Bobcat 863 Valve Cover vent & filter

[obleck]

Hello,
I have an 863 with a Deutz 1011 in it. I was getting oil leaking out of some unknown location in and around the fuel injectors. After replacing all the fuel bypass lines, which is what I thought it was (but wasn't), I pulled the muffler off to take a look from above. I discovered there is a valve cover pressure relief valve in there that had melted, and on top of it is a heat shield cover with some sort of a white fibrous material, item 34 in this parts drawing:

In this case the fibrous stuff was caked in oil and likely the pressure relief was essentially clogged, which might explain the leaks, but I'm not totally convinced. I ordered a new valve, but the fibrous stuff is a mystery.
Anyone know what this stuff is, or how to get it? It evidently comes in a "heat shield kit" that I can't find either.
Secondarily, any other ideas on how oil could be leaking out of the valve cover? It doesn't appear to be leaking out from the cover gasket, strangely enough, but is appearing on the injectors on #2 and #3, but it's also spraying around slightly since the bottom of the muffler was wet.
There is also a vent hose that comes from the air filter on the turbo side with a brass fitting that went somewhere. This seems like it's either providing low pressure/suction to the crank case (recirculating blow-by in essence), or it's providing clean air to somewhere when properly connected.
Thanks!

 

[Tazza]

I wonder if the fibre is just a cheap way for them to try and capture most of the oil going out the vent hole? I have seen a steel mesh on Kubota motors for this reason, it reduses the oil loss out of the vent hole by giving more surface area for the oil to hit and bead up and drop off back into the motor.
As for where oil can leak, honestly, it can be anywhere on a gasket. It may look good, but can track along a part you can't see and drip out.

 

[obleck]

I wonder if the fibre is just a cheap way for them to try and capture most of the oil going out the vent hole? I have seen a steel mesh on Kubota motors for this reason, it reduses the oil loss out of the vent hole by giving more surface area for the oil to hit and bead up and drop off back into the motor.
As for where oil can leak, honestly, it can be anywhere on a gasket. It may look good, but can track along a part you can't see and drip out.

Yeah, thanks. It definitely is catching oil. Maybe I can just stick in some steel wool. Thanks for the suggestion. The oil seems to be leaking from somewhere above the valve cover gasket, or squirting up for that matter, as it's also on the underside of the muffler/heat shield (which is mounted on top of the engine just above the valve cover by maybe 1/2 inch). This is baffling. I've cleaned the area several times when cold and then ran it up again to temp again, but it's not at all obvious where the oil is coming from.

 

[Tazza]

Yeah, thanks. It definitely is catching oil. Maybe I can just stick in some steel wool. Thanks for the suggestion. The oil seems to be leaking from somewhere above the valve cover gasket, or squirting up for that matter, as it's also on the underside of the muffler/heat shield (which is mounted on top of the engine just above the valve cover by maybe 1/2 inch). This is baffling. I've cleaned the area several times when cold and then ran it up again to temp again, but it's not at all obvious where the oil is coming from.

Heavy stainless steel wool like the type you use for cleaning dishes is the one i'd use, not the fine steel one, rahter not have it fall apart and get into the motor before the filter caught it.
Underside of teh muffler heat shield could possibly even be a head gasket leak, not the rocker cover. I know Kubota motors have an Oring that sits between the engine block and head to seal the two, it could be a leak like this i guess.