On Sat, 23 Jul 1994, Mark Clark wrote:
> Oil leaks from under the valve cover on my 1963 TR-4 constantly - 1/2 quart
> per 100 miles or so. I cleaned the engine so I am sure the leak is
> coming from the gasket area. The car came with two valve covers - the
> original pressed steel and an aftermarket alloy type. Both leak, even
> after replacing the gasket twice for both. The gaskets were all the
> traditional cork type, purchased from my local LBC parts dealer. Please
> note that my car is so early that I have no emissions equipment attached
> to the valve cover, just a vent to the atmosphere which I have checked
> and is clear. Covers were torqued to spec in all cases.
A leak that serious usually means a badly warped rocker cover, usually the
result of a previous owner torquing it down way to tight. It's unusual
for a cast alloy cover to warp that bad, though. Did you check the gasket
surface on the head for damage?
> This has become a very frustrating problem, especially with the puddle of
> oil on my garage floor. The last time I put the cover on I went so far
> as to coat the gasket with a gasket sealer (I know you're not supposed to
> but I was desparate), but even that did not help.
Actually, the "right" way to do it is to glue the gasket to the cover,
but not to the head. Let the gasket goo harden enough to hold the gasket
to the cover _before_ you tighten the cover down. This helps to prevent
the gasket from oozing out of place when the nuts are tightened. This is
especially important on chromed covers like the TR2/3/4 uses. The
combination of slippery chrome and a small gasket surface on the cover is
a slipped gasket waiting to happen.
By the way, what is the "vent to the atmosphere" you mentioned? The
standard pre-emissions TR4 rocker cover is vented via the oil filler cap.
There isn't any other vent on the cover. If someone has added another
vent, they may have warped the cover while cutting the hole in it.
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Chip Old 1948 M.G. TC TC6710 NEMGTR #2271
feold@umd5.umd.edu 1962 Triumph TR4 CT3154LO (daily transportation)
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