Thoughts on this oil seepage

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jcolman

jcolman

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So my drivers side valve cover was leaking a bit of oil. I replaced the gaskets with cork ones. Lately I've been seeing more oil pooling on the intake manifold where it meets the head. Before I pull the new gaskets out and replace them again, do you think the leak could be coming from the intake manifold gasket?

You can see a touch of oil on the bolt head on the valve cover but not much. Most of the oil is in the valley on the intake manifold where it meets the head so my thought is that I need to pull the manifold and replace the gaskets.

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Better pic

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To clairify, I had my shop replace both valve cover gaskets while they were installing the Sniper unit and I'm *guessing* they used the proper sealant. I'll do the next gasket replacement myseif.
 
Is the valve cover hitting the intake runners? Its a pretty common problem with aftermarket intakes and valve cover combo's. I had to grind the crap out of my intake runners, and install 3/8" spacers to fit my Edelbrock valve covers to my Weiand intake with SpeedMaster Heads. There is a guy who sells spacers on ebay and Moroso sells a steel core silicone reusable gasket that is 3/16" thick that seals well.

GASKET, VALVE COVER, SMALL BLOCK MOPAR

Also are you running a PCV valve on one valve cover and a vent tube to the air cleaner on the other?
 
Either the valve cover rails are contacting the intake runners, or Some of the valve cover bolt holes are open to the valve cover area of the cylinder head and need sealant. Possibly both. Very simple fix. If you see the valve covers are hitting the intake, just mark the valve cover rail in either site of the intake runner pair and knock off the bottom of the valve cover lip in that area. Then of course simply put sealant on the valve cover bolts. The intake bolts don't appear to be leaking. Those are always the ones a lot of people forget to put sealant on, since the do go right through into the valve cover area and oil will migrate up the threads from crankcase pressure and puddle next to the bolts on the intake. That does not appear to be the case.
 
Seal the threads on the intake bolts.

These engines just leak. They eventually all weep oil from a bolt or gasket.
The things get hot and expand then cold and shrink... its bound to happen.
You can used some sealer on everything including bolts and stay off the weeping.. but eventually..the oil comes out.
 
double up the cork gaskets if your 1/4-20 bolts allow it. Glue them together and they should set your valve cover off the intake runner. I'd not alter those $$ valve covers, stamped ones, sure. Cast, no.
 
dano said:
Is the valve cover hitting the intake runners? Its a pretty common problem with aftermarket intakes and valve cover combo's. I had to grind the crap out of my intake runners, and install 3/8" spacers to fit my Edelbrock valve covers to my Weiand intake with SpeedMaster Heads. There is a guy who sells spacers on ebay and Moroso sells a steel core silicone reusable gasket that is 3/16" thick that seals well.

GASKET, VALVE COVER, SMALL BLOCK MOPAR

Also are you running a PCV valve on one valve cover and a vent tube to the air cleaner on the other?
Click to expand...
I have a breather on the passenger side cover and a pcv valve on the drivers side ported into the sniper unit.

I'll check out the link you posted. Many thanks!
 
To help as much as possible, run a hose from your breather to the air cleaner assembly. After I did that, all my oil leaks went away! It was like magic.
 
66fyssh said:
To help as much as possible, run a hose from your breather to the air cleaner assembly. After I did that, all my oil leaks went away! It was like magic.
Click to expand...

Most everybody leaves that off and it's a BIG part of the PCV system. That's the inlet.
 
66fyssh said:
To help as much as possible, run a hose from your breather to the air cleaner assembly. After I did that, all my oil leaks went away! It was like magic.
Click to expand...
I'd have to get a new air cleaner to do that. Which I don't mind doing, but I kind of like what I have now.

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RustyRatRod said:
Most everybody leaves that off and it's a BIG part of the PCV system. That's the inlet.
Click to expand...

I left it off for over a year after I built the engine. Got tire of drips on the cardboard under the car and thought okay, whattheheck. So I bought a new Edelbrock breather with the hose nipple and ran a hose. Couldn't believe the difference.
 
Just cut a hole in the base plate and run a hose to it. The Edelbrock base plate has knock outs like an electrical box.
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jcolman said:
I'd have to get a new air cleaner to do that. Which I don't mind doing, but I kind of like what I have now.

View attachment 1715780964
Click to expand...
No All you need is a breather on one cover and a pcv on the other. Unless you have a "high horsepower built loose for racing with a lot of cylinder pressure and blowby" a breather/PCV system will work fine. I see a non vented oil fill cap but no breather on yours.
 
I had a pair that were trimmed. Not a neat job but effective.

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toolmanmike said:
No All you need is a breather on one cover and a pcv on the other. Unless you have a "high horsepower built loose for racing with a lot of cylinder pressure and blowby" a breather/PCV system will work fine. I see a non vented oil fill cap but no breather on yours.
Click to expand...
Breather is on the passenger side

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You might also check for cracks and/or warpage in the valve cover. Not as common as with stamped steel covers, but, it still happens.
 
As previously said, those Mopar Performance Valve Covers have to be notched (trimmed) at the Intake Runner area or the Valve Cover does not push down on the head (gasket) properly, and the intake bolts need thread sealant or oil seeps up the threads and pools around the intake bolts. I used ARP thread sealant. Edelbrock makes a Air Cleaner Base Plate that has a push out hole to put a connection on for the Oil Breather hose. You can keep the top of your Air Cleaner.
 
TF360 said:
Wow Dano That's really cool. Never seen that
Click to expand...

Me either, I really beat up the internet to find some solution. I don't have a lot of room with a drop base and the small diameter air cleaner. It a bit of a pain to use with the low profile snap button to remove the top lid but it works.
 
pishta said:
double up the cork gaskets if your 1/4-20 bolts allow it. Glue them together and they should set your valve cover off the intake runner. I'd not alter those $$ valve covers, stamped ones, sure. Cast, no.
Click to expand...
3m weather strip adhesive and edelcrocks gaskecinch works real good. I used to 3m transmission gaskets to the pan to keep them from leaking .
 
dano said:
Yes, I run a Wagner adjustable PCV on the passenger side. Location of the PCV and breather have more to do with my valve cover openings.
Click to expand...
So you have two PCV valves then. And that solved your oil leaking?
 
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