[solidrunner]

What kind of tricks do you guys have for the 4.0L valve cover leaks? We're not talking a small leak either, this it the big one that makes the smoke screen behind the vehicle. It's a 94 grand cherokee with an aluminum cover. I've used the right stuff a couple of times and it always seems to leak on the intake side. Does anyone make a rubber one for it? I've searched and couldn't find anything. Thanks in advance.

 

[[email protected]]

try putting a thick bead of silicone around the valve cover and letting it dry overnight. Install the next day, thats what the fsm calls for....

 

[Otto Man]

Every valve cover that I have seen leak that wasn't warped or had dirty mating surfaces was caused by over torqueing the bolts. Torque wrench is your friend....

 

[Peter_C]

Silicon of any type will not stick properly if there is any oil present. The "trick" is to clean the surfaces until they are spotless. Rubbing alcohol works great, as do some brake and parts cleaners (some don't work at all), along with ether. Metal to metal contact is what silicon is designed for, so no left over gasket material or any other substance.

 

[vetteboy79]

Yeah, that's a bitch.

First time I had it apart was just so I could look at the rockers. It leaked like a mofo upon reinstalling, so I did it again and it hasn't leaked yet. And I have no intentions of doing it again anytime soon.

I think the trick was making sure I followed the torqueing sequence right, to the right numbers, and making sure that the gasket stayed in place perfectly when putting the cover back on. I used a regular Fel-pro cork gasket.

 

[solidrunner]

I had both surfaces pretty damn clean. The problem is getting to the back. On a wrangler it's easy, on a Grand Cherokee it's a bitch, stupid wiper cowl. I found a totally bitchin fel-pro gasket last night. It's rubber wrapped around a steel frame. I'll be installing it this weekend,we'll see how that works.

 

[Bill Collins]

i picked up an xj and it was blowing out oil like a smoke screen.it turned out to be the blowby tube stooped up...

 

[YJ_OVER_SJ]

I first replaced my gasket with a rubber/metal gasket and maybe because of torqueing or grime issues, it was leaking almost immediately.

I then spent a great deal of time pulling the cover off again, making sure all surfaces were REALLY clean, and then using a cork gasket and some gasket tack goo(whatever it's called, not the normal gasket goo, the purple sticky stuff), on it. Then spent my time slowly tightening down all the screws in a zig-zag pattern that would ensure the gasket was tightened equally. Not too tight either.

It held for 4 years that way. Now it's time for another replacement. Just too much pressure building up and too much heat/pounding for it to last much longer than that. But it made a night and day difference for 4 years so I'm happy.

 

[solidrunner]

The totally cool fel-pro gasket worked. I cleaned up the surfaces and slapped it on. Not a leak to speak of. Although it was 40 bucks, it seems to work damn well.

 

[wanakrawl]

happens to everyone

ya those things are junk. i have an 89 cherokee with the 4.0 and i tried 2 gaskets and they sucked. i finally just used gasket maker and let it set on the valve cover untill it was dried then replaced it and it never leaked again.