I just replaced my rear valve cover gasket on my 97,and it is leaking on the right rear corner (Passenger side). I took it all back apart to double check the gasket and it is fine. after putting it back on it is still leaking. Would putting some high-temp rtv around that corner help stop the leak? Any help would be appreciated.

 

You didnt rtv the corners?? That is why it is leakin man...

 

Yes you are supposed to put a glob of RTV in the corners near the timing cover.

 

Ok. I Will do. Thanks

 

Did you replace all the bolt grommets when doing the R&R? Nissan wants an arm and a leg for these little bushings. Most aftermarket kits come with new grommets.

You have to lay down a bead of RTV in the cover corners nearest the Timing cover. Not certain if any is required between the gasket and the cover. There are certainly two sides to that argument if you search.

Be Safe, Mark V.

 

Yes I did replace the grommets and the 3 injector seals or whatever they are called. Do I have to take the valve cover off for a 3rd time or can i just put the rtv in the seams of the corners?

 

Take it off, clean it up, put the RTV, and put it back. Don't try to go for a band aid fix, or you'll regret it later on

 

Yes. Take it off again and do it the right way. Otherwise it will keep leaking

 

Do you fellas have an easy time taking off the rear cover? The youtube was 17 min long and it seemed like it would be easy to lose stuff...

 

Remove upper intake throttlebody all coils and wiring valve cover... small bead of rtv on gasket itself to hold in place and run a bead on all 4 corners.. install rear vc bolt everything back down and voila.. its VERY simple to do just looks alot worse than it really is cause all the wiring and other stuff in the way... ive done it enough to where i can remove and install in an hour or less now.. make sure all you wiring
is disconnected otherwise you will risk breaking a wire seeing as most are usually brittle from age

 

I just put a bead around the entire gasket and no leaks on the rear. Front was leaking slightly so I replaced that gasket too, now its worse I'm going to have to redo this,atlease much easier than the rear. I think I only put silicone around the bends, this time I'm putting all around.

 

...from what I've read in the FSM you only need the RTV on the four corners of the timing chain cover side. Maybe the EGR flow tube installation tip of using fine dental floss to hold the gasket in pace would help. The rocker cover bolts are to be torqued in two stages. First to 0.7-2.2 and second to 4.3 - 5.8 ft.lb. That's not a lot of torque. I am thinking of using blue loctite on these bolts. The spark plug tube gaskets should also be replaced as well.

I am still waiting for my gasket set to arrive. I understand that the gasket is a thick rubberized material. I can recall the days of the cork valve cover gaskets. Over torquing those would often lead to a leak. The rubberized gasket should be evenly compressed in between the cover and the head in order to do its job. I am not sure that the additional sealer between the gasket and the cover is the right thing to do.

Be Safe, Mark V.

 

This is why you use new grommets. They have steel sleeves so you just torque the bolts properly and the correct ammount of forces is appled to the cover and gaskets. The factory Nissan manual explicitly says to use RTV, Don't second guess.

 

All great answers.Let us kno how it works out for you.