ALH Valve Cover keeps leaking! Help please!!

Okay, so i have an ALH, and i've replaced the valve cover 3X times trying to remedy the leaking oil. i know its leaking b/c when i pull the cover I can see the oil pooling in the right hand corner and the oil is all over the back of the engine.

twice I've used RTV to try and make a better seal, but no dice.. what can be going on here?? I'm so lost

could something else be attributed to all my valve covers leaking from the exact same spot?? the sucker is tight too... ive already had to place a helicoil due to me stripping a hole.. argh

Its now leaving a puddle of oil on my driveway

any help would help!


felix

EGR....???

Crack in the head near that area...?

Is it possible that the oil in the drive-way is coming from the turbo or turbo piping?

i've tracked the leak to a small weep from the egr ( to be replaced in the next week) and the other in the corner of the VC.-Most of the oil is coming from here...

turbo and lines are good (thank goodness.)

Typically, I put a small dab of RED RTV in the "corners" where the VC gasket goes up and over the cam cap on each end of the head. Otherwise, RTV or anything similar is not necessary.

Yep, the EGR can be an oily mess. It is not serviceable. The seal that goes kaput is internal and there's basically zero options to replace it.

If youre certain its the valve cover gasket, go to a ford dealership, buy a tube of their grey rtv for the 7.3 powerstroke, we use it at work on oil pans on macks and cummins, powerstrokes, its the best silicone you can buy ive came across so far

Well vw has blue goo gasket sealer but it's over 100 bucks a tube my parts guy "found" some for me.

As improbable as it seems, you must be missing something. As you've replaced the VC 3 times, then it stands to reason the problem is on the head side. Which end, vacuum pump or cam sprocket? Have you 'straight-edged' the area? Inspected w/strong light for cracks, deformities? It may be elusive but no magic involved. Most seal down w/no problem.

Sounds like the problem is found but remember whenever putting gasket sealer on anything make sure both surfaces are completely degreased. I use a tiny dribble of brake cleaner where the valve cover seats on the head, agitate it with my finger, then carefully blow it off with compressed air, being sure not to blow any oil up. (Hold air chuck 1/8" from surface and blow lightly.) If I am not sure, I repeat. I seem to be always taking the thing off to mess with the timing or something and have never replaced the gasket (except the first time of course) or had a leak. Like AndyBees, I only put the gasket sealer in the 'corners'. Personally, I like Permatex Ultra Black. Never had a problem with that stuff. Use it even on differential covers and never had a leak. Thoroughly degreasing is the key.

If you do a turbo boost check, spray some soapy water around the valve cover, you should see where any leaks are that may throw oil.

I found my reason for an oily mess was where the round and straight on the valve cover gets together at the vacuum pump - gray sealer (loctite product) solved it.

Could also be from the vac pump....

Thanks for all the input guys.. I'm going to start looking into all the ideas!

Hopefully I can finally nip this leak in the bud!

and why oh why can we not get the gasket seperate from the valve cover???

If the oil is mostly running down the back of the engine, it is the valve cover gasket (or the EGR valve is weeping, or the PCV connection is broken), if it is running mostly onto the gearbox, it is either the vacuum pump gasket or the front of the gasket.

Not really. Leaks can come from the top of the vac pump, hit the head and run to the back. Also the two end cam bearing caps are glued down with sealant at the corners and can leak from there too. Also the airflow running thru the engine compartment will blow that oil to the back of the engine.

oldpoopie said:

Not really. Leaks can come from the top of the vac pump, hit the head and run to the back. Also the two end cam bearing caps are glued down with sealant at the corners and can leak from there too. Also the airflow running thru the engine compartment will blow that oil to the back of the engine.

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Thanks, good to know, I did not

AndyBees x2. You'd be amazed at how oil can travel far. I was convinced I had a valve cover leak some years ago. Was also thinking I had a rear main seal leak (coming out crankshaft seal behind flywheel). The real culprit turned out to be a worn EGR valve. Oil was leaking out bottom of EGR, running across the entire back edge of valve cover, then down back of engine. Replacing the EGR valve fixed it (in my case).

Blk97vr6 said:

the sucker is tight too... ive already had to place a helicoil due to me stripping a hole.. argh

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Could this be part of the problem? The torque spec on this is only 7 lbs.

TDI_G said:

Could this be part of the problem? The torque spec on this is only 7 lbs.

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Yeah, there's definitely some truth to "too much of a good thing". Would be nice if the OP checked back and let us know if he's found it yet.

I know I'm dragging this out of the death, but what did you end up finding out? I'm curious because I have a mystery leak & it's not the EGR (just replaced). Was really disappointed to find that I had to replace my entire valve cover.

Jettascuba said:

and why oh why can we not get the gasket seperate from the valve cover???

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You can get them, but you don't want to know who sells them....

If it is the gasket and I assume it is a rubber valve cover gasket, my friend swears by Permatex Ultra Rubber Gasket Sealant & Dressing, 85409. Valve cover gaskets that are known to leak on cars he works on are bone dry a year later.

I bought some myself for my chain cover gaskets.

Of course you have to make sure your sealing surfaces are good and not warped.

OP hasn't posted since May.
Never had a problem with these VC gaskets on the ALH, small bit of sealant in the hard corners only. Someone mentioned the vacuum pump could cause a leak.

With an AMC replacement head I got from Franko6 (long story....left me none-too-impressed), I had a small spitting leak from the #5 bearing cap / valve cover midway up the rounded portion of the cap (no leak before head replacement); put some Dirko RTV in there for now and it seems to be holding.

I'll check the vacuum pump as well. But I just wanted to see the conclusion of this thread.