Valve Cover Gasket
#1
Valve Cover Gasket
Even as much as I've seen leaking Valve Cover Gaskets in the shop, or on any car I've worked on. I'm wondering now, with this 88 240 I've been given, what causes it? I know that many problems on car engines in general are the symptoms of the problem, and not the problem. For example, a bad Catalytic Converter is almost always not the problem, it's the symptom of another problem. Is that the case here? I've never let my cars get to the point where the valve cover was leaking, not to say anything bad about it, but I would always notice something like that really quickly and fix it. I know it's a pain to work on the engine when it's covered in sludgy oil on the bottom. Thanks for any answers to my silly question.
Matthew
Matthew
#2
RE: Valve Cover Gasket
ORIGINAL: matthewensey
Even as much as I've seen leaking Valve Cover Gaskets in the shop, or on any car I've worked on. I'm wondering now, with this 88 240 I've been given, what causes it? I know that many problems on car engines in general are the symptoms of the problem, and not the problem. For example, a bad Catalytic Converter is almost always not the problem, it's the symptom of another problem. Is that the case here? I've never let my cars get to the point where the valve cover was leaking, not to say anything bad about it, but I would always notice something like that really quickly and fix it. I know it's a pain to work on the engine when it's covered in sludgy oil on the bottom. Thanks for any answers to my silly question.
Matthew
Even as much as I've seen leaking Valve Cover Gaskets in the shop, or on any car I've worked on. I'm wondering now, with this 88 240 I've been given, what causes it? I know that many problems on car engines in general are the symptoms of the problem, and not the problem. For example, a bad Catalytic Converter is almost always not the problem, it's the symptom of another problem. Is that the case here? I've never let my cars get to the point where the valve cover was leaking, not to say anything bad about it, but I would always notice something like that really quickly and fix it. I know it's a pain to work on the engine when it's covered in sludgy oil on the bottom. Thanks for any answers to my silly question.
Matthew
On a Volvo it could be poor cleaning where the gasket arcs over the cam bearing housing...especially the "corner" at the bottom of the arch, it has to be properly cleaned and sealed.
Could also be high crank pressure due to a clogged flame trap (if it's a non-turbo).
FWIW my recently reworked head came back from the machinist's with a deep scratch in the rear cam bearing...that kind of surface will be hard to seal, now. [:@]
(If your comment relates to why people don't fix these leaks quickly...well, most drivers don't look under the hood that much if they can help it!)
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