alright so my passenger side valve cover keeps leaking...i have already taken it off and cleaned it all with carb cleaner, let it air dry, loaded the channel up with Ultra gray, stuffed the rubber strip in and loaded some more ultra gray, set it on the head hand tightend the bolts enough just to make good contact all the way around with the RTV, then after letting it sit for 1 hour the first time(thats what the directions say) 6 hours the second and overnight the time previous to this try...im on my 4th time taking it all apart cleaning it and what not just to stop this stupid oil leak! im getting kind of frustrated...so my questions is:

Is it just bad engineering? or am i doing something wrong??

now i have sat there and watched the engine run for a few mins to see if oil was coming out while it ran but it doesnt, so its only coming out after its been run and pools up on the little shelves just under the valve cover. i would think that my technique is right, ive done BMW oil pans with less RTV and never had a problem...just sayin.

TIA for suggestions, or just good ole comfort that im not the only one that this problem keeps recurring... oh BTW fresh rebuild less than 2000 miles on the motor, conventional valvoline 10w-40 oil (for now, mobil 1 is in line after 3000 miles on this oil).

-Jordan

 

Did you start with a new set of gaskets? We just replaced them on my brother in laws truck. His were leaking bad, and we now know why after we saw all the cracks in the original gaskets. We cleaned everything up like you say, and I added a thin layer of RTV and tightened them down (no waiting for anything to dry). I can't remember if there was a torque rating on the valve covers or not. Anyways, everything is sealed up and he hasn't had any problems.

I don't think it would be, but is the valve cover cracked or anything?

How about the driver's side? Have you replaced it? Is it leaking?

 

the gasket was nice and pliable, the valve cover is in good condition, no cracks. i did the drivers side once and it hasn't leaked since...

 

Are your head drains clear?

If that head is draining slower you have more oil sitting on that gasket from the inside..

Check your PCV/vent. ON a V6 you have a PCV in one filter and a vent in the other. If they are clogged then the pressure over liquid will push through the gasket.

Couple of ideas to explore.

 

I would expect everything is clean and clear with so few miles on it...I should add that it started leaking 2 weeks after the last time I tried sealing the covers

 

make sure the leak isnt coming from the half moons. i have replaced both my valve cover gaskets and halfmoons. only added a small amount of FIPG around the half moons. you shouldnt really have to add any gasket maker around the entire gasket imo. since you have taken if off so many times. just buy a new oem gasket and redo it

also if your gasket has any oil on it. the gasket maker wont work, same if there is oil on any part of where the gasket would go. make sure everything is dry of oil

 

is it leakin from the cam bearing cap behind the valve cover seen that a few times its on the back side on the pasenger side and on the front side on the drivers or u could try a cover from a newer 3.0 they did make dirent valve cover later on that seal wicked ( i asume thats ur truck in ur avatar ? )

 

Always use NEW vc gaskets! They are less than $20....

New vc gaskets, and a thin layer of FIPG, dont over torque the vc's either, they will not seal properly if you dont tighten in the correct sequence, and proper torque... get ur fsm out, it explains it in detail.

 

+2 on the cam plugs, both of which are located on the rear of the heads. They are a PITA to reach, but doable. Mine leaked and my local dealer told me it was the valve covers... it was not.

Also, Team420 is right, if you are going to all the trouble to disassemble and clean, replace the gaskets they are cheap. The FSM only mentions using FIPG in the corners where the vc & gasket rise up and over the half circle cam bearing caps. That worked fine for me.

While you have the passenger side vc off (again) replace your pcv valve and grommet.

So new vc gaskets, rear cam plugs and a pcv grommet should solve it. Torque vc's in proper sequence to 48 inch lbs per FSM.

 

I'm in the same boat, 4th attempt, getting tired of pulling it apart.

What finally worked here? Is there a magical procedure outside of what the FSM says?

Does somebody make a better gasket than somebody else?

 

Before you apply the RTV (or even FIPG), you should make the sure the surface you're sticking it to is clean enough to eat from. RTV doesn't stick well to oil. I've used paint thinner with good results; brake cleaner if you're really worried.

I see you've read the FSM: good! Don't go nuts with the RTV, just follow the directions.

 

always use a new gasket! never, NEVER use rtv in the channels or on the gasket. it's not necessary, it will cause it to leak, and its a god damn pain in the ass to clean all that ˟˟˟˟ off when it does leak. follow the manual and apply rtv sparingly in the areas as directed, thats all that is needed. clean the valve cover and head really well with some brake clean. i installed new rear cam plugs and used a cheap felpro valve cover gasket set on my truck 5 years ago, still no leaks.

 

Working on my 3.0, putting the covers back on, I noticedobe of the sleeves in the bolt holes is missing!!!! Any idea where I can buy one? Or are they available??? Thanks!!!

 

Stumbled across this thread and wanted to add a few things. To help prevent the round rubber cam plugs from leaking get rid of the factory metal plates with the large hole in the center. Why Toyota put a big hole in the center is beyond me, but I digress. Anyway, take a few minutes and fabricate covers that are solid. I personally used a slightly thicker aluminum and slightly longer bolts. Then when it comes time to put the plug covers on, clean the surface really well and silicone them in place. This is kind of a belt and suspenders move, but it helps to keep the plugs from leaking. As noted by another poster above, no need to overdue the silicone on the cover itself. Simply follow the procedure in the factory service manual as far as silicone placement in the corners. Clean everything super well, including the bolts. I like to use blue thread locker on the bolts. Torque spec is 5.4 NM. You'll need a 1/4 drive torque wrench for this job. And follow sequence, which is basically from the center bolts out alternating sides. It may also help to suck out the oil from the head as it likes to rest just barely at the bottom, which if you're not careful oil can spill over the edge as you're leaning on the truck while putting the valve cover on. So take a few minutes and suck the oil out, or tilt the whole truck depending on which side you're working on.

As to the last question on this If you lose a metal sleeve in the valve cover, one can be made by cutting a roll pin or metal tube. The only thing here is that you'll want to measure the sleeve with a digital caliper to get a precise length. The sleeve is there to help ensure the gasket isn't over tightened and squished down too much.

-Kevin

 

Valve covers could be warped- they're made of plastic. It that case, you'll need to replace them, and that's expensive if you go new OEM.

Good luck.

 

Are the half moons referencing the metal part that covers the rear portion of the valve cover gaskets? Like the metal part that holds the cam plugs in place?

 

I took my covers off just to clean my engine and started ripping parts off and deciding to fix them all up, my driver side cam plug was put in backwards, any answer to whether this was intentional as some sort of engine hack? or did the previous individual just ˟˟˟˟ it up and put it in there backwards without noticing?

 

On the 22re, there is a half-circular plug in the front. On the 3VZE, the valve cover has half-circular cutouts to fit over the camshaft bearing caps. There's a recommended placement of RTV on each side of the bearing cap where the valve cover gasket makes a rt-angle turn, and if not done correctly it's a source of leaks. I think the reference to "half-moons" is a conflation of the half-circular 22re plugs (there are none on the 3vze), and the writer is almost certainly referring to the bearing caps.

Do you have the FSM? https://web.archive.org/web/20120813...68cylinder.pdf