RE: Valve cover gasket

[steveb@falcon.kla.com (Steven Buchholz)]

> As I recall a mechanic in Ala Moana Cutter Audi/Porsche/VW said the valve 
> cover has a tendency to warp from over tightening of the bolts. He said 
> he tighten them down just about hand tight and do it the same sequence as 
> the headbolts. He also mention that you should check to see if the valve 
> cover is not warp and if it is then try straigtening it before 
> re-installing it. He said tighter is not always better and warped valve 
> cover is the reason of re-occurring leaks. 
> 
On many cars there is a shoulder on the valve cover mounting stud to keep 
you from compressing the gasket against the head.  If the stud is loose or
the gasket is not installed correctly you can create a gap through which 
oil can seep.  Prior to the cars with the hydraulic adjusters the gaskets 
were cork and could leak over time.  The newer 1 piece gaskets do a better
job of sealing ... I even use one on the urQ now ...

Steve Buchholz
s_buchho@kla.com
San Jose, CA (USA)