|
|
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 531
 
Location: Park Hills, KY | My 60 Windsor just got the valve cover gaskets replaced....now the one on the driver side is leaking at the rear of the motor... I know these 4 bolt covers leak, but is there anything I can do?
|
|
| |
|
Board Moderator
Posts: 3186
  
Location: The not-so-great, dirty-white North ( Michigan) | Have you checked to make sure your oil drain holes back from the heads to the sump are not restricted/clogged?
That will definitely cause leakage as the oil fills the valve cover. |
|
| |
|
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 466
Location: Vancouver, Washington | Did you straighten the valve cover mating surface? |
|
| |
|
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 531
Location: Park Hills, KY | My mechanic did the work. So not sure about your questions...what a pain in the axx. Back it goes. |
|
| |
|
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 466
Location: Vancouver, Washington | He probably just slapped the new ones on, with no TLC. |
|
| |
|
Expert
Posts: 2289
Location: Eastern Iowa | "my mechanic"......................
therin lies the problem.
Were you there or even in the vicinity?
Dave S. |
|
| |
|
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 531
Location: Park Hills, KY | finsruskw - 2012-08-29 7:20 AM
"my mechanic"......................
therin lies the problem.
Were you there or even in the vicinity?
Dave S.
Agreed, however I am not a mechanic, and i cannot watch him for the entirety of time he has the car.
Anything an amateur could do to correct it? |
|
| |
|
Board Moderator & Exner Expert 10K+
Posts: 13055
Location: Southern Sweden - Sturkö island | 61forfun - 2012-08-29 3:44 AM
Did you straighten the valve cover mating surface?
Whitin these few words there are the solution - the valve covers are next to always very deformed around the bolt holes - this must be straighten out properly, otherwise the valve cover gasket WILL LEAK.... |
|
| |
|
Expert 5K+
Posts: 6203
Location: Big pimpin' | If it's a Big block "4-bolt" cover gasket, Wanna guess why Chrysler went to the 6 bolt set up???
Yep, for this very problem...They WILL NEVER seal up...Period...You can try all kinds of different sealers and everybody here will tell you how thiers don't leak and such, but my experience is, they all leak even the 6 bolts...You may begin pulling your hair out now.
I've only seen ONE PERSON actually get a "No leak" condition with the Chrysler BB stock head and valve covers.
He actually "Glued" his on with permatex, and NO GASKET.
Edited by dukeboy 2012-08-29 12:04 PM
|
|
| |
|
Board Moderator & Exner Expert 10K+
Posts: 13055
Location: Southern Sweden - Sturkö island | You got me nervous there for a second or two - I thought, might even be that Duke knows something I don't, so I went out and checked my valve covers - still no leaks after more than a year and more than 3500 miles. Only thing I did was straightened the valve cover mating surfaces until perfectly flush with my 1 inch steel plate work bench, new Fel-Pro VS 11703 R gaskets and tightened according to specs.
Sorry for the bad picture quality and strange tone - they are actually black....
Edited by wizard 2012-08-29 12:56 PM
 (Resize of IMG_8037.JPG)
 (Resize of IMG_8040.JPG)
Attachments
----------------
 Resize of IMG_8037.JPG (47KB - 105 downloads)
Resize of IMG_8040.JPG (61KB - 104 downloads)
|
|
| |
|
Expert 5K+
Posts: 6203
Location: Big pimpin' | "and everybody here will tell you how thiers don't leak and such, but my experience is, they all leak even the 6 bolt ones"
See what I mean? |
|
| |
|
Expert 5K+
Posts: 8947
Location: WHEELING,WV.>>>HOME OF WWVA | if you straighten the cover , degrease both mating surfaces , clean and dry , you'll have better chances of sealing up the leaks , and after motor warm up , you can tighten just a tad more -----------------later
before install use a double coat of indian head gasket cement but you gotta make sure surfaces are clean and dry !
Edited by 60 dart 2012-08-30 1:30 AM
|
|
| |
|
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 531
Location: Park Hills, KY | Cleaned the motor, exhaust and starter....guess what, no oil on the floor today. Could this be clogged drain holes in the head? |
|
| |
|
Expert 5K+
Posts: 6203
Location: Big pimpin' | Cmangeot - 2012-08-30 12:15 PM
Cleaned the motor, exhaust and starter....guess what, no oil on the floor today. Could this be clogged drain holes in the head?
Was it running? If not, then the head drains might be clogged, might not...If they leak after recently ran, then let sit, then they very well might be clogged, but if it has had time to properly drain back and hasn't been run recently, then they might not be. Most Valve covers leak when Running unless drains are indeed clogged.. |
|
| |
|
Expert
Posts: 2519
Location: central Illinois | I don't have problems with any of my 4 or 6 bolts leaking. Making sure the head is super clean, valve covers are straight, and using Permatex black that resists oil spread lightly on both side of gasket. What can happen on any of them is the gasket will shift when you flip the cover over and slide inside of the lip on the head, effectively leaving a small area that's wide open. If you really want to eliminate this as much as possible you can always install studs into the head which aligns everything much better. |
|
| |
|
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 531
Location: Park Hills, KY | This was definitely leaking while running, then I cleaned it up and let it sit. Nothing. I am going to have this issue repaired using some permatex and advise. |
|
| |
|
Board Moderator
Posts: 3186
Location: The not-so-great, dirty-white North ( Michigan) | I would definitely check the drainbacks if you get the covers off again.
As I stated earlier, if they are clogged or restricted, then the covers fill with oil when running, and will cause leaks.
Also not good to run your valvetrain in that much oil, as it can start forcing oil into the exhaust through the guides, and possibly into the chambers through the intakes.
If your leaks were at the REAR, then this is a good indication of clogged drainbacks...... |
|
| |
|
Expert
Posts: 1208
Location: SWITZERLAND | wizard - 2012-08-29 4:25 PM 61forfun - 2012-08-29 3:44 AM Did you straighten the valve cover mating surface? Whitin these few words there are the solution - the valve covers are next to always very deformed around the bolt holes - this must be straighten out properly, otherwise the valve cover gasket WILL LEAK.... This is most important to care! Here I show how I fixed it: http://www.forwardlook.net/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=23691&start=183 |
|
| |
|
Expert
Posts: 1493
Location: Jamaica Plain, MA | Well Surge, your car is cleaner than my dining room table, motor included.
So, this is a common goof by mechanics. It might be a flawed design and some minor leaking is inevitable, but getting an acceptable seal isn't rocket science. The advice above is good. I put studs in my heads to make lining it up easier. Tightening them down more is probably not a good idea. The cover needs to come off, check the head for clear oil drainage, stick the correct gasket on a clean rocker cover and head-- I usually let the Permatex or gasket sealer tack up a bit so the gasket doesn't fall off when installing the cover. Get it in place, bolt down. Let cure for an hour. Good luck. Every mech on here has probably screwed this procedure up at one point early on. Sometimes the simplest things can be a pain in the arse. |
|
| |
|
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 531
Location: Park Hills, KY | Fixed. No leaks. 150 miles of driving. Mechanic said that the cork ones he replaced had no sealant on them so he didn't put any on there the 1st time.
Running amazing.
|
|
| |
|
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 531
Location: Park Hills, KY | Still no leaks. |
|
| |
|
Expert 5K+
Posts: 7411
Location: northern germany | 24 years 6 months no leaks  |
|
| |
Valve Cover Gaskets - Just replaced - Now Leaking
