbo car fired up yesterday. Everything checked out until I got it back from a quick test drive around the neighborhood. Something is leaking oil on the back of the timing wheel/crank pulley. Just a bit. Enough to make a nice little spay pattern around the pulleys on everything and leave a little puddle on my just made half ass attempt at an undertray. My only ideas are crank or cam seals. Or the valve cover isn't sealing. I did the timing everything last summer and it's only driven a few hundred miles since. I've had the valve cover off what feels like a dozen times. So here is the question for now. How many times should valve cover bolts be reused. Any real stretching like cam cap bolts. I don't torque them like an ape, just good and tight. Like as hard as my F'ed up wrist will go "wrist tight", always been enough in the past for in/lbs measuring. Somewhere like ACE or Lowes has stainless bolts, good enough for replacements?
>what it looks like in there
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1331235797
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1331235797
Sorry for crappy phone pics
Fun fact is since I'm pulling the covers/timing to look for leaks I might as well do my cooling reroute block off plates, mod the valve cover to only vent on turbo side ala Hustler style, and maybe get off my ass and rewire for COPs. One of these days I'll actually get to drive this car and learn to tune it :facepalm:

I don't think there is a limit on how many times you can use VC bolts, unless you break one from torquing it to much.

Likely culprits:

Camshaft Seals
Front Crank Seal
You've removed your A/C compressor and didn't replace a bolt
The mysterious plug that goes into the oil pump is either no longer there, or you've installed a new pump, and didn't get the plug
The front of your oil pan is not sealed properly

Unlikely culprit:

Valve cover leak.

Valve cover bolt torque is 43-78 in-lbs. That's just enough to compress the rubber gasket. The bolts themselves probably don't even know that torque has been applied with a value so low. So, no, there is no life limit. Do take care and torque gradually and evenly though. There is a recommended pattern to torqueing the valve cover bolts. The intent is to evenly compress the rubber gasket.

Sounds like your front main though (or other possibilities listed by Foog).

A/C compressor bolt? Never heard of leaving one in after removal. Didn't change oil pump or mess with it. Any pics of said oil pump plug? Just so I know what to look for.

https://www.miataturbo.net/showthrea...=oil+pump+plug

I can't see the images from my work computer, so I hope they show up.

https://www.miataturbo.net/showthrea...ompressor+bolt

Yep bolts not there. Thanks. Off to find a bolt that fits. I feel like an idiot now. Funny thing is its been gone for a few hundred miles and never noticed the leak until the under tray was in.

"Undertrays - for more than just aerodynamics!"

So here is news. I deleted the A/C in my '97 over 2 years ago and never put the front bolts back in. Never had a problem (has one now). Couple small drives with the '99 and it's puking oil like a drunk college kid. Put a bolt in it yesterday and cleaned everything the best I could. Seems fixed so far. Went for a short drive and got a little bit of spray on the lower pan, but I think it's just residual stuff I couldn't get off with a rag and rubbing alcohol. So for the moment I call it fixed unless it starts again. Thanks for the help.

You can't use brake clean or wd40 etc sprayed all around, thats how i have been cleaning up my oil leaks and stains. A cloth and elbow grease only get in to largish places...

being carefull not to lubricate any belts etc "too much" :)