valve cover gasket question
01-06-2015, 11:19 AM
#1
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valve cover gasket question
Hello and Happy New Year!
I have a 1999 A6 Avant with 2.8 (AHA) engine with about 165k miles on the ticker. The valve cover gasket and other work was done at about 90k. I've had the dreaded oil smell for a quite a while, gradually getting worse. I recently tried replacing the cam caps (pucks) in an effort to solve the burning oil smell. Long story short, I ended up replacing spark plugs and found a lot of oil in cyl #2 (passenger side, middle) and just a little in the other 2 on that side. I also found that the two nuts on the face of the valve cover were VERY loose. One of them I got 2-3 full turns before torquing it down. This seems to have solved my smell problem, at least for now.
Looking inside the plug sockets, the gasket seemed to be in ok shape and wasn't bulging or blown out that I could tell. So, my question is, could those nuts have come loose by the gasket splitting or squishing down, or is it more likely they just came loose or weren't torqued down correctly in the first place?
thanks!
I have a 1999 A6 Avant with 2.8 (AHA) engine with about 165k miles on the ticker. The valve cover gasket and other work was done at about 90k. I've had the dreaded oil smell for a quite a while, gradually getting worse. I recently tried replacing the cam caps (pucks) in an effort to solve the burning oil smell. Long story short, I ended up replacing spark plugs and found a lot of oil in cyl #2 (passenger side, middle) and just a little in the other 2 on that side. I also found that the two nuts on the face of the valve cover were VERY loose. One of them I got 2-3 full turns before torquing it down. This seems to have solved my smell problem, at least for now.
Looking inside the plug sockets, the gasket seemed to be in ok shape and wasn't bulging or blown out that I could tell. So, my question is, could those nuts have come loose by the gasket splitting or squishing down, or is it more likely they just came loose or weren't torqued down correctly in the first place?
thanks!
01-06-2015, 02:11 PM
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Well if snugging up a couple of cam cover nuts solved the oil burning smell then good for you. They only take 7 lbs. of torque IIRC so not much but they should stay tight once you torque them down. Keep an eye on them and hope for no more leaks.
01-06-2015, 02:17 PM
#3
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Use loctite green or blue.
Hello and Happy New Year!
I have a 1999 A6 Avant with 2.8 (AHA) engine with about 165k miles on the ticker. The valve cover gasket and other work was done at about 90k. I've had the dreaded oil smell for a quite a while, gradually getting worse. I recently tried replacing the cam caps (pucks) in an effort to solve the burning oil smell. Long story short, I ended up replacing spark plugs and found a lot of oil in cyl #2 (passenger side, middle) and just a little in the other 2 on that side. I also found that the two nuts on the face of the valve cover were VERY loose. One of them I got 2-3 full turns before torquing it down. This seems to have solved my smell problem, at least for now.
Looking inside the plug sockets, the gasket seemed to be in ok shape and wasn't bulging or blown out that I could tell. So, my question is, could those nuts have come loose by the gasket splitting or squishing down, or is it more likely they just came loose or weren't torqued down correctly in the first place?
thanks!
I have a 1999 A6 Avant with 2.8 (AHA) engine with about 165k miles on the ticker. The valve cover gasket and other work was done at about 90k. I've had the dreaded oil smell for a quite a while, gradually getting worse. I recently tried replacing the cam caps (pucks) in an effort to solve the burning oil smell. Long story short, I ended up replacing spark plugs and found a lot of oil in cyl #2 (passenger side, middle) and just a little in the other 2 on that side. I also found that the two nuts on the face of the valve cover were VERY loose. One of them I got 2-3 full turns before torquing it down. This seems to have solved my smell problem, at least for now.
Looking inside the plug sockets, the gasket seemed to be in ok shape and wasn't bulging or blown out that I could tell. So, my question is, could those nuts have come loose by the gasket splitting or squishing down, or is it more likely they just came loose or weren't torqued down correctly in the first place?
thanks!
02-27-2015, 01:21 PM
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Just replaced my valve cover gasket today. Along with intake hose to Throttle body and Crankcase breather hose to oil filter housing. I too noticed the oil in with the spark plugs and the wifey had been complaining of an oil burning smell.
Well job is complete and the smell has gone. Will be checking the plugs in a few hundred miles for oil but im confident the issue is fixed.
As for the 7 lbs torque for the valve cover screws I found hand tight and half turn again is enough. Just stick to the tightening sequence and all is ok.
Well job is complete and the smell has gone. Will be checking the plugs in a few hundred miles for oil but im confident the issue is fixed.
As for the 7 lbs torque for the valve cover screws I found hand tight and half turn again is enough. Just stick to the tightening sequence and all is ok.
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