Anyone ever replace a valve cover gasket on their A4 TDI? I have been calling around for the gasket and everyone online and/or the dealers only offer it with the valve cover for $120.00++++???? What a rip!!!! I was going to make a gasket if I could not find a vendor for just the gasket. Any help would be appreciated...
Valve Cover Gasket
- Thread starter bndrpa
- Start date
MOGolf
Top Post Dawg
- Joined
- Jun 27, 2001
- Location
- underneath something
- TDI
- 2001 Golf GLS TDI Reflex silver, rough road suspension and steel skid plate, 2004 Passat Variant, Candy White, rough road suspension and geared balanced shaft module, and much, much more. 2016 LR RR HSE TD6, 2019 Jaguar I-PACE
The gasket is not a separate part from the cover.
Dana Hanchett
Veteran Member
Black RTV will work wonders.
ymz
Top Post Dawg
- Joined
- May 12, 2003
- Location
- Between Toronto & Montreal
- TDI
- 2003 Jetta TDI Wagon, 2003 Jetta TDI Wagon
What's wrong with your gasket? They don't often go bad...
Yuri.
Yuri.
abctdi
Top Post Dawg
They were reusable on the A3...
dzlcrayz
Active member
Dito on the RTV but only if your strapped for cash.
MOGolf
Top Post Dawg
- Joined
- Jun 27, 2001
- Location
- underneath something
- TDI
- 2001 Golf GLS TDI Reflex silver, rough road suspension and steel skid plate, 2004 Passat Variant, Candy White, rough road suspension and geared balanced shaft module, and much, much more. 2016 LR RR HSE TD6, 2019 Jaguar I-PACE
Don't overtighten the bolts. 7 ft-lbs. is all.
AndyBees
Top Post Dawg
- Joined
- May 27, 2003
- Location
- Southeast Kentucky
- TDI
- Silver 2003 Jetta TDI, Silver 2000 Jetta TDI (sold), '84 Vanagon with '02 ALH engine
Hmmmmmm! Sounds like this would be a good afermarket item for someone to make. Some manufacturer is bound to jump on it sooner or later.
I have not had my Valve Cover off, but at $120 for a new gasket, I think I will re-cycle it as many times as possible and then make my own.
Herm TDI
Vendor
- Joined
- Nov 21, 2001
- TDI
- 2002 Golf GLS Malone Stage 3, P+520 nozzles, 11MM Inj pump, Sachs VR6 clutch, Stelth Race Pipe, Immo Deleat, EGR Deleat
I can not agree any more than what "MOGolf" has said.
The A-4 Valve cover is aluminum...and the seal is a channel type seal meaning that if it is over-torqued (7Ft Lbs / 84 In Lbs) the lip of the seal becomes flat and leaks.
Of all the timing belt I've done I've only had two (2) bad valve covers. For me what worked as a "repair" was a small bead of oil sump sealent (the white stuff).
One tip...make sure that both surfaces are clean.
Using the oil sump/pan sealent will ensure that the valve cover can be removed without risking damage to the aluminum seal surface of the cylinder head.
brucep
Veteran Member
I can do that one better, my Dodge 4.7L OHC V8 has a Titanium valve covers. The service manual is full of warnings about not letting any wires touch it... the vibration will quickly wear a hole in the Titanium. (It is light...but not very abrasion-resistant)