Since I am going to replace the radiator, water pump & fan clutch this weekend, it seems like a no brainer to replace the leaking & seeping valve cover gaskets at the same time since the coolant will be out. Couple of questions... I was reading the RAVE, and it states at #17 "Do not carry out further dismantling if component is removed for access only" is that where I stop to gain access to the valve cover on the left side? Additionally, it never mentions a gasket between the engine and the plenum. Is there one that I should have before performing this? Last question... Do the new style valve cover gaskets require sealer as referenced in the RAVE or does the rubber take care of this requirement. Time to be a mechanic

 

Just remove the maf and upper Plenum, this will be a good time to clean the inside of upper Plenum, throttle body and iacv and ports real good since you won't need to worry about to much crap getting in the engine

The upper Plenum is almost a machined fit and uses an adheasive, I use a very, very very thin bead of ultra black or ultra gray peratex then assemble and wait 24 hrs before running the engine

There is a specific adhesive to use I don't know what it is and have had good luck with the type I listed it is not plain rtv silicone but a type for gasket use

 

Showing my ignorance here... There's an upper & lower plenum?? Think I got the rest.

 

I call it upper, once off there is also a lower part you can remove from the intake but you do not need to

 

Why not just tighten the valve cover bolts to stop the leaks?
You'd be surprised at how loose they can be, I snug mine up at every oil change, 8mm 12 point socket, no leaks there.

 

What he said.

If you remove the valve covers, there is a small metal sleeve at each of the 4 bolts that will work very hard to jump into the innards of the motor.

Permatex makes an anerobic sealer and gasket maker that I used for my intake, it comes out red from the tube, easy to dismantle if needed. No formal gasket in there, but you need a sealant of some type between the machined aluminum parts. Got mine at NAPA.

 

Been tightening them with every oil change. They just seem to keep seeping oil all the time now.

 

Your VC gaskets will probably stand in the corner by themselves when you take them out. PCV system needs to be cleaned out or it can make slight pressure and ooze oil from lotz-a-places. Normally the valve covers and the valley pan are under engine vacuum to suck out oil fumes and burn them off.