3VZE and Valve Cover Gasket Advice

[89FourRunner]

Hey,

So I replaced my valve cover gaskets a few times in the last few months. After years of leak free service my driver's side valve cover gasket began to leak in the back.

When I removed the old ones, I saw that the first owner had used ultra gray or toyota gray and the blue fel pro silicone gaskets. He made a small bead all the way around where the gasket contacts, despite the FSM instructions to just do the corners.

I removed it all, cleaned it all up with a scraper and brake cleaner and got a smooth shinny oil-free surface.

First time around I got some fel-pro silicon gaskets at Autozone, and I installed them making an "L" in all 4 corners of the gaskets mating surface. Put the gasket on, got the gasket tight with a 1/4th inch socket wrench (only went about mid-way down the wrench handle to ensure low tq), followed the FSM bolt down order and waited a few hours and started the truck.

No dice, the gasket leaks in the same spot, dripping oil onto the exhaust pipe directly below it (drivers side).

I dealt with it for a few weeks and then started again with new gaskets. This time I copied the previous owner's work, and I put a good thick bead of ultra silver in all the corners and up over the cam half moon tops (that hold the cam down on the ends) and then gently installed the covers with the new gaskets.

Waited four hours, started it up, leaked even worse, faster, same spot.

As a last ditch effort - and being very careful not to snap a bolt - I tightened the bolts again, ignoring the 4 ft lbs tq spec, and tightening them as much as I could with a 1/4th in wrench, which was pretty damn tight for a valve cover.... Started it up, no leaking.

So... the only way I can get the valve covers to stop leaking is by torquing the bolts down to something way beyond their spec.

What does this indicate? Does this indicate that the last guy did this, and thats why I have to too? Maybe a warped valve cover?

I am not a nuts and bolts guy, if anyone has experience in such a field please chime in. I am unsettled knowing that the bolts are down way over torqued, but its the only way I can get these valve cover gaskets to seal.

Am I missing something? The bolts can be over torqued, but the gasket cannot, because each bolt is in a metal sleeve (these sleeves are in the valve cover) and act as a stop. So regardless of the bolt's torque - the gasket is always compressed the same amount. Hmmm, maybe the cover was warped and the extra turns on the bolts straightened it?

 

[Bad_Vision]

Warped cover maybe or head would be my bet! Try flexing it in a way that would put the side that's leaking lower you may just get enough flex on it by hand to get it to seal properly again. Worth a shot if you have tried new gaskets anyway.


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[89FourRunner]

Warped cover maybe or head would be my bet! Try flexing it in a way that would put the side that's leaking lower you may just get enough flex on it by hand to get it to seal properly again. Worth a shot if you have tried new gaskets anyway.


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You think so? I did just that, I bolted the 11 bolts down until they simply could not turn anymore with a 1/4th inch ratchet. That has to be at least 25 ft lbs. Nothing seems warped, and for all I know it isn't warped at all, but these valve cover gaskets are just a ***** on the 3VZE. What a nightmare.

It seems to have stopped leaking with the extra torque.

I guess it is what it is, I am not building an engine here haha. Didn't break anything and based on how hard it was to get the damn bolts to break loose the first time around it seems the last guy has been doing the same thing. The factory 4 ft lbs is so loose.

 

[89FourRunner]

I lied.

It still leaks. I did it one more time, and upon close inspection i found the leak to be oil going up over the gasket in the channel of the valve cover......and around and out down the back of the block....

I inspected the cover closely and it looks warped in that area, the channel may even be wider in thst spot due to the warping. I ultra grayed a light bead on the channel side of the gasket and pressed it into the valve cover, then put ultra silver where specified in the FSM on the mating surface.

Bolted it all up, and I will report. Luckily this is the drivers side leaking. If it was the passenger side leaking with this many attempts I might have scraped the ****ing truck by now! LOL

 

[Wazukie]

Boy, I'd say you have a bad valve cover. When I rebuilt my 3vze, I used Felpro gaskets and a little bit of blue rtv in the corners and have never had a leak.

 

[89FourRunner]

I finally fixed it, after 4 attempts. Four. I once again followed it by the book with the FSM, this time I cleaned everything once again with brake cleaner and a razor blade. Everything spotless, oil free.

Got another fel-pro blue gasket and put four pea sized beads of rtv in each right angle at the bottom of the half moons.

It worked.

The difference this time: I used "The Right Stuff 1 Minute Gasket".

When I removed the valve cover I saw only half of the ultra silver rtv dried in the 24 hour cure period. I saw where the oil broke through in the rear. That really sucked, what a waste of 3 attempts. Each time it broke through the ultra silver rtv, despite the surface being so clean you could make a sound when you ran a clean finger over it lol.

Long story short, once I used The Right Stuff, the gasket was 100% leak free.

What a royal pain in the ass, I'll never use anything but The Right Stuff again.

 

[89FourRunner]

Still leak free!

I am a "The Right Stuff" customer for life now lol.

Maybe I got a bad batch of Ultra Silver who knows...

Just glad my 4Runner is issue free again.

 

[calirider]

Thank you for the information and keeping the thread up to date even you were not getting much feed back. I'm sure this thread still save someone so frustration in the future.

 

[HanginInUtah]

Right Stuff costs a bit more, but it's worth it. They came up with that because mechanics wanted a product that didn't need to sit. Right Stuff can be put on, torqued, and then fire up the engine without waiting for it to cure.
I used it on my last 2nd Gen project, and it's definitely a valuable tool for me!

 

[Easy_E]

Great Info

Great Info, thanks for posting. If I have this issue, I will know how to do it right the first time!

 

[Hutch77]

89 3 liter low compression in two cylinders adjacent each other

did a compression test solid compression on front two cylinders and rear to 150 to 170 middle two are 50 + 70 put a couple ounces of oil in each with same results

I'm just wondering what the next step is and how big of a job it is to determine

 

[bearcat90]

did a compression test solid compression on front two cylinders and rear to 150 to 170 middle two are 50 + 70 put a couple ounces of oil in each with same results

I'm just wondering what the next step is and how big of a job it is to determine

I have a leaky valve cover, this is great information before getting started. Thank you for following through.

As for low compression, it's not really related but I believe the next step is a leak down test, which will determine if the seal is broken between the piston and cylinder or the valve.

 

[gamefreakgc]

did a compression test solid compression on front two cylinders and rear to 150 to 170 middle two are 50 + 70 put a couple ounces of oil in each with same results

I'm just wondering what the next step is and how big of a job it is to determine

You'll want to remove the valve covers and check the valve clearance between the cams and the shims. A wet compression test not changing the results is a good thing, meaning that it's not your piston rings or something expensive. Chances are your exhaust or intake valves on cylinders 3&4 are stuck open and losing compression. I think I changed out 6 shims because of how many were out of spec the last time I did a valve adjusment on a 3VZ-E.

 

[SquirtleSoup]

Thank you for keeping us updated was looking for advice on my leaky valve covers and your info is great already got the felpro gaskets next stop is to pick up the right stuff

 

[89FourRunner]

Make sure you ensure that the rear cam plug is not leaking. Many replace this when they do the gasket. Sometimes people mistake these leaking for a leaking cover gasket in the rear. Otherwise good luck.

 

[hvdave2000]

Good tip about the rear cam plug. I didn't think of that. Thanks.