3.4L Valve Cover Bolt Question

[Patrick4R]

I've got a 96 V6 4R with 135K on her. Every once in a while I noticed a burning smell. As it turns out a small amount of oil has been leaking from the Valve Cover on the drivers side rear to the exhaust manifold and burning off. Not a lot...a couple of drops here and there. I decided to check the bolts and found all of them quite loose. I own a manual, but all the torque specs are in in-lbs. My question is should these bolts at least be snug? I was afraid to tighten them too far. She is 13 this year!

 

[bgmac]

I had the same problem a while back. Just tighten down a little untill it stops leaking. Do not over tighten because there are little rubber washers underneath the bolts that tear easy.

 

[Patrick4R]

Thanks. That confirms what a buddy of mine told me at lunch today. I'll keep everyone posted!

 

[glenyoshida]

I had the same problem a while back. Just tighten down a little untill it stops leaking. Do not over tighten because there are little rubber washers underneath the bolts that tear easy.

Do not tighten one down all the way before moving to the next the covers are prone to warp when you do that. Use several passes with tightening the bolts.

Torque to 53inch/lbs

Glad you found an easy fix!