The recommendation above by MikeR is a very good one. Using blue "thread locker" makes alot of sense.

 

Did my repair back in SEP/2010. No leaks so far. I keep checking every couple of months.

 

Check those too long bolts with a magnet. I bought 5 breather cover bolts at a MB dealer a couple years ago. Thinking maybe he sold the wrong part, I magnet checked them and they were steel and too long like those you show, they also had a hex head not torx, the extra length made them unusable. I carefully used the original aluminum screws. Applied MB sealant to well cleaned edges pressed the covers down snug and while pressing down to seat the cover ran the bolts down carefully till they stopped. DON'T pull the cover down with the bolts. you only have about 10 minutes work time with the MB sealant. Use a couple small wood dowels in 2 screw holes to quickly guide the cover into place. Go easy on the sealant too much squeezing inside the cover can break loose over time and possibly block oil passages.

 

Steel screws would be OK to use if they have been surface treated with an appropriate material. Bare steel, no.

 

I bought a box of marine grade CS-SHCS's that have an anti-corrosion surface treatment. These should work fine in this application.

 

Well, everything you said applies to mine as well. I magnet tested the screws and they are steel. They are also hex head and not torx. I checked how the extra length would impact the fit, and indeed, they are too long to hold the cover in place snug. I will make this work, but I'm really ticked off that I paid roughly $25 for 5 screws that I can't even use. Do you think Chrysler will take them back?

 

They should take them back they are the wrong material and too long to attach the "baffle covers". The correct Mercedes Benz number for the aluminum bolts is N000912005010. Metric size is M5-0.8 X16 MM. The site below has excellent tips for the M112 engine used in the Crossfire, paragraph 3 deals with the covers and baffles on top of them. The sealant is available at Needswings.com. Foreign Motorworks' Car Tips

 

OK, I ended up getting the cap screws from Lowe's to replace the ones I got from Chrysler that were too large. Tonight, I've applied the sealer and reset the covers; set the bolts and reconnected the ignition coils. Tomorrow, I'll reconnect the hoses that I removed and give it a quick run to see how I did. Crossing my fingers, but I'm feeling fairly confident that I did everything correctly as I've researched this process quite thoroughly.
Thanks for everyone's input. It's much appreciated.

 

Mission accomplished. I actually waited about 36 hours after completing the job before taking the car out for a test run, but I did some in-town and highway driving then brought the car home for a check. My analysis after checking all seals is that we are GOOD TO GO!!!!

I will cross my fingers now that the seal will hold for many miles to come.

Thanks to all who put their 2 cents in and assisted with my questions.

You are all awesome!!

 

I did this a few weeks ago and just wanted to say THANK YOU! The seals are holding very well, the gasket replacement was a breeze. The only hiccup was that the head of the smaller screw located below the oil cap stripped right off with little effort. it's not leaking though, so I'll worry about that later.

 

I'm finally getting around to swapping valve covers-I've painted a pair a friend sent to me to clean and bead blast. I'll prep mine and send them to him.

I had the local Chrysler dealership repair the leaking cover on my passenger side a couple of years ago. A soft, red RTV was used and started leaking in ~ 6 months. Re-torquing fixed it until now. I looked into Permatex and Loctite RTV sealants and found that any of either manufacturers "red" colored sealants are not rated for oil. The red RTV they used is actually dissolving in place.

I used Permatex "Ultra Black".

I cleaned the covers (all 4, big and little) first with Simple Green, then carb/choke cleaner, then in the dishwasher. I was, after all, prepping for paint. Removing all traces of the old RTV was the most time-consuming. I found some really great stuff:

DAP #13335 "Silicone-Be-Gone". Works great-melts/dissolves any RTV. Doesn't harm our metals.

A combination of perfect cleaning and the correct sealant, manufacturers' directions followed, as 180 iterated, "to the letter", and proper torquing is the route to follow.

 

Hi All,
I am doing right now the valve cover. All bolts removed. BUT how to you extract the cover. It is glued and I don`t see how I can take it out!
Please help. Thanks

 

If you have all the screws out, just give it a solid jerk. The sealent is holding them down. You can go around the edge with a box cutter or razor blade, but be careful not to push too hard as there is a lip around the entire edge that is made of aluminum and you don't want to break of cut a leak path in the aluminum. Don't cut yourself either. I did this repair a year or so ago, still no leaks.

 

Box cutter? not what I would call a good method. Although I have not done this job on the Crossfire, I have found hitting such parts sideways with a rubber mallet, CAREFULLY all around where possible, loosens such parts. Prying is to be avoided.

 

The Box cutter/razor blade is one method, and it works! The point is is that the sealant is holding the covers down to the head, use a mallet or what ever you want to remove the parts, be gentle/careful in the removal.

 

onehundred180

Think these screws will work

GRAINGER APPROVED VENDOR Skt Cap Screw, Std, M5x0.80x16, Pk100 - Socket Head Cap Screws - 6HHJ5|SC22050160-100P1 - Grainger Industrial Supply

 

Rob ( NeedsWings ) has the stainless ones :
Valve Cover Bolt Kit 3.2L

I bought a set, the small top cover screws are included.

 

Hello Everyone,
CrossfireForum newby here...

I have a 2006 Crossfire convertible with small oil leaking at the valve covers.

The car has very very low mileage but is driven weekly to keep everything working. For some time there has been a small oil leak causing a smell but no appreciable loss of oil or even a drip on the garage floor. Now I see a bit of oil and ask the service dept to check that out when I took it in for an oil change.

The technician said that 'replacing the valve cover is recommended service' and that due to high heat they always warp. $995 please! So, my daddy raced cars - THAT warps alum valve covers. I'm thinking the seal was never really right and just needs to be resealed.

This all leads to two questions:

In your experience are these covers just warping like this after light use?

If you're mechanical how hard is this repair as a DIY? [I havent helped work on a car in 20 yrs. Also wondering if it takes a lot of brute strength other than removing them]


I'm very mechanical and considering giving it a try. The car is our 'extra' car and if it doesnt work out, there is an independent mechanic a block from here.

From what I see you need a torque wrench, correct sealant and cleaners, perhaps some replacement screws.

What do you all think?



2006 Crossfire
3.2L V6

 

WOW, I hate stealerships. It's a $10 DIY repair that anyone with tools can accomplish at home. Don't buy new covers, just buy valve cover sealant from an auto parts store and knock it out.

http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/de...=gasket+makers

 

He says valve covers, so maybe he needs gaskets.
I'm thinking he means a real valve cover and not a breather cover.