Blown Head Gasket?

[Zaggnutt]

As mentioned thats a Valve Cover issue there.

When you remove the valve cover, both gasket surfaces must be cleaner than surgically clean! So clean the head, then do it again and again each time with fresh clean rag not dipping it in oil etc. Get the heads gasket surface cleaner than clean, and do the same for the tin valve cover too.

If there is any residual oil, and I mean any, then oil will eventually wick out there.

IIRC bout 72 INCH LBS torque, hope this helps.

Al

Yessir. I've read several of your praises of the Elephant Snot. I'm going to track some down. Does it resist diesel? Oil? Heat? Copy on the torques specs. I have read several thread posters from all over the web stating 6 ft lbs as well. Thanks.

I'm not a fan of RTV however it can work, I'm a fan of the Elephant Snot as I call it, Permatex Aviation Form a Gasket is the real name, apply thin coat to head and to valve cover install the gasket the valve cover tighten carefully to torque and be done.

 

[Zaggnutt]

That stud is a 5/16x18 thead. Any lowes or home depot will have that nut. So will any parts house. Once a leak like that starts its never going to stop because the oil has made a path and will wick out from under the gasket but tightening it will show it down too.

Thanks for the help. The reason I asked about the stud was to get some input on what exactly it was for (Is it just a vc stud or does it serve another purpose? is it a standard nut that goes on it? etc., etc...) I wanted to be sure I was solving the problem in the best way. I will dig a nut out of my collection.

Yeah, I want to be clear. I will not be throwing a nut on there and walking away. I will be removing the vc and replacing the gasket.

 

[riotwarrior]

Any recommendations to pressure wash engine bay before or after valve cover gaskets?
What is the proper way anyways,cover the IP and intake manifold really good and have at it??

I would do it before, myself, the reason being I don't like working on filthy engines and knocking ***** into them... but it's how I roll, I may just maybe stick nut on stud run it down an snug by hand first

First and formost intake manifold must be sealed, clear valley drain at rear of engine near GP relay/CDR area more to PASS side in valley pan.

Spray down the engine and pre-wash it as best you can, then you can soak engine down and engine bay, with some degreaser keep it moist with degreaser I use some kind of PURPLE bottle of cleaner, I don't dilute it and spray down engine well.

Once sprayed and soaked for a few minutes say 10 minutes I again wash it all off top down and sometimes do this a couple times to get things clean.


Now this is just me, but others may have another way. I do use HOT HOT water or in my case a HOT WATER/STEAM cleaner setup that kicks butt...

JM2CW

 

[finitetime]

Thats supposed to have a nut on that stud to hold down the valve cover. See the triangle piece under the stud. That spreads out the nut clamping force so the valve cover wont dent and ruin the gasket. My recommendations are to use Felpro gaskets or Victor Reinz gaskets. Rubber is not the best gasket here. Also coat both sides of the gasket with permatex ultra coppe RTV. You will never have another leak then but.. Cleaning off the oily mess is really important. Use brakclean and it will work very well. Any oil on the surfaces will cause another leak. Care needs to be done when tightening the valve covers too. You don't want to crush the gaskets because that will break them and again.. Instant leaks.

I agree. Everywhere a stud like that comes through the valve cover it is suppose to have a little triangular piece of metal and a nut on it. Check them all before you start and get replacements for the missing ones. Check and see how tight they are before you change it.

I had the same problem and I started at the front and moved to the rear of the cover only to find that one nut was missing and two were so loose I didn't need a wrench to take them off. When I got the cover off the gasket looked perfectly fine.

 

[79jasper]

Also not a bad idea to make sure the valve cover gasket surface is flat.

If you can use lower pressure super hot water, it'd be tons better than high pressure cold water.

Sent from my USCC-C6721 using Tapatalk

 

[IDIBRONCO]

From what I see in your pictures, that could be the stud that is there to hold the upper part of the transmission dipstick tube with an e40d transmission and a factory turbo. It's below the valve cover and behind the heater hose. These are the only engines I've seen with a stud in that location. The dipstick tube on an e40d transmission is made in two parts. There is a bracket on the side of the tube that slips over that nut. Although now that I think about it, I can't remember if vans used a similar mounting location or not Anyway, it should be to mount a transmission dipstick tube. Sorry for the rambling.

 

[Zaggnutt]

From what I see in your pictures, that could be the stud that is there to hold the upper part of the transmission dipstick tube with an e40d transmission and a factory turbo. It's below the valve cover and behind the heater hose. These are the only engines I've seen with a stud in that location. The dipstick tube on an e40d transmission is made in two parts. There is a bracket on the side of the tube that slips over that nut. Although now that I think about it, I can't remember if vans used a similar mounting location or not Anyway, it should be to mount a transmission dipstick tube. Sorry for the rambling.

Maybe that's why there's nothing there.... My truck is a Frankenstein. Used to be and E40D. Now a ZF5. That is also why I have some unidentified unplugged harnesses in the engine bay and along the frame rail.