Valve Cover Gasket

[Fr0zEn]

Hey, My KA24E has an oil leake at the valve Cover. Go figure. So I picked up a Valve cover gasket. and everything to change it. but... I dont know how to change it or anything about engines for that fact. I changed my oil but it back to black again. So since I have the Valve Cover off. What are somethings I can clean up in there? and will I notice a difference if I go and clean some stuff up?

Do I just take the valve cover off and replace it then pop it back on thats it? anything I shoud note or worrie about?

[dickie]

dude, you're not really in danger of screwing anything up by removing the valve cover unless you drop something into your valvetrain.

if you have a lot of sludge buildup in your head, around your cams and under your valve cover it means (at least) that your car has gone past the recommended period for oil changes in the past.

you can do the seafoam treatment and change your oil regularly. anything more than that without taking the motor out and hot-tanking it is kind of a waste of time.

[0wn3r]

i'll post pics when i get home from work

[glitched]

dude, you're not really in danger of screwing anything up by removing the valve cover unless you drop something into your valvetrain.

well yeah, you could over torque the bolts and strip the holes.

make sure you have a torque wrench and torque the bolts properly when reapplying the valve cover.

[dickie]

i said from removing, not replacing

[0wn3r]

i said from removing, not replacing

well, you're supposed to be removing (and installing) them in a star pattern as well i believe...

(assuming the DE is the same as the E)

using a torque wrench is best, but you can try living on the edge if you can't find one w/ low enough measure. it's basically finger tight and you'll almost feel when it stops. that's how i did mine and haven't had any problems as of yet.

...

thx to colds14 and nissan14jones on ONE

Quote »

Front ---------------------------------------------------------- back 7......................5.........................2.................10

.............4..................1/12..............................11

9.....................3.........................6...................8-----------------------------------------------------------

All bolts should be tightened to 8-11n-m or 69-95in-lb

make sure you get both gaskets, for valve cover, and spark plug seals. use OE gaskets. take a rag and clean both surfaces that will be contacting the gaskets. and scrape the half moon recesses until they are free of old rtv. ( be gental and dont scratch or gouge the aluminum. then apply some RTV to your finger and apply to the half moon recesses, make sure that it is applied evenly and a half inch on either side of the top of the recesses, there is none overlapping on the inside of the head. install your gaskets and valvecover. when you tighten your bolts turn until finger tight diaganal across from the last one you just tightened. then repeat process using correct torque specs. then test drive. if you start to sputter, there is a good chance some oil has gotten past you spark plug chamber seals and is causing you to misfire. factory torque specs are 9-11 ft. lbs. hope this helps. [/quote]if you want you can also degrease the inside and outside of the valve cover ONLY

you may find crap like below in there...it basically feels as hard as gravel, but you can get some of it out....i just wouldn't try too hard and get pieces of it all over, try the seafoam first.


Modified by 0wn3r at 8:06 PM 9/18/2007