Hello,

 

I searched the archive and couldn't find all the answers I needed and was hoping someone can help me out. I have a 92 Loyale that is leaking a lot of oil from the passenger side valve cover. I purchased a new gasket set and was wondering if anybody had any helpful hints. I am not the most mechanically inclined but I try! I don't have a tourqe wrench, will this be a problem? It looks like I just need to remove the four bolts clean up the valve covers, install the new gasket and tighten the bolts back down. Am I missing something? Any help would be appreciated.

 

Thanks,

 

Chris

Sounds like you'll do good at it.

 

Make sure that you put the new rubber grommets on the bolts and clean everything up good and you should have no problems.

By the way the bolts have a sholder on them and will bottom out. That way they don't overstress the grommets.

Hush

Chris-

You can do it. If I remember right, there are four bolts on the left hand cover (as you look at the engine from the front of the car), and FIVE on the right hand cover. I put my car on jackstands to do this job. The fifth bolt on the right side is tucked way down and in back, and I could access it only from underneath. A crossmember is pretty much in your way, so you have to work slowly to remove and to torque down that bolt. Take your time cleaning all gasket surfaces. I used no RTV, just the new rubber gaskets. No leaks. As mentioned above, the bolts are torqued down until they stop, then snug

'em up a little more. It's a good feeling to have 'em done. Good luck.

Sounds like you'll do good at it.

 

Make sure that you put the new rubber grommets on the bolts and clean everything up good and you should have no problems.

By the way the bolts have a sholder on them and will bottom out. That way they don't overstress the grommets.

Hush

The gasket set I bought did not come with the new rubber gromets, should I try to track those down somewhere or just reuse the old ones?

 

Thanks,

 

Chris

Don't use the old gaskets or grommets. They'll never seat tight, and you'll be leaking oil again.

 

You can get entire sets (Autozone, Napa, etc.) with all the gaskets and grommets. Autozone has 'em for less than $15. The grommets individually, though, run about a buck a piece. Go figure.

 

After a couple hundred miles, the rubber cooks hard (it gets hot in there!!!). If you remove the gaskets/grommets for any kind of maintenance, trying to reuse them just guarantees a leak. If they're 5 or 10 years old, it's worse, they're harder than a rock.

 

What I do is buy 2 or 3 sets at a time, 'cuz you never know when they're going to discontinue them. Not that expensive, considering the value of a clean driveway/garage floor. I might use one set every two years, or two a year -- depending on if I'm working on my sub.

 

Be sure you clean out the gasket channel on the valve covers. Use a soft stick of wood to scrub it clean, and degreaser to dry it. Wipe a thin coat of oil on the rubber gasket. If not, you'll get drips -- by the time you notice it and get around to it, the new gaskets will be cooked hard and you'll have to get a new set anyway.

 

You don't need a torque wrench, assuming you can pretty accurately gauge the weight of a small watermelon by picking it up. Seriously. I can't remember the torque spec on these bolts, but put about 5-10 lbs of weight on a 10" wrench and it should be OK. (Don't try this for critical bolts such as head bolts...)

 

-- Mark

Thanks Mark, I fell much more confident about doing the job thanks to your and others help here! One last question, I hope, when I remove the valve cover is oil going to pour out? Just trying to determine if my make shift drain pan is sufficeint.

 

Thanks again,

 

Chris

If the engine is level when you take off the covers, you should only get a couple tablespoons. A rag or two under the mating surface will take care of it, plus newspaper on the ground while you do the cleaning.

 

If you park leaning right or left, you might get more, but not more than 1/2 cup...

 

-- Mark

Oil will not pour out when you take it off. There will be a few drips from residual oil in there, but no volume to speak of.

 

 

The torque spec on the bolts is like five ft-lbs. Not very tight. Just tighten 'em down until you think they won't vibrate loose. Trust me, it sucks to overtorque and have to heli-coil the threads.

 

I like to use assembly lube on the gaskets. Oil serves the same purpose, but then you wonder if it's just that oil on there or if it's leaking again.

 

Oh yeah, and clean the mating surfaces PERFECTLY. Scrape off any crap, then wipe with a rag that has some brake cleaner on it.

heres what I do. grease the seals when you put the cam covers back on. helps the seals from drying out. All the bolts are easy to get to. You can access then from the top of the engine