valve covers or something else

[kavadarci]

Hi,
New valve cover gaskets and i see some oil on each side of the car towards the front.
Both sides are in the valve covers area.
I ordered new valve cover gaskets with silicon and will try those but is THERE anything else that might be causing oil leaks in this area?

i fixed the triangle of death and the rest of the oil leaks but these two annoy me big time as there shouldn't be any oil leaks now.

Thank you.

[GregT2000]

The lower valve covers are pretty easy to see. You may be able to wipe them down and check in a few days to confirm if the leak is coming from them. Another easy to remedy option might be oil overfill and perished breather hoses.

[tirwin]

Coupe of thoughts because I feel your pain. I’ve chased a bunch of oil leaks.

Spend some time thoroughly cleaning the area otherwise it is hard to tell sometimes what is migrated oil and what is the leak. Grant reminded me of the old trick of dusting the area with talcum powder so you can really see what is fresh oil.

I thought I might have oil leaking past the rocker shafts but did not. Did you check that while you had the covers off? That is a possibility.

I just discovered an unexpected oil leak source. Turns out I have oil weeping past 2 of the valve cover studs. I thought I was crazy but I did a search and others have had this problem. Never saw a clear answer. I will investigate further on the next pil change. I suspect there is some funk there preventing a good seal. I’m going to try some teflon tape and hope that helps for the time being.

Has the rear main seal been replaced anytime? That would appear as coming from where the transmission mates to the block. Airflow under the car makes it migrate.

Got any pictures?

[Walter_Middie]

I had some scratches on the sealing surface of the valve covers that was allowing oil to pass. I carefully sanded the surface with fine sand paper using a very flat surface ( a piece of glass).

I always use high temp wheel bearing grease on the gaskets, and I don't tighten the nuts down very much at all so as to not deform the gasket.

[bigel]

Rex, when you say that you “...don’t tighten the bolts down very much at all...” how much are we talking? Do you not use the torque specified in the books?

I too have a couple of drops each day (literally, one drop on each side of the engine) and all it means is that I have to use a shallow engine pan under the car when I stow it at night.

I would like to find and ultimately solve the leaks though...truth be told.

[Walter_Middie]

Do you not use the torque specified in the books?

No, I don’t even know what the books says for the valve covers. I’m sure I don’t have a torque wrench that would be accurate at those low of torques. I just go by feel. I know then only need enough so the nuts don’t fall out. That’s not to say the book is wrong, if you have a torque wrench that works a very low values.

[kavadarci]

Here are few photos. On the left hand side the drop looks like it’s coming from top cover. This is the lower cover.

[Nick Triesch]

ATP AP 205 stop leak. Try it. Very famous additive. Really works for small leaks. Get it on amazon for about $14.

[DRACO A5OG]

How many passes with the torque wrench did you get on those nuts in a crisscross pattern?

You see, you need to triple check as you torque outward, the center nuts get loose.

[tirwin]

There is a drip that looks to be directly below the engine tin nut. Could that possibly be coming from the upper engine tin area? Maybe old oil that pooled and is migrating down? It's hard for me to tell if that is actually coming from the valve cover gasket.

There is a stud next to it that appears to be sitting shallow in the nut. The end of the stud looks wet but the area around it appears dry to me. If that is the case, then it looks like oil is weeping past the threads of the stud itself. Same problem I mentioned. I would take that nut and washer off and put a piece of teflon tape on the stud and then put a new nut and washer in it's place to see if that cures it. If it does, then the next time you change the oil you can pull the cover off and check it out. You probably need to clean the mating surfaces really well.

[kavadarci]

I cleaned the matting surfaces really well and use gasket sealant on top of the new gaskets, new washers and nuts.

That stud has the left over of the gasket sealant it is not oil.
Yes it looks like it’s coming from the upper tin area which I removed and cleaned so nobleft over oil there.
If it’s coming from the upper tin and not the valve covers where else it might be coming from.
The camshaft oil lines are also new.
All the studs feel uneven in length.

[theiceman]

you should never use any type of goop on that surface. All gaskets go on dry .. you will have a hell of a time getting all that off in the future when you do your valve adjustments.
Why not just go with the 993 silicon ones ?

also those washers look very shiny , they should not be. there are specialized aluminum soft sealing washers used in this location, did you use them ? it may just be the pic, but the washers for this location are very dull and muted looking.

[Flojo]

dry fit and torque down crosswise to 10Nm.
retorque when warm to 11Nm

check covers for full flush alignment on a e.g. glass surface (maybe they are a little warped?)

[DRACO A5OG]

Oh no, OP,

Gasket sealant is a NO NO. If it has not cured, remove it.

Or you will curse the day you did it when it is time to adjust the valves or pro-wrench will charge you extra to remove them, possibly damage the covers or worse the cam towers creating a permanent leak.

I don't mean to scare you but this is a real issue.

[kavadarci]

washers and gaskets were from a member purchase so i don't know the answers.
I would be comfortable to say they didn't feel soft.
All of the above information is useful as when i change the oil in the next few days, i will replace the gaskets with the correct ones and don't use any goop.

Thank you.

[T77911S]

the lower valve covers don't leak from the tops, they leak from the bottom.
the upper valve covers don't really leak at all, at least from my experience.
I have used old gaskets on the tops along with old nuts and washers.

if the leak is from the top rear of the engine it could be the triangle of death.
if from the front of the engine and the drops appear on the bottom front nut it could be the cam line going into the cam tower of it could be the seal between the chain house and cam tower.

best thing is to degrease the engine, top and bottom.

hate to say it again, no sealant.

I use the orange reusable gaskets. very very light with the nuts. no gasket squeeze
I don't even replace nuts or washers with these and I have had them off many times.

[DRACO A5OG]

Originally Posted by T77911S

I use the orange reusable gaskets. very very light with the nuts. no gasket squeeze
I don't even replace nuts or washers with these and I have had them off many times.

Not to mention, little to no gasket carbon residue to clean, just wipe down, adjust valves and reinstall to about 4ft lbs, yes that light. Leak Free.