Can't stop valve cover from leaking.

Really starting to irritate me. I have a new gasket still leaks. Pulled it back off use the new gasket and silicone still leaked. Pulled it back off tried a different valvecover and silicone still leaks. It keeps leaking in the center of the bottom of the valve cover. I'm annoyed. I let the silicone cure over night each time also let the head drain completely. Also this last time I jacked up the passenger side of the car so no oil wouldnt run down while it was curing. This is only an issue on the passenger side.

I've only done one valve cover gasket, and it wasn't on a Subaru. However, it took a week before I stopped smelling the leaking oil hitting the exhaust. I had cleaned up all the leaked oil pretty well during the gasket install, so I think it took a little while (heat cycles?) for the gasket to properly form a seal.

 

You made sure to clean up the mating surface with some steel wool / scotch brite? And follow the torque spec on the valve cover bolts?

Did all that. I've done a bunch of valve covers but for some reason it's just this side.

Did you tighten the bolts in the proper sequence? I used a gasket from Subaru with no problems try going with OE.

Yes. And I'm gonna go on next

Also I had luck with the ultra gray permatex rtv. I think the key is to use only a little rtv in the suggested locations according to the vacation pics with very little torque. No rtv should be placed on the spark plug tube seals.

If it was something I'm doing it'd be on both sides. It's just the passenger side.

Well after removing and installing the valve cover about 10 times. (I can now do it in 15 mins lol) trying multiple gaskets new valve cover bolts different types of silicones. I figured out my leak. Apparently the passenger side head I had is messed up. Who ever pulled them must of had issues getting off the cam gear bolts and put a vice grip on the cam and wedged it against the head and impacted the bolt off.. well it cracked the head.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b395/vtech91integra/20140819_184605.jpg

I jb welded it for now. 1. because I want to make sure it's the 100% problem and 2. I need to have the other head machined and order a head gasket and valve seals and 3. I need to find the time.

Wow! That's probably the dumbest thing I have ever seen done on these cars, I hope that "mechanic" didn't touch much else on your car .

Well after removing and installing the valve cover about 10 times. (I can now do it in 15 mins lol) trying multiple gaskets new valve cover bolts different types of silicones. I figured out my leak. Apparently the passenger side head I had is messed up. Who ever pulled them must of had issues getting off the cam gear bolts and put a vice grip on the cam and wedged it against the head and impacted the bolt off.. well it cracked the head.

 

Haha. Thats exactly how mine looked in the EXACTsame spot. Must have visited the same shotty mechanic at some point.

 

I had my machinist weld the damaged area and ground it flat when I had my heads off to get refreshed.

 

I can't wait to get it all put back together and drive around with my vent on and not have the smell oil burning off the exhaust manifold for the first time since I bought the car.

Lol no. I did all the work on this car. Haha. These heads were spares I had that came with the car when I bought it. I sent them to the machine shop while I was pulling the engine to save time. Myself and the machine shop overlooked it. The picture from my s5 shows it way better than you can see it in person. But still kicking myself i did see it. Unless it wasn't there until I torqued the head down or something. I dunno. O well shit happens. At least I have other heads.

Heres what mine looked like. Someone thought it was a good idea with the vice grips.

 

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/08/21/2ugenuqe.jpg

 

There was actually a micro crack in the same spot as yours that you can't make out from the picture.

Yep any decent shop can weld that up.

Maybe try Ultra Black this time? That's all that was used on my engine.

Wow. Lol apparently that's common for people to use vice grips. :facepalm:

Seems like it's fixed. No apparent leaks anymore. I'll see after it sits in the garage tonight if I have oil in the morning.