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click for a larger image |
| Take a look at this nasty, dirty engine
bay. Notice the black blob on the left. This is oil that is leaking
from the valve cover. |
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Leaking oil means something is wrong
with the gasket seal and it seems to be getting worse. Now the oil
is actually wet and gleaming because there is so much.
It could be that the valve cover gasket is old, or perhaps at my dealer
45k service they adjusted the valves and didn't replace the gasket
or didn't re-seal the corners with RTV Silicone. Whatever may have
caused it, it is time to fix it. |
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| First things first, remove
the valve cover. Flip it over and remove the old gasket. There
are two tabs on one side of the gasket that you can easily grab to
pull out the gasket. |
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Check your spark plug seals as well. They
don't need to be changed much, but if it's been a while (75k for me)
you might as well change them while you have the cover off.
They're wedged in there pretty tight. I first tried using pliers to
pull them out but the rubber just ripped. I thought there was a trick
to getting them out, but it turns out they're just really tight. I
found the best way to get them out was to pry them out using pliers
I scratched the metal housing a little bit so I recommend putting
a towel under the pliers when prying. |
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Wipe the edge to make sure there's no
debris and put the new gasket in.
Apply RTV silicone to the corners where the valve train cutouts are,
as indicated. Allow the silicone to sit for a couple minutes (but
no more than 10) and install it back onto the engine. |
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Replace all the bolts at about 7 ft-lbs.
Also reconnect everything else you disconnected and make sure your
car starts and check for any obvious leaks. Stop the engine and leave
it so the silicone can cure for a few hours or overnight.
I found a suggestion on-line that said to make sure not to over-tighten
the bolts. Instead, wait until you can drive the car and get it warmed
up, then check for leaks again and if it's good, then tighten again
to 7 ft-lbs. |
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