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Oil leak - Valve Cover Gasket

StephenM
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Oil leak - Valve Cover Gasket

Post by StephenM » Sat Oct 20, 2018 9:32 pm

I have just replaced the valve cover gasket as there was an oil leak, however despite renewing the gasket with a genuine BMW new gasket (also spark plugs and valvetroic gasket) there is still an oil leak. Could anyone suggest what may have gone wrong ?
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Oil leak - Valve Cover Gasket

Post by Chris_D » Sat Oct 20, 2018 10:11 pm

StephenM wrote: Sat Oct 20, 2018 9:32 pm I have just replaced the valve cover gasket as there was an oil leak, however despite renewing the gasket with a genuine BMW new gasket (also spark plugs and valvetroic gasket) there is still an oil leak. Could anyone suggest what may have gone wrong ?
If you can trace the source of the leak (around the vcg mating surfaces perhaps) then you may have installed the gasket incorrectly.
If the leak is not from the vcg mating surfaces then it could be oil filter housing gasket, main seal between engine/gearbox (worst case).
Where else can you see oil on/around the engine block?
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Oil leak - Valve Cover Gasket

Post by StephenM » Sat Oct 20, 2018 10:34 pm

It is definitely coming from the vcg I shall try and get a picture tomorrow - but was wondering what to try next as I have checked up the bolts to make sure none were loose but all okay - I guess it’s take it all out again, but should I get another gasket ? Or is there something else to try?
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Oil leak - Valve Cover Gasket

Post by Chris_D » Sat Oct 20, 2018 11:35 pm

Did you thoroughly clean the mating surfaces before re-applying the gasket?
Also, a few light smearings of gasketmaker can augment the sealing integrity of all mating surfaces.
Not sure what the config of the N52 vcg has compared to the M54 but if it has corners and half-moon shapes then I would strongly suggest applying gasketmaker around those areas.
I used this stuff:
https://www.permatex.com/products/gaske ... 2-sealant/
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Oil leak - Valve Cover Gasket

Post by StephenM » Sun Oct 21, 2018 11:56 am

Hi,

Yes I did clean all the mating surfaces which is why I was surprised it was leaking.

I have now some pictures of the actual cover so you can see where the problems are;

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Image

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The MIf I use the sealant you suggest do I need a new gasket as well ?

Thanks for all your help.
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Oil leak - Valve Cover Gasket

Post by Busterboo » Mon Oct 22, 2018 10:48 am

Did you torque cold - how many Nm? - and then re-torque after 50 miles?
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Oil leak - Valve Cover Gasket

Post by Chris_D » Mon Oct 22, 2018 12:01 pm

Bit more of a faff on the N52 than the M54 I'd suggest but if I was in your position I'd be biting the bullet in realisation that somethings gone awry and reassembling.
The new gasket should theoretically be ok to use again but if it were mine I'd shell out for a new one and perhaps from a different supplier.
What brand did you use?

Did you use any sort of gasket sealer? Permatex etc? If not, then a very light smearing in strategic areas would be a good idea.
And by cleaning you really have to go over every mating surface very carefully to make sure there are no foreign objects, specs of dirt/dust as these can influence a leak point. A final rub with cleaning alcohol is a good idea.

Pattern-torquing on reassembly is also quite important if you didn't do that first time round.

Good luck :thumbsup:
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Oil leak - Valve Cover Gasket

Post by StephenM » Mon Oct 22, 2018 1:38 pm

Hi All

Yes I did torque cold to 8.5 NM and then again but it was after about 300 miles. I had used a BMW gasket

I think your right I shall take it all off again and try a different make of gasket, Febi Bilstein make one that I was thinking of using together with some Permatex sealer. Good tip about the rubbing achol which I will use too.

Fingers crossed for the next go !!
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Oil leak - Valve Cover Gasket

Post by Busterboo » Mon Oct 22, 2018 6:17 pm

StephenM wrote: Mon Oct 22, 2018 1:38 pm Yes I did torque cold to 8.5 NM and then again but it was after about 300 miles.
300 is quite a lot.
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Oil leak - Valve Cover Gasket

Post by Nick9one1 » Sun Oct 28, 2018 1:12 pm

Check for hairline fractures on the valve cover.

Mine had a new gasket fitted by the dealer (just before I bought the car), and I noticed it still leaked.
There is a very fine crack between cyl 3&4. Pretty common with the N54.
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Oil leak - Valve Cover Gasket

Post by StephenM » Sun Nov 04, 2018 7:43 pm

Thanks all for your help and suggestions - I decided to bite the bulit and start over again. I bought new gaskets new bolts for the rocker cover and a sealant as well, I even bought a new low range torque wrench to make sure the torque was accurate. Stripping the rocker cover off was quicker this time as I was used to the procedure now. Once I had the cover off I gave it a thorough degrease and washed inside and out, removed all gaskets and then cleaned all the mating surfaces on the engine and rocker cover. I left the whole thing to dry properly over night before removing all the bolts from the rocker cover giving the whole thing a final brush down before installing the new gasket set. Then new bolts and sealant before putting the rocker cover back on the engine and torquing the bolts in the correct order starting in the centre and spriling out.

All went back together very well and I then cleaned any remaining oil from the engine bay so that after a run I would be able to see if there was a leak any where.

So this was it, I had left the rocker cover for a couple of hours while the sealant was still tacky and put everything else back, the acid test would be to take it for a run. Which I did for about 6 miles gently at first building the revs as the engine reached normal operating temperature.

I got back and opened the bonnet to discover a clean dry engine 😃 so I left it for a couple of hours to cool down then checked the torques and took it for another spin - all still looks good so fingers crossed this time it’s going to stay that way.
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Oil leak - Valve Cover Gasket

Post by Busterboo » Mon Nov 05, 2018 12:17 am

Well done. Happy days. :thumbsup:

Just remember to torque it again cold at 50-70 miles.
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Oil leak - Valve Cover Gasket

Post by Chris_D » Mon Nov 05, 2018 9:06 am

Result :thumbsup:

Like me, you will probably want to keep an eye on it in the coming weeks to make sure everything's bedded in.
I still give the engine bay a good check every weekend and not only for oil leaks - found a cat in there one winter morning. Little beast was probably trying to keep warm from the heat of the engine after I had come home late one evening.
It skulked off like a busted teenager caught having a sneaky sherman :lol: not for the first time I imagine. ahh :roll:
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Oil leak - Valve Cover Gasket

Post by Busterboo » Wed Nov 07, 2018 12:58 am

On winter mornings in the Arabian Gulf, always used to bang on a front wing of the large American cars I drove before starting up - to save mincing cats that'd crawled under the bonnet to keep warm.
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Oil leak - Valve Cover Gasket

Post by Smartbear » Wed Nov 07, 2018 1:01 am

Busterboo wrote: Wed Nov 07, 2018 12:58 am On winter mornings in the Arabian Gulf, always used to bang on a front wing of the large American cars I drove before starting up - to save mincing cats that'd crawled under the bonnet to keep warm.
Was the Arabian Gulf a Volkswagen Buster? :P
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