replacing valve cover gaskets

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Sep 16, 2002 | 04:55 PM

bigpumpkin

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replacing valve cover gaskets

I'm wondering if anyone has any suggestions before
I replace my valve cover gaskets. Its on a '91 302
and it has a fair amount of plumbing which is
blocking access and will be a pain to remove in
order to get at the valve covers...

Thanks, Cliff

Sep 16, 2002 | 05:21 PM

brett_d

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From: washington

replacing valve cover gaskets

before you break into this make sure the leak isn't comming from the china wall in the back of the lower intake. This is very common with all older rigs. The cork gasket eventually rots away and leads most people into thinking that it is a valve cover leak!!.

Other than that the Haynes manual is a perfect place to start!

Sep 17, 2002 | 10:21 AM

winfordr

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From: Rural Florida Panhandle

replacing valve cover gaskets

My valve cover gaskets were leaking so badly that I couldn't add oil during the oil/fiter change, without oil pouring out and running on the floor.

I bought a set of those gaskets which are metal inside and rubber outside. They are re-usable and work great. No rotting or leaking gaskets ever again!

But it is quite a bit of work getting the stuff out of the way to change them.

Winford:-)

Sep 17, 2002 | 12:24 PM

bigpumpkin

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replacing valve cover gaskets

China wall? Please explain...

To tell you the truth, I don't think its the valve cover
gasket, but I can't tell. Near the rear of the driver's
side valve cover, something is happening.

By the way, my truck has the dual-fuel tank crossover
problem. There are also fuel lines in this area, and it
looks like fuel could have leaked there in the past,
right onto the valve cover!!!!! What I'm thinking, is that
whenever a total amount of fuel can't be held by the
front tank, it comes out somewhere, and with the previous
owner, or once perhaps with me, this is where it may have
been coming out!

I also have a Ford dealer that ignores me... but that's
another subject...

Regards, Cliff

Sep 17, 2002 | 03:32 PM

brett_d

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From: washington

replacing valve cover gaskets

The China wall is the area in which the lower intake meets the block. On the very front or the rear of the intake are two cork gaskets which keep oil from running out. The one in the rear of the intake is well known for rotting.

As far as the missing fuel are you sure that the fuel isn't running into the other tank. This is also a known problem.

Sep 17, 2002 | 05:40 PM

bigpumpkin

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replacing valve cover gaskets

I have the fuel crossover problem. If I put fuel in
the rear tank, and switch to it, the fuel gets pumped
into the front tank in a matter of minutes. Of course,
I learned this shortly after buying the truck. What
happens when the front tank won't hold all the fuel?
This is the 64 thousand dollar question...

Anyway, I bought a Haynes manual at lunch; Gotta have
it. On the problem with the fuel crossover, is the
solution just a new 6-port fuel solenoid? It would
seem that this doesn't make sense... wouldn't this part
be designed to not allow any possibility that the return
valve be on a separate physical node than the feeding
valve... (does that make sense?) That is, if the
solenoid, or valve is accepting fuel from the rear
tank, how would it be possible that this part could fail
such that return fuel is routed to the front tank?
Is the valve made up of two separate pieces?

Thanks, Cliff