Originally Posted by
pawpaw
Did you use the RTV recipe specified, thats compatable with engine oil & did you install the covers while it was still wet, so that it could conform to both surfaces????
I used Permatex Ultra red RTV and it was still wet when I installed and torqued down the valve covers.
Was the oil leak in the same general area as the silicone & or the machine marks????
Yes, it seems the leaks were coming from the junction area and the areas where the machining marks are.
Did the oil leak come about suddenly after some event, or slowly over time???
It started slowly leaking after about 3 years and increased in volume over time.
Is the PCV valve due for a change & have you changed it??? If its sticking closed, it'll cause excessive pressure that can pop the weakest link in our oiling system seals.
The truck has 95K miles with the original PCV valve. I inspected and cleaned the PCV valve. It moved freely.
Rockledge--How much sealant did you put on your gaskets and where did you put it? I put about a 1/8" bead just across the 4 cylinder head-to-intake gaps where indicated in this picture. Did you use any other tricks or techniques when installing yours?
I buttoned everything back up today and took it for a 15 min drive. When I checked the valve covers, I thought I saw a drop of clean oil (I just changed the oil 10 miles ago) beneath one of the valve cover bolts, as if it had just seeped out from around the bolt head. Since I cleaned off the block with engine degreaser just before the test drive, I don't know if the oil was leftover from the cleaning or if was fresh oil weeping.
I'll watch it closely. If the bolt heads are seeping, I plan to remove them one at a time and add a dab of RTV to each bolt. Frustrating.