How do you clean a loose valve cover?
How do you clean a loose valve cover?
Once the valve cover is loose, gently lift it up from the cylinder head and set aside. Use a plastic putty knife to scrape out all traces of melted gasket and sealant on the cylinder head. Take care not to allow pieces of the old gasket to fall inside the engine.
Why is hot oil leaking under the valve cover?
Hot oil is constantly splashing under the valve cover, which will deteriorate the gasket that connects the valve cover to the cylinder head. The valve cover is one of the primary sources of ghastly oil leaks. You need to understand that the valve cover is attached to the cylinder head by using bolts and gaskets.
When does a valve job need to be replaced?
Once the head passes this point, it is also checked for flatness. The surface of the head must be flat to seal the head gasket against the block. Excessive warpage, roughness or any damage can cause the head gasket to fail. If the head exceeds the maximum allowable out-of-flatness specs, it must be resurfaced or replaced.
How is the valve cover attached to the cylinder head?
The valve cover is one of the primary sources of ghastly oil leaks. You need to understand that the valve cover is attached to the cylinder head by using bolts and gaskets. The gasket, in particular, will deteriorate as you use your car. When this happens, the seal between the valve cover and the cylinder head will be compromised.
Once the head passes this point, it is also checked for flatness. The surface of the head must be flat to seal the head gasket against the block. Excessive warpage, roughness or any damage can cause the head gasket to fail. If the head exceeds the maximum allowable out-of-flatness specs, it must be resurfaced or replaced.
When is it necessary to replace a head gasket?
Excessive warpage, roughness or any damage can cause the head gasket to fail. If the head exceeds the maximum allowable out-of-flatness specs, it must be resurfaced or replaced. Usually there’s enough metal in the head to allow for a certain amount of resurfacing. Next come the valves, guides and seats. The guides are checked for wear.
Can a cast iron valve head be replaced?
Most install new guides, guide liners or bore out the old guides to accept new valves with oversized stems. Aluminum heads have cast iron or bronze guides that can be replaced but most cast iron heads do not. If the valves are to be reused, they will be inspected, checked for straightness then refaced.
When do you need to replace the engine head?
Cracks are bad news because they can leak coolant into the combustion chamber damaging the cylinders and/or causing the engine to lose coolant and overheat. If cracks are found in any critical areas of the head, the head must either be repaired or replaced.
