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Valve cover issues...

Avery4jc

Avery4jc

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hey guys I sprung a pretty good sized oil leak, (I've gotten rid of every single drip after my rear main was replaced w/ the new tranny) so I was a bit surprised when I looked under the truck this afternoon in the school parking lot and not only saw a drip but a puddle...

It was time to get the oil changed anyways so I ran over to my buddies shop and we took a look around and found out that my PCV valve fell out and as the pressure built up in the valve cover it ended up blowing out the gasket on the back part of the driver's side valve cover so its leaking out of there and dripping down the block and then falling off when I park the truck.

I was thinking of just replacing the gasket but I've read (in my searching on here for valve covers) that its not uncommon to have a tweaked cover...would investing in a nice set of oh say edelbrock valve covers be worth it or should I just replace the gasket with a new felpro one? (I put one on my oil pan and love it so I'll get a felpro for these too).

Thanks!
 
If the valve covers are already dimpled heavily where the bolts go, then probably a good idea to replace. (you can pound those out, but if you want new covers, it's an excuse to replace:)) Same if they are dented somewhere else.

Otherwise, not a big deal to reuse IMO.
 
Sometimes the gaskets slip out from under the valve covers as well causing a major leak. I prefer steel core rubber valve cover gaskets with a healthy dose of adhesive to stick in place. Thick cast aluminum or steel covers with load spreading tabs help a bit as well.
 
I replaced my cheap stamped sheet metal style for the Edlebrock aluminum and used the rubber gasket and have had no problems with mine since then.
 
If he had the rear main replaced when he did the tranns, then he should have the center bolt valve covers. One piece rear main was introduced with the center bolt cover, iirc. center bolt valve covers don't have a problem like the older ones.
 
I prefer an unmarked aluminum, as opposed to an Edelbrock.. The Edelbrock are quality, but the look is cheesy imo...

You can straighten the old rails with some hammer and dolly work, but aluminum is so much nicer...

oh btw, there's no way "pressure in the valve cover" blew the gasket out.. unless of course, you don't have piston rings..... It was incorrectly installed and slipped out..

glue your gasket to the valve cover.. lots of choices for that, hi-tack, weatherstrip adhesive, etc.....
 
ryoken said:
oh btw, there's no way "pressure in the valve cover" blew the gasket out.. unless of course, you don't have piston rings..... It was incorrectly installed and slipped out..

glue your gasket to the valve cover.. lots of choices for that, hi-tack, weatherstrip adhesive, etc.....
Click to expand...

x2, no pressure under the cover
 
my PCV valve fell out and as the pressure built up in the valve cover it ended up blowing out the gasket on the back part of the driver's side valve cover
Click to expand...




X3,,,no way there is that much pressure under the covers,,, and if there is,,,, a pcv valve popping out is the least of your worries......
 
ok, for the price of valve covers I think I'll just replace them...shoot even the nice edelbrock ones are only like $80 so I'll get some ordered along with new gaskets...

Ok and whats up w/ the center bolt valve covers? On those do the bolts just go down the center or are they down the center as well as on the edges? I'll want to check what I have before I order some as we found out my engine isn't the original '85 block... if you remember when we had the tranny done we found out b/c the rear main wasn't what it was supposed to be for an '85...
 
center bolts will only have 4 bolts going down in the center of the valve cover, right in between the rockers, and they use a rubber gasket that works way better than the old cork ones.
 
Ok I checked and I just have bolts around the perimeter so they aren't center bolt valve covers...
 
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