Author Topic: Valve Cover Gasket Leak from German Auto Parts (Read 9231 times)

riddleyo · « **on:** January 01, 2009, 04:16:13 pm »

I bought a rubber valve cover gasket with shoulderless studs from GermanAutoParts.com

However, I am leaking oil because of the gasket. Oil leaks at the corner of the gasket where the camshaft sits on the passenger side of the cylinder head. The gasket has a rubber hump that forms to the shape of the camshaft. This hump is a little too big and doesn't fit tightly resulting in a leak at that corner. About 2 tablespoons of oil leak out after each trip.

Does anybody else have this issue with the german auto parts gasket?

Here is my set up:

1985 VW Diesel 1.6L N/A
G60 Aluminum Valve Cover

jtanguay · « **Reply #1 on:** January 01, 2009, 06:17:47 pm »

can you take some pics? maybe you can use an razor blade and just trim the 'hump'

or is it actually missing material in a certain spot? i've never done the rubber gasket 'mod' myself...

the caveman · « **Reply #2 on:** January 02, 2009, 08:54:51 am »

Not to doubt what you see in the way the gasket fits, are you sure your valve cover is not bent. The gasket should just squash into the half moon in the head. I have found those gaskets are less tolerant than the cork ones because they have a metal core and have less give, there fore can leak worse if the cover is bent. get a straighedge of some kind the make sure the cover surface is nice and flat. Once done it should last much longer than the cork one. It doesn't hurt to place a bit of silicone at the REAR edges of the "unflat" part of the gasket -i.e. the half moon and the part that goes over the bearing cap. I have done about 6 on vanagons where the motor sits at an even worse angle than a regular engine with much success.

theman53 · « **Reply #3 on:** January 02, 2009, 07:40:08 pm »

I usually buy a VC gasket from a 94ish golf with the 8v 1.8 liter from any parts store around here and have had much success. I tighten it down a little more than the cork, but they last. Usually you can take it off a time or two if it isn't that old and reuse it without leaks. All that being said, I only had problems with the 86 na. The sheet metal was tweeked, but on a G60 that shouldn't be possible. I use nylon locknuts on my studs as well to help seal around the new shoulderless studs, as sometimes on the tweaked cover it leaked there... if that helps.

riddleyo · « **Reply #4 on:** January 04, 2009, 11:17:04 am »

I checked the valve cover for straightness, it indeed is straight. Here is a pic, the leak area is circled in red:

First I re-torqued all of the camshaft bearing caps down to spec (15ft-lbs). Then I wiped the corners down with denatured alcohol. Then I dabbed some Permatex RTV in the corners. Then I torqued the valve cover back on.

You can see the rubber half-moon hump is a bit too big for the groove in the camshaft bearing cap.

Hopefully this will stop the leak. If it doesn't, maybe I will switch to the cork gasket like you guys.

Thanks

the caveman · « **Reply #5 on:** January 04, 2009, 12:13:20 pm »

I didn't see that you are using a G60 valve cover.
Did you replace the studs with the ones without the shoulder ?
If it is a case that the gasket doesn't easily wrap all the way around the bearing cap it could just be defective. Or you may need to use some quick cure silicone to make it seal.

Smokey Eddy · « **Reply #6 on:** January 04, 2009, 12:18:22 pm »

wow that seems way too large over that crescent.... here's mine... it's so tight around it that the other side is pulled up when it's not being depressed...

this is on an AAZ head but i don't see the difference that should make.

mine doesn't have that gap...

very clean head btw

riddleyo · « **Reply #7 on:** January 06, 2009, 01:59:56 pm »

Well the RTV didn't work. It is still leaking a lot of oil.

I called German Auto Parts and they gave me the measurements of the hump. So I'm going to measure mine and see if I just got a defective gasket. If not, I guess my only option is to switch to the cork gasket.

I thought of something though.. I am using an 11mm head instead of a 12mm head... The 11mm head is from an 1980 rabbit? I ordered a gasket for a 1985-1992 golf. Maybe the bearing cap is slightly smaller for the rabbit heads?

lord_verminaard · « **Reply #8 on:** January 07, 2009, 07:56:55 am »

Hmm, just a guess but maybe the hydro heads have a larger bearing cap? To be honest I've never paid attention.

Brendan

Rabbit TD · « **Reply #9 on:** February 22, 2009, 05:56:19 pm »

Yes that gasket is too big in my opinon on the hump. If it were me I would cut a small section out at the top with an overlapping 45 degree angle with an exacto knife or something and put some silicone on with it and it should be fine

Rabbit TD · « **Reply #10 on:** February 22, 2009, 06:05:08 pm »

Quote from: "Smokey Eddy"

wow that seems way too large over that crescent.... here's mine... it's so tight around it that the other side is pulled up when it's not being depressed...

this is on an AAZ head but i don't see the difference that should make.

mine doesn't have that gap...

very clean head btw

What is that little ball looking thing that looks like it is crimp sealed on the right side below the cam, I've seen them before but often wondered what they were.

rabbitman · « **Reply #11 on:** February 25, 2009, 01:54:49 pm »

Your gasket is way loose. I can see in your pic it looks like the gasket is picked up off the head on the backside. I bought a rubber gasket and thought it was loose too but it isn't near as bad as yours. Hope you get it figured out.