V8 Valve Cover Gasket Replacement

[jjstolarik]

Has anyone tried to replace the valve cover gaskets on a Tau 4.6L V8? How do you get to the lower bolts on the driver’s side? The steel brake lines are in the way.

 

[carguy75]

I would loosen the steel brake-line bracket bolt(bolt above lines) which hopefully will allow the steel lines to be moved out of the way enough to use a slim 1/4in drive swivel socket adapter to remove the valve cover bolts.

 

[jjstolarik]

I would loosen the steel brake-line bracket bolt(bolt above lines) which hopefully will allow the steel lines to be moved out of the way enough to use a slim 1/4in drive swivel socket adapter to remove the valve cover bolts.

Thanks for the feedback. I can get a swivel 1/4” socket on the bolts, but if one of them snaps, as happened on the passenger side, there’s no way I can get in and drill them out. So, I’m going to live with the drivers side leak.

 

[carguy75]

Thanks for the feedback. I can get a swivel 1/4” socket on the bolts, but if one of them snaps, as happened on the passenger side, there’s no way I can get in and drill them out. So, I’m going to live with the drivers side leak.

I understand. Well, you asked how to access the bolts and I gave you my best solution.

However, how did you break an valve cover bolt during removal in an aluminum head? Valve cover bolts are not usually torque down with much torque. Maybe 10 ft/lb or so.

In my experience most of the time valve cover bolts are only broken due to over torquing them down; unless on iron heads on very old engines which is full of rust.

 

[jjstolarik]

Not sure, but the head snapped right off during removal. It was, of course, the least accessible one. This bolts aren’t particularly strong. Took a while to drill it out because of where it was. I torqued them all back down at 10ftlbs.

 

[carguy75]

Not sure, but the head snapped right off during removal. It was, of course, the least accessible one. This bolts aren’t particularly strong. Took a while to drill it out because of where it was. I torqued them all back down at 10ftlbs.

Well, you do have an 2009 which makes the original bolts 11 years old so it could have been just a fluke that the bolt sheared due to age. Newer bolts can snap as well if they are compromised for whatever reason. Broken bolts are an issue when working on engines no matter the age I guess.

I would still attempt to repair the leaky valve cover gasket on the driver side, but I would first soak the valve cover bolts in rust penetration fluid to break loose any corrosion so to minimize the bolts seizing in the heads and shearing during removal.

 

[GENNY429]

I have this leak, is it the area closest to the firewall on drivers side and has soaked into the foam pad there?

 

[jjstolarik]

I have this leak, is it the area closest to the firewall on drivers side and has soaked into the foam pad there?

My leak wasn’t that bad. It was just oil seeping out around the edges of the valve cover. Nothing on the firewall.