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Topic: Valve Cover Bolt leaking (Read 1580 times) previous topic - next topic

Valve Cover Bolt leaking

I thought I posted this already but maybe not. The valve cover bolt in the picture of the problem. It has to be that bolt. The oil seems to puddle up in the little groove on the valve cover and then when I drive it drips on the manifold and smokes. I tried thread sealing the bolt, with permatex but it still leaks, the valve cover gaskets were replaced not too long ago, anyone have any suggestions? 



You can actually see some oil in the groove.

Valve Cover Bolt leaking

Reply #1 –
Possible stripped threads on either that bolt or in the head.
41 Dodge Luxury Liner Sedan
78 F-100 2wd flareside
84Turbo Coupe
84 Thunderbird Élan
85 Thunderbird 3.8
88 Turbo Coupe
88 Mustang GT
90 Stang LX 5.0 5spd
93 F-150 4x4 ext cab
96 Mustang GT
98 Mustang GT
99 SVT Cobra
06 Fusion SEL
14 Fusion Sport

Valve Cover Bolt leaking

Reply #2 –
Hmm, I didn't think of that. The bolt goes in and seems to tighten up. I guess I could try swapping two bolts around just for the heck of it to see if the leak changes or whatnot.

Valve Cover Bolt leaking

Reply #3 –
Is it a factory bolt?I've seen some people install bolts that tighten up,but they are just a wee bit too long,so,they tighten in the head,but still not actually holding down the cover.
'88 Sport--T-5,MGW shifter,Trick Flow R intake,Ed Curtis cam,Trick Flow heads,Scorpion rockers,75mm Accufab t-body,3G,mini starter,Taurus fan,BBK long tube headers,O/R H-Pipe, Flowamaster Super 44's, deep and deeper Cobra R wheels, Mass Air and 24's,8.8 with 3.73's,140 mph speedo,Mach 1 chin spoiler,SN-95 springs,CHE control arms,aluminum drive shaft and a lot more..

Valve Cover Bolt leaking

Reply #4 –
Quote from: vinnietbird;307899
Is it a factory bolt?I've seen some people install bolts that tighten up,but they are just a wee bit too long,so,they tighten in the head,but still not actually holding down the cover.

Good thought.
This can also happen if some oil gets in the hole and the bolt is bottoming out on it.

Valve Cover Bolt leaking

Reply #5 –
It is the factory bolt. What I'm thinking is, I still have the v6 motor I took out, the bolts are probably the same size, I'll try to swap one in, if it stop leaking, I'll just look around for the exact same size bolt, but new. I thought maybe there was supposed to be some sort of a washer on it, but none of the other ones had one.

Valve Cover Bolt leaking

Reply #6 –
the VC may be "pulled" around the hole not giving the proper clamp load....
you may want to pull the vc off and flip it gasket side up, and take a smallish ball peen hammer, put the small ball on the hole and whack the first hammer with a 2nd hammer to push the hole back flush or a tad up.
1985 TC (yet another one) Fully loaded
has 225k mile  still with the factory head gasket






84  Turbo ranger  Daily driver  ($800.00 Ebay deal)
          volvo FMIC and more getto rigging than the law should allow

Valve Cover Bolt leaking

Reply #7 –
Are they aluminum or steel? couldn't tell by the pick. Looks more like a stud hanging out of them. Is that intake polished?
Old Grey Cat to this.88 Cat, 5.0 HO, CW mounts, mass air, CI custom cam, afr165's, Tmoss worked cobra intake, BBK shorty's,off road h pipe, magnaflow ex. T-5,spec stage 2 clutch, 8.8 373 TC trac loc, che ajustables with bullits on the rear. 11" brakes up front. +

Valve Cover Bolt leaking

Reply #8 –
They look like painted steel covers.
'88 Sport--T-5,MGW shifter,Trick Flow R intake,Ed Curtis cam,Trick Flow heads,Scorpion rockers,75mm Accufab t-body,3G,mini starter,Taurus fan,BBK long tube headers,O/R H-Pipe, Flowamaster Super 44's, deep and deeper Cobra R wheels, Mass Air and 24's,8.8 with 3.73's,140 mph speedo,Mach 1 chin spoiler,SN-95 springs,CHE control arms,aluminum drive shaft and a lot more..

Valve Cover Bolt leaking

Reply #9 –
They do, but what's with the studs sticking out? Excuse my ignorance, I really haven't been around to many stock parts lately.
Old Grey Cat to this.88 Cat, 5.0 HO, CW mounts, mass air, CI custom cam, afr165's, Tmoss worked cobra intake, BBK shorty's,off road h pipe, magnaflow ex. T-5,spec stage 2 clutch, 8.8 373 TC trac loc, che ajustables with bullits on the rear. 11" brakes up front. +

Valve Cover Bolt leaking

Reply #10 –
Those are the factory bolts that the plug wire looms slip over.The loom stands up-right on the stud and you would snap the wires into them.
'88 Sport--T-5,MGW shifter,Trick Flow R intake,Ed Curtis cam,Trick Flow heads,Scorpion rockers,75mm Accufab t-body,3G,mini starter,Taurus fan,BBK long tube headers,O/R H-Pipe, Flowamaster Super 44's, deep and deeper Cobra R wheels, Mass Air and 24's,8.8 with 3.73's,140 mph speedo,Mach 1 chin spoiler,SN-95 springs,CHE control arms,aluminum drive shaft and a lot more..

Valve Cover Bolt leaking

Reply #11 –
Valve cover might be warped.  I would check closely around the bolt hole and make sure that the hole hasn't been pulled down into a mushroom.  If it has, just flatten it back out with a hammer on an anvil.
My car is a gravity hybrid.  The gasoline engine gets me up the hills, and gravity gets me down.

Valve Cover Bolt leaking

Reply #12 –
Quote from: BogusSVO;307991
the VC may be "pulled" around the hole not giving the proper clamp load....
you may want to pull the vc off and flip it gasket side up, and take a smallish ball peen hammer, put the small ball on the hole and whack the first hammer with a 2nd hammer to push the hole back flush or a tad up.


+1 I bet that's your problem.

That's the nice thing about cast aluminum valve covers. It's pretty hard to bend the bolt holes.
88 Thunderbird LX: 306, Edelbrock Performer heads, Comp 266HR cam, Edelbrock Performer RPM intake, bunch of other stuff.

Valve Cover Bolt leaking

Reply #13 –
If you find out that its a warped valve cover I have a set of HO cast units (dirty as sh*t) free just cover the shipping.
41 Dodge Luxury Liner Sedan
78 F-100 2wd flareside
84Turbo Coupe
84 Thunderbird Élan
85 Thunderbird 3.8
88 Turbo Coupe
88 Mustang GT
90 Stang LX 5.0 5spd
93 F-150 4x4 ext cab
96 Mustang GT
98 Mustang GT
99 SVT Cobra
06 Fusion SEL
14 Fusion Sport

Valve Cover Bolt leaking

Reply #14 –
Vinnie is right, they are the stock (steel, i think)  valve covers. I cleaned them and painted them. I will take the valve cover off in the coming week and look at it, and try to hammer the lip back down.