Finally fixed my valve cover leak!

[nicpaige]

I have been battling a valve cover oil leak ever since I got my stroker on the road. Well I finally took my calipers to everything and noticed the strange round circles around each tapped hole in my aluminum head. The metal washer/bushing that goes inside the rubber grommets on the valve covers are just too long. I took .040" off each of the post part of the end of the bushings and now everything is dry. Im not really sure if the gasket I got was a little thinner but I'm just glad its fixed.

[SilverXJ]

Interesting. I will have to remember this for future use.

[Russ Pottenger]

Good input.
I've never had a problem, but now that you mentioned it whenever I would tighten the bolts they didn't seem to compress the grommet much.

Takeing a few minutes and carefully kissing them on a disk sander might not be a bad idea.

[SilverXJ]

One other idea is that the rubber bushings in the valve cover are compressed past usable and have taken a set.

[nicpaige]

I think you may be right SilverXJ. My last valve cover I didn't have this problem with. Does anyone know the part number for the grommets?

[SilverXJ]

Torque Limiter Sleeve: 53020598AB
Valve Cover Bolt Grommet: 53010424

New grommets usually come with a felpro gasket

[gradon]

My VC was leaking at the upper grommets, so I replaced them and the elbows and bought a new fel-pro blue gasket with grommets. It then started leaking at the front passenger corner. I over-torqued the bolts--still leaking. I took it off and used rtv--still leaking. I am gonna try to grind down those sleeves.