I want to check the passenger side head for a miss-adjusted valve rocker. What is your experience in reusing the old rubber parts? I guess I could grab a cheap kit.

Fel Pro or OEM.

 

O.

Yeah. I guess I'll just go get a kit.

The (~15+- count) sparkplug and coverbolt grommets are more important. Flat is flat.

I have replaced with OEM about 7000 miles ago, but I think a gasket set is a wash in the budget of a long trip.

The (~15+- count) sparkplug and coverbolt grommets are more important. Flat is flat.

 

Not sure what you mean by "flat is flat"? none of the gaskets are flat. They are all molded rubber.

 

 

It's only 5 grommets per cover, 10 total.

 

Spark plug tubes seals will seep oil into the wells, but not much...

 

Cover leaks are ussually from the lower edge/corners, and from the lower grommets.

 

I'd replace the Gasket and Grommets. Spark plug tube seals could be reused. I know sometimes the kits come with them, sometimes not.

Thanks guys. I guess I was looking for some re-assurance about reusing old stuff. I'm usually of the school to replace things with new when it comes to seals, etc...

 

I'm getting the kit.

Job done. No tick tick anymore. Just smooth EJ251. I only readjusted the right side where the tick was coming from (cyl 1 and 3). That makes the anomalies in the left side more apparent. The left side still sounds good. It's just louder than the right.

 

Now I have half of a valve cover kit to figure out what to do with... ideas?

I should mention that the old rubber seemed to be in very good condition. Nice and pliable, etc...

I've re-used valve cover gaskets plenty of times. As long as they're still pliable they're usually fine. Just make sure both sealing surfaces are clean.

VC and spark plug gaskets are weird and seem to me like the most uncertain leakage points on a Subaru. they seem to degrade more than cam and crank seals...which have rotating parts riding against them for 100,000+ miles?