Post Valve Cover Gasket Replacement Burning Smell?

[atalarico]

Hey all,

I replaced my valve cover gaskets a few weeks back. After I had everything ripped apart, I realized I didn't have cam shaft seal replacement gaskets. I didn't have the option to go get them while the engine was apart, so I decided to put everything back together and hope for the best.

During the job, I saw the biggest leaks were coming from the spark plug seals, as my plugs were covered in oil (especially the further back ones). I replaced those seals, did the FIPG applications, etc. I also managed to knock a lot of old caked up oil loose and on to the exhaust manifold.

I started the engine and saw a bit of white smoke that smelled like oil again. I'm pretty sure it's from the gunk, but I have that nagging feeling that maybe it's the cam shaft seals still leaking. Is there any easy way to check if those are leaking? The rest of the valve cover is nice and clean still with no signs of new oil leaks. Is it pretty common to smell burning oil for a while after replacing these gaskets because of the gunk knocked loose?

I changed my oil during the whole process, and the dipstick level hasn't changed much at all, so if it is a leak, it's tiny at best.

Thanks in advance!

Tony

 

[atalarico]

Might have just answered my question. Does this look like the culprit? This is the best photo I could get of the cam shaft seal.

 

[Bostyn]

Hi Tony, I replaced my valve cover gaskets two months ago. You should not smell any oil burning after replacing them. The camshaft housing plugs you took pics are of to be cleaned up and FIPG applied to both sides of the bracket that holds them down. Should look like this. I took this while doing my 5vz fe

 

[atalarico]

Yep, just did it all over again to replace the camshaft plugs. I got a new set from the dealer at 1, started at 2, and just cleaned up at 8. All told, 6 hours is way better than the 2 days it took me last time! Here's to hoping that did the trick. Cleaning off the FIPG I just applied a few weeks ago was the most time consuming part. Oye. Thanks!

 

[atalarico]

Took a 300 mile trip yesterday and I'm happy to report that the burning oil smell went away after about a half hour. I had to pop the hood when I got home to see if I could smell any burning oil and it just wasn't there anymore. Feels good.

Let that be a lesson to the other poor souls who pull their engines apart on their only car, ready to do this job only to realize the "kit" they bought off eBay is missing the camshaft housing plugs. Put the engine back together and go get them before you do this job. Most of my time was spent scrubbing FIPG off mating surfaces. You have to remove the FIPG every time you pull these things apart, so you're just doing work you'll have to do over again.

Sure, you might be able to get away with just cleaning the existing plugs and applying FIPG around it. However, my old plugs had a mm or so less rubber around the seal, and the new ones fit a lot more snugly. That told me a lot about why you need to just replace these.

 

[nc-grayson]

Took a 300 mile trip yesterday and I'm happy to report that the burning oil smell went away after about a half hour. I had to pop the hood when I got home to see if I could smell any burning oil and it just wasn't there anymore. Feels good.

Let that be a lesson to the other poor souls who pull their engines apart on their only car, ready to do this job only to realize the "kit" they bought off eBay is missing the camshaft housing plugs. Put the engine back together and go get them before you do this job. Most of my time was spent scrubbing FIPG off mating surfaces. You have to remove the FIPG every time you pull these things apart, so you're just doing work you'll have to do over again.

Sure, you might be able to get away with just cleaning the existing plugs and applying FIPG around it. However, my old plugs had a mm or so less rubber around the seal, and the new ones fit a lot more snugly. That told me a lot about why you need to just replace these.

Glad you got everything sorted out. I was in the same place about 2 months ago when I did my VC gasket job, and I also ordered a "kit" off of ebay : Toyota Tacoma 3 4L V6 Spark Plugs Wires Valve Cover Gasket Kit Genuine OE | eBay

I didn't do the due dilligence needed on the front end, so I was mid tear-down when I realized I was short on the Cam Shaft Plug Seals. I was fortunate enough to have the 3rd gen as a weekend car, so a quick trip to the dealer in my DD the day of solved my problem.

I guess the only reason I'm posting any of this is to sway folks in the future from not necessarily doing the job half-assed, rather just to make sure they do it right, with all the parts, from the get-go.

I'd bet my left nut that the OP would rather have taken 24 hours downtime to have waited on the seals, (if that were magically an option in his situation), the first time rather than to have to tear it apart again, even though it only took 8 hours the second time!