Valve cover gasket leak

[Beta Romeo]

Hi there,
For those who remember me I just got a 86 Spider. Besides a broken muffler, the car has an oil leak. I can see oil leaking from the valve cover gasket (at least). But I am not sure that might be the only source. My question for you guys is if it is possible to leak oil from the valve cover gasket even if the engine is not running. With that I mean that the oil, once the engine has stopped, should return to the pan, right?. So the oil spot under the car shouldn't increase in size. Could I run out of oil by having only the valve cover gasket leak?. How critical is this type leakage?. I mean, even if I take care of the refills for not running out of oil, is this causing any damage to the engine?. I was told the car had a valve job sometime ago, and I am afraid the mechanic didn't care too much about sealing the valve cover.

Thanks for your help!

[ghnl]

There is a lot of oil splashing about inside the cam cover when the engine is running and it can take a while for enough of that oil to settle down and stop dripping.

Where on the cam cover is it leaking? There are two rubber 'half moons' at the rear of the head. The cam cover then clamps down onto them. If they get knocked out during a R/R of the cam cover there'll be a lot of oil leaking!

Otherwise a new cam cover gasket would be a good idea. There are two styles of cam cover gaskets. A papery 'one time use' and a rubbery 'reuseable' type. I've found the one time use is just that. The reusable one can be, umm, re-used 3-4 times before it, too, rips.

I'd also suggest that you remove the oil vapor separator (#7 in the sketch below) & the hoses between it and the engine and clean them out with some solvent. (I use carb cleaner.) If (when) the oil vapor separator gets clogged up it allows pressure to build up inside the engine instead of helping to maintain a slight negative pressure - aggravating any small leaks.

[Beta Romeo]

Hi Eric,
Thanks for your hints. It is leaking all along the gasket. I can even see the gasket it's not on its right position, it's like the gasket may seem too big.

[Beta Romeo]

What about these liquids called "oil leak stop" or something like that?. I guess they increase the oil viscosity.

[Bob Sacamano]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beta Romeo Hi Eric, Thanks for your hints. It is leaking all along the gasket. I can even see the gasket it's not on its right position, it's like the gasket may seem too big.

[Bob Sacamano]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beta Romeo What about these liquids called "oil leak stop" or something like that?. I guess they increase the oil viscosity.

[Beta Romeo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bob Sacamano he gasket will squeeze out the edges if not tightened evenly, or if over-tightned.

[Bob Sacamano]

Just as a general rule, fix the problem, and don't create another one in the process. In other words, if the gasket is leaking, replace the gasket and move on. Adding something to the oil may or may not fix the gasket leak (It won't, BTW), but may certainly cause some other issues in the engine because now you've screwed with the oil.

Take your time, plan your work, and do things right the first time.

Buy a new gasket, a set of half-moon seals, and maybe the 6 washers for the top fasteners, if needed. The two rear-most washers are made of aluminum, while the rest are of a fiber material. As Eric mentioned and illustrated, look for leaking hoses, loose clamps, etc.

[jcslocum]

Is there any way to test the oil separator?? I resealed the hose mount that goes to the passenger side of the valve cover because it was leaking and when I had the hose off I blew some air thru it and it seemed to go ok with little resistance. I'm getting oil weeping out of the filler cap (rubber gasket looks fine) so I'm not sure the separator is working properly. It's an 86 with 43K miles BTW.

[Bob Sacamano]

Take it off the car and flush it liberally with a can of carb cleaner. It may very well be totally clogged with rust and sludge. Very common issue.

[ghnl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beta Romeo What about these liquids called "oil leak stop" or something like that?. I guess they increase the oil viscosity.