Leaking Valve Cover On 4k

[Tham]

I was wondering why my Corolla KE70's 4K's engine oil

level seemed to be going down much faster than usual.

 

 

Just now, I spotted wet oil oozing out from the rear

part of the engine, or valve, rubber cover. This rubber

had been replaced by the mechanic recently when he

adjusted my tappets.

 

The oil was leaking on the right side of the rubber, at

the lower part of the 4K's inclination, i.e. the manifolds

side.

 

Strange, I thought these rubber covers were designed to

seal without gasket sealers. The bolts seemed tight enough.

 

Anyway, I guess I will have to apply some Permatex on

the rubber. Which do I use, which won't stick on to the

cyliner head perimeter and can be removed easily along

with the rubber next time ?

 

Might it be the grey type ?

[Taz_Rx]

Just use some grease!!! :)

 

It'll seal it up like gasket goop, make less of a mess and make removing it again easier.

[towe001]

Grease you say ?!

But wouldn't that melt after a while from the heat :)

[harun]

I would use a non-hardening silicon.

[Taz_Rx]

Grease you say ?!

But wouldn't that melt after a while from the heat :)

 

Everybody sort of under estimates grease these days with so many variants of gasket goop about.

I find for little jobs like this its just a lot easier to work with than goop.

 

No it doesn't melt, unless under very high heat and its also not effected by fuel like some goop is!

[Teddy]

Personally, i would be checking the straitness of the head top and the rocker cover. Then, i would be checking to see if both of the 2 studs that are in the head that hold the rocker cover on are not starting to thread-out; resulting in when the nuts are done up tight , that they are not bottoming out / run out of thread - and not tightening up at all.

 

If Both surfaces are straight & CLEAN, the gasket is in good condition and the torque applied to the cover is sufficient & even, then there should not be any issues :)

[towe001]

Everybody sort of under estimates grease these days with so many variants of gasket goop about.

I find for little jobs like this its just a lot easier to work with than goop.

 

No it doesn't melt, unless under very high heat and its also not effected by fuel like some goop is!

Interesting.

What else you reckon it could be used for ?

Like, off the top of my head, the pumpkin cover on the diff, maybe ?

 

Don't mean to send the topic off

[Taz_Rx]

Was talking to Falken_ke30 about this yesterday. We put another carby on his 4k and made some gaskets for each side of the spacer/vacuum plate. Used some grease on these, which probably wasn't required but hey we know its sealed now. Goop really would have been a bit of an over-kill for this, would have been messier, and you need to make sure its fuel safe goop.

 

I suppose thats what I really use it for - Piece of mind when goop is over-kill. :(

Example: In the fitting instuctions for any K&N filter thay say to seal all of the rubber edges of the filter with grease.

 

I probably wouldn't use it for a diff seal only cause I hate oil leaks with a passion now. If its a banjo then there is just to much work involved just the fix a seal (removing axles again).

 

...and another thing - an open tube of grease doesn't go hard like goop! :) so you know you've always got some thats usable! :bash:

Edited November 23, 2008 by Taz_Rx

[Felix]

Just use Permatex No.3 non-hardening Aviation gasket goop.

Would take 5 minutes to rip off the rocker cover, goop the gasket and reseal... Never leak again.

I use No.3 for everything, rocker covers, spark plug tubes, selected areas of head gaskets, carb gaskets, manifold gaskets, diff gaskets, water pumps, thermostat housings etc...

Its' fuel safe, never leaks, doesn't dry out, and old/excess simply wipes off with paint thinners. As a bonus most gaskets become reusable.

[Tham]

Thanks for the good info, everyone.

[rob83ke70]

I wouldn't use any sort of grease or goop at all. Especially not something that would harden...

 

I would be checking what Teddy said, that the nuts that hold it down are not bottomed out or even better, that nothing is caught between the gasket and the sealing surface. nice new gasket, everything clean, tightened down, shouldn't leak.

 

I'd rather not use any form of goop, grease, sealant, silastic or anything of that nature unless the application specifically called for it, such as either side of a semi circle rise for a camshaft or crankshaft bearing cap...

 

those gaskets are normally good for a few remove/replace when valve clearances are done (every 20,000km) before the rubber hardens and cracks, I wouldn't use goop because you will have to replace the gasket every time it is removed.

 

Robert.