The Charger from Hell strikes again/continuously

[jeff1234]

I don't seem to be able to keep my valve cover from leaking, it's like I drive it normally and it doesn't leak, soon as I hit high boost it shows up. I got a chip from Shelgame yesterday and decided to try it out today. Went to the gas station and on the way back tested full throttle 18 psi boost. Pulled in my driveway and smoke from under the hood and oil all over the garage floor again. This car is really starting to p*** me off. I pulled the timing belt cover off to look for the leak and there was oil around the passenger side rear 13mm corner bolt. Oil all over the power steering belt, but it is engine oil. Also on the K-member. I cant see what I am doing wrong. The only thing I can think of that makes any sense is that the valve cover is warped. I can't think of any place on that side of the motor that has access to oil pressure. In the unlikely event that there was enough blowby into the crankcase it would take alot to create enough pressure to push it out the valve cover seal and not the oil cap, besides the engine wouldn't run very good with that kind of blowby. This engine makes a ton of power. Any ideas?
Jeff

[BadAssPerformance]

Is the valve cover a 1 pc gasket? maybe the gasket is pinched?

Blowby would push more oil out the PCV than the valve cover gasket...

[black86glhs]

Are the bolts too long and bottoming out in the bolt holes in the head?

[jeff1234]

Yupp, one piece. I have tried fel-pro and one other brand which was the more expensive of the two, can't remember the name but its black in color, fel-pro is blue. There are a number of different valve cover designs. The 1985 style which is a four piece kit and then two different one piece designs which deal with how the corners by the camshaft towers are sealed. It is possible that it is pinched, but I have been aware of this problem for awhile and try hard to make sure the gasket is in the groove. As I thought about it more and looked at it again I found there was no oil on the back of the cam gear but yet it was on top of the valve cover around the left rear corner bolt. This seems to indicate that the oil was coming out around the camshaft tower portion of the seal. How in the world the oil level in the head can get that high, I don't know. With all of the giant passages in the head, I don't see how oil can build up in there at all. I can add washers under the bolts, but they are stock valve cover bolts and should be properly sized. Is the four piece seal better? Does the Chrysler gasket work better? What does everyone use for best results?

[Force Fed Mopar]

You sure it's not coming from the cam seal and running back to that corner? I'm always had problems with the cam seals leaking, even brand ones, but I've only ever used Fel-Pro seals. I want to switch to another brand and try it, I have heard of other people having issues with Fel-Pro cam or crank seals not sealing well.

[BadAssPerformance]

+1 to cam seals...

For the "Turbo" valvecovers I thought there was only early (pre 1988 with 2 end seals + RTV) and late (1988+ 1pc), http://badassperformance.com/mtech/valvecover_id.html what other 1pc are you refereing to? Info? pics?

For the 1pc gasket, they all work OK, but some are trickier than others to get in there and not pinch. I think the felpro blue ones are like 0.5" too long compared to the perimeter of the groove.

I've used a mirror or cell phone picture to get a view of that back corner to see if the gasket is in there right

[jeff1234]

BadAssPerf, I just went out to the garage and pulled my valve cover. I was going to take a picture and show you what I thought was the difference between two T-1 valve covers I had. I discovered that the corner where I thought the difference was turned out to be an optical illusion. They are exactly the same. I also discovered that the gasket was broken and needs replacement. Fortunately I saved the black gasket from this summer past. It is a Victor Reinz and seems to fit very well. I also noted which end of the corner bolts I had installed into the head, it was the long end. Should it be the short end? That end is the same length as the five side rail screws. If so this is simply my errors and black86glhs was on the right track.

[BadAssPerformance]

Thanks for checking, I thought I learned something new!

Sounds like you found the problem. For the double ended studs, use the end that has the same length threads as the 13mm hex head bolts on the other end of the valve cover. The ends of the VC are thicker Al than in the middle flange areas so the threads are a little longer to compenmsate.

[ShelGame]

Are you running a PCV? I had a similar issue with my van that turned out be a bad (brand new) PCV Valve. Basically, it would leak boost from the intake into the valve cover. The engine would always be leaking oil, from everywhere really, but mostly the top end. I ended up just venting the crankcase to a breather filter, problem solved.

[jeff1234]

Hi Rob, yes I have a PVC valve, I ran it from the valve cover to a large diameter T-fitting at the back of the intake adjacent to the brake booster. That fitting also provides vacuum top the brake booster. Is this OK?

[BadAssPerformance]

What Rob is refering to is if boost pressure gets past the PCV valve it will pressurize your crankcase and push oil out where it normally may not leak...

[jeff1234]

PVC should be OK, it is the Toyota one. Hoses have looked clean in the past...

[ShelGame]

PVC should be OK, it is the Toyota one. Hoses have looked clean in the past...

The Supra valve is the one to have, from what I hear. But, to rule it out anyway, you could just run a hose from the breather to the ground and leave the valve hanging. If the leaks stop , then you know its the PCV instead of blowby or worse.

[ShelGame]

Hi Rob, yes I have a PVC valve, I ran it from the valve cover to a large diameter T-fitting at the back of the intake adjacent to the brake booster. That fitting also provides vacuum top the brake booster. Is this OK?

Actually, I think this might NOT be OK. Here's why, you need a T fitting on the valve cover side of the PCV with 1 side going to the manifold, and the other to an alternate vacuum source. The factory used the air filter housing.

If you don't, the PCV will close under boost and you'll have no way to vent the crankcase pressure. It will still push oil out the seals even if the PCV isn't leaking boost.

Also, I wouldn't run the PCV to the booster, either. It's a very oily mist, and I don't know what that might do to the booster diaphragm. Of course, I don't know exactly how you have it setup, so it might be OK.

[jeff1234]

Rob, I have always wanted to set the valve cover up with the rubber Tee that you speak about but I couldn't find it. Maybe someone on the forum knows the part number and/or has a source where I could obtain it. As far as the brake booster is concerned, I don't think it is any different that the PCV relative to boost. I believe it also has a check valve, otherwise boost would rupture the diaphragm. I set my system up the way I did because I couldn't find the rubber Tee. I thought that the negative pressure in the intake would evacuate the crankcase but didn't take into account that the crankcase needed evacuation during boost. If I could find the Tee it would be a simple matter to tap into the air filter side of the turbo intake to use the negative pressure there, but I wondered what effect the oily vapors from the crankcase would have on the turbo.

For anyone reading this post, the rubber Tee I am looking for fits the 1985 turbo style valve cover. If you know something please let me know!

[wallace]

That tee is NLA. You can remove the nipple from the cover and tap for pipe thread and use a brass tee. Someone on here posted a step by step on how to do that and what you needed fittings wise.

[jeff1234]

Thanks for the info. I think another way it could be done would be a plastic automotive style Tee of the correct diameter's, installed in line. If I find something i will take pic's and provide part numbers