Rocker cover gasket

mondeo

Anyone ever do this job themselves? One of my cars has a badly leaking gasket and oil is dribbling down all around the front of the engine. The gasket must be perished. Seems to be 6 screws holding the rocker cover on...
It's as simple as that really isn't it?

Thanks

Neilw

mondeo wrote: »

Anyone ever do this job themselves? One of my cars has a badly leaking gasket and oil is dribbling down all around the front of the engine. The gasket must be perished. Seems to be 6 screws holding the rocker cover on...
It's as simple as that really isn't it?

Thanks

What car is it? Did it on my own car, easy to do. There may be a sequence of tightening the bolts on the rocker cover to ensure it tightens down evenly.

mondeo

Neilw wrote: »

What car is it? Did it on my own car, easy to do. There may be a sequence of tightening the bolts on the rocker cover to ensure it tightens down evenly.

It's a jap import 96' lancer MX 1.3 runabout... I'll do it next week if i Get some time, motor factors have a good supply of these gaskets?

Do I need to buy a tube of gasket sealent and use that in conjunction with the new gasket?

Thanks

Neilw

mondeo wrote: »

It's a jap import 96' lancer MX 1.3 runabout... I'll do it next week if i Get some time, motor factors have a good supply of these gaskets?

Do I need to buy a tube of gasket sealent and use that in conjunction with the new gasket?

Thanks

I didn't use any sealant, the gasket went on dry. I actually replaced the rocker cover and used the original gasket. No leaks

Matt Simis

I used a new OEM gasket seal and some little bits of sealant in areas I though might leak (around bolts and corners).

JHMEG

I've done it on a few times. New gasket is supposed to get sealant in the corners anyway, so you're aswell to buy the sealant first and see if the old gasket can be sealed.

Failing that, the new OEM gaskets are about 15 euro iirc.

mondeo

JHMEG wrote: »

I've done it on a few times. New gasket is supposed to get sealant in the corners anyway, so you're aswell to buy the sealant first and see if the old gasket can be sealed.

Failing that, the new OEM gaskets are about 15 euro iirc.

I was going to try press a bit of sealent into the cornors of the rocker cover without having to remove the actual cover and see if that saves me the time of taking it off completely but I think if it just cost 15 odd for a new gasket and some sealent I will just do a proper job of it, just need to get the torque figures for the bolts and tightening sequence...

JHMEG

mondeo wrote: »

I was going to try press a bit of sealent into the cornors of the rocker cover without having to remove the actual cover and see if that saves me the time of taking it off completely but I think if it just cost 15 odd for a new gasket and some sealent I will just do a proper job of it, just need to get the torque figures for the bolts and tightening sequence...

Tighten from the centre out, but gently. The torque is very small. I managed to twist the head off a bolt the last time I did it.

mondeo

JHMEG wrote: »

Tighten from the centre out, but gently. The torque is very small. I managed to twist the head off a bolt the last time I did it.

I went out to the shed there and found some high temp silicone sealant and I pushed it into the edges of the rocker cover just now, I'll see if that works if not I'll take the cover rocker cover off and do a proper job....Nice to try a cheap and cheerful solution first..:)
I found the torque values for the bolt online and I have a nice new torque wrench should it come to it!

the merchant

I think you'll be revisiting this one based on your earlier fix :-)

When you replace the gasket don't use gasket cement or silicone - the gasket on it's own is all you need. After all, that's how it came from the factory 14 years ago.

Avns1s

mondeo wrote: »

I went out to the shed there and found some high temp silicone sealant and I pushed it into the edges of the rocker cover just now, I'll see if that works if not I'll take the cover rocker cover off and do a proper job....Nice to try a cheap and cheerful solution first..:)
I found the torque values for the bolt online and I have a nice new torque wrench should it come to it!

IMO u were wasting your time doing it this way. The gasket sealer may well work fine if you removed the gasket and apply a VERY THIN layer to each side, and make sure the surfaces have no oil on them. Small amounts as excess can get into the oil and potentially clog oilways.

mondeo

the merchant wrote: »

I think you'll be revisiting this one based on your earlier fix :-)

When you replace the gasket don't use gasket cement or silicone - the gasket on it's own is all you need. After all, that's how it came from the factory 14 years ago.

If squeezing abit of silicone in around the leaky area does not work it's not problem to me for putting a new gasket in there. I like doing abit of DIY and I never done one of these before so it should be interesting. Thanks:)