With my luck, I will strip out the hole! I think the first time around, I'm going the expensive route and stick with the aluminum screws. MBOnline has them for $2 each. What amount of torque did you use? Should I just use a T25 bit in a nutdriver handle or will I need more torque? Also, did you tighten the E10 bolts first? Also, did you have to loosen the ignition coils? If so, is there a procedure for that?

Thanks in advance for the help!

Ed

 

The torque for the LARGER valve cover bolts is 10 N·m (7 ft. lbs.) ( 84 inch/lbs ).
I see nothing in the service manual for the small vent cover screws, but I'd go just a bit past finger tight with them.
You do not have to remove the coil packs, but it's easier if you do. Just unplug the wiring harness and all the plug wires, remove the Torx bolt in the center of each and voila !

 

In my chase for leaks, I too found (as the last leak) that oil was seeping out from under the oil filler cap tube. That short plastic piece that sits on the valve cover and to which the cap is attached. I found one on line rather inexpensively, and now that leak is gone too. Very simple change out. Remove that tube by turning counter clock-wise (you have to lift it a little on one side to get past the "stop" built into the valve cover. Then, the new one goes on just as easily. Just like putting the oil filler cap on. Same mechanism holds the tube in place.


Coyote

 

Help! I've tried to reseal the breather cover twice but it has leaked both times. I used the Permatex Ultra-Grey RTX. The first time, I followed the instructions on the tube which was to put the cover on the valve cover, finger-tight bolts, wait an hour and then torque the bolts to spec. I left the hoses unattached to facilitate the curing of the RTX. I waited two days, fired it up and oil leaked all over the place! I pulled the covers off, and some of the sealant was still not set! The second time, I applied the RTX to the breather cover, waited an hour before I installed it (finger-tight) then waited another hour before I torqued the bolts. I waited a whole week before starting the car and got the same result! Any help would be appreciated. I'm also tempted to try the black stuff since I don't think I have enough of the grey to do another job. I'm using aluminum screws with thread compound.


Ed

 

I used the black stuff and a set of the stainless screws from Rob at Needswings.
2 years ago and nary a hint of a leak.

 

A Comedy of Errors!


1. First, I tried to tighten the bolts and screws. The bolts were definitely loose, so I torqued them to 84 in-lbs. Just started to tighten the aluminum screws and one of them just snapped. I think it was the constant heat and vibration over the years.
2. Pulled breather covers, cleaned everything and used Permatex Ultra-Grey RTX. Followed instructions and even let the car sit for 2 days. Fired it up, and it leaked like a sieve!
3. Unbolted everything, repeated procedure and let the car sit for FIVE days. Same result!
4. Went back to O'Reilly's and got the Permatex Black RTX. Read the label this time. The label on the black stuff said maximum oil resistance. Checked the "ingredients" and the chemical composition of the grey stuff is different from the black.
5. I cut the nozzle a little thinner than with the grey. I barely nicked the end of the nozzle so I could get it as far into the "trough" of the breather cover as possible. I pushed a bead of sealant around the cover and the holes. Since my original leak was right under the oil fill cap, I made sure the sealant in that area was as smooth and continuous as possible. I noticed when I pressed the cover in place that the sealant oozed nicely around the perimeter of the cover, about 2mm max. I used an extension on the socket to finger-tighten the bolts and used a similar approach with an allen head socket. Waited 90 minutes and torqued the bolts first to 80 in-lbs (starting with middle bolt), then torqued screws to 30 in-lbs. Yeah, I stopped a little short of the recommended numbers but I'm not sure if 4 in-lbs difference will make any difference. Left the oil fill cap and hoses off to facilitate curing and let the car sit for 5 days. I guess the third time was the charm. A week later and still no leaks (fingers crossed). I think the smooth bead was the key, and I kept the bead small, just a hair's breath wider than the trough on the cover.


For those who haven't done this yet, a couple of tips beforehand:
1. The bolts are E-bolts. The E-socket for this bolt is 3/8" drive. I had to purchase a 1/4" female - 3/8" male drive adapter since I used a 1/4" torque wrench.
2. I used a 1/4" socket with an allen bit to tighten the screws since the new screws (whether aluminum or stainless) have allen heads instead of Torx. I used a piece of Gorilla tape to fasten the bit to the socket. Tried it the first time without doing this and wound up with the allen bit falling out of the socket and bouncing off the exhaust manifold onto the greasy underbelly pan. Luckily I was able to sweep the pan with a telescopic magnetic pickup :-) and got the bit; otherwise, I would be taking out small bolts to remove the belly pan, too.


Thanks to ala_xfire and max for your help as well as others. Hope those that have done this procedure will get a few chuckles on how NOT to do it!

 

Congratulations !!! But "greasy underbelly pan ? - SHAME ON YOU - clean that up !

 

It has been awhile since I did the roadster. I remember leaving mine sit over night. That way you have a nice dry sealant in place that now acts like a gasket. Trying to tighten them down too soon, before the sealant sets up will have a greater chance for a leak.

 

I used Permatex Gasket Maker - Ultra Grey due to its claim to be suited for vibration applications. Also used anti-corrosion coated (marine applications) screws. Did my breather covers back in SEP/2010. Nearly 5 years now without signs of that oil leak. (Probably jinxed me now!)

Later,

 

During the repair I completed nearly 5 years ago, I also applied a small bead size in all the "troughs" of the breather covers. Hard to only fill the seal trough, even using a small bead. But even after doing that, I took a small pocket knife and scraped the troughs smooth to eliminate the irregularities of the bead. That left me with a seal cavity filled with a smooth & somewhat solid amount of gasket sealer. I think using the small pocket knife eliminated any voids that might have still been present after applying the bead (IMHO). Anyway, so far so good after nearly 5 years.

I pulled the info below out of a post I made earlier in this thread. The torque values I used for re-assembly were much smaller than those you referenced above.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dedwards0323

During re-assembly of breather cover I checked for valve cover bolt torque setting and found 10 N-m (7-8 Ft-lbs) on the service manual disc I've got. After I tightened the 2 bolts that pass thru the breather cover, I checked the remaining valve cover bolts. Found all of them less than 10 N-m. Re-tightened these bolts also. Then I tightened the 2 small hex head machine screws in the breather cover to 5-6 N-m (slightly over snug).

Thanks for sharing your experience with us.

Later,

 

I cannot see how the vibration aspect comes into the equation. Both parts will be vibrating at the same rate as they are tightly bolted together.

 

We just have a different opinion regarding vibration and its impact with this assembly. Some folks have been successful using the Black sealant. I was successful using a different sealant. Big Deal!

 

I am not finding fault but just pointing out that vibration cannot have anything to do with the leaking.
For vibration to have any effect at all the two parts would have to move relative to one another. They cannot as they are firmly bolted together.
I always thought that this forum was to learn among other things, if somewhat false info is left as is then others might take it as gospel. If pointing out errors tends to put peoples backs up, god help us. Everyone has their opinion but if it's wrong others may take it as the truth.

 

LOL! I thought the same thing!

 

Thanks a lot for telling me that I don't know what I'm talking about. You have an opinion and I respect that. I have an opinion but I'm passing along false information. Again, I can put together as many arguments why vibration is a factor as you can why it isn't. Does that make either of us incorrect? Not in my world. Just let this be and move on.

 

As punishment, I was forced to drive a week in a Yugo :-)


I think all of the comments I've seen posted have some validity. I don't know if the Ultra-Grey and Black sold by Permatex is a marketing ploy, but the chemical compositions are definitely different (look on the back label of the package). I finally had success with the Black but it was the third (or fourth) time I laid down a bead of sealant so I probably got better at the procedure, too. I also thought about smoothing down the bead with a pocket knife but I put down a pretty nice-looking bead and didn't want to mess that up. Figured I would do the knife on the fifth(!) try but luckily didn't have to. I spoke to a couple of friends who are gearheads and they swear by the Black around an engine. Nice that this forum has lots of opinions, many different. I think that's how we ratchet up the success rate. I didn't particular care that I had to do this multiple times; the end result was success and that's all that matters.


I'm sure the bottom of the engine is ugly as hell, too. I've researched this forum on how to clean underneath without stalling the car and shorting anything out. Guess that's my next activity. Thanks again!

 

Somewhere deep in this or a similar thread, I detailed how I did a number of them.

Cleaning, prep and doing just what you did has spelled success. I used a popsicle stick!

 

Reminds me of the time I had a half axle on my old Park Ave weeping at the transaxle. A transmission shop tasked with doing a trans service, suggested 1200 dollars and a week in the shop. I told the guy I'll just add trans fluid as its level leaked out. he got pissed and refused to service my transmission after that. How does this relate to this post? Mine leaked a little bit (drivers side, at the oil add cap location both the upper one and the valve cover local. I thought to myself, little bit, not enough to make it to the belly pan, I simply rolled up a rag and placed it in between the PS pump hose and the head/valve cover. It solved itself (the problem) when I took her in for the 5 year LPTW service and the technician wrote it up for replacement (both valve covers complete). They kept the car two days (no loaner though) and I got her back with no more weeping/leaking valve cover(s). For the life of me I do not know why they replaced both, but since I didn't pay a penny I just went happily down the road. That was the second time the Chrysler dealer worked on my car. The first time was that dang heat/AC control head malfunction, and this time for that weeping oil cover/valve cover leak. The heat/AC job was a warranty on the bumper to bumper, the second was the LPTW. I sure hope they don't have to work on it on my dime!

 

Dave. I thought you knew what "vibration" is all about!!!LOL...Carl

 

The only post of yours on this I could find sums it up pretty good. CLICK