Engine/Transmission (1994 - 1998) valve cover questions

[Rosshatfield]

What do the valve cover bolts need to be torqued to and are there any potential problems I can run into when I change the gaskets?

Thanks for any help.

 

[ndurbin]

I've never torqued them down to a specific value, just until their good and tight. Make sure you change the small o-rings on the bolts too. Oh and I use alil RTV gunk to hold the gaskets on the back couple valve covers when installing them as they seem to like to fall off when I try to stick them back in there.



Nathan

 

[Joe G.]

The bolts have shoulders on them so they can't be tightened too tight on the gaskets. Just tight enuff so they won't come loose will do it. Make sure you have new O-rings for the bolts as well as the gaskets.

 

[Rosshatfield]

Thank you for your info.

I appreciate the input it is nice to hear anything that make the process quicker and easier.

 

[bgilbert]

15mm bolts, torqued to 18ftlbs. The valve cover gaskets are reuseable. If you don't have alot of miles on them and or they are not cracked, dry rotted or leaking I wouldn't change them. Don't use silicon on them, not needed. They run about $4. 00 from Cummins. I'd only use the Cummins gaskets. I've never changed the o-rings for the bolts on my two, but I would like to. But even with them dry rotted and falling apart, they've never leaked. Most of the time when the valve cover gaskets leak its because they were not torqued to 18ftlbs.

 

[DavidGardner]

I usualy replace the O rings. Cummins almost gives them away they are so cheap. Like the other guy said the valve cover gaskets are re-usable unless they are cracked or leaking.

 

[Bluhaven]

I used the gaskets from Autozone part# vs50396r $31. 00 with the o-rings, worked great,no leaks. Just tighten till it stops. :-laf

 

[bmoeller]

Luck of the draw with the gaskets. I replaced them when I bought the truck, because they were leaking. This year I ran the valves again. Had to replace them again, a few days later. The bolts were tight, but the gaskets had gotten flattened out on the bottom edge and hard where they seat against the head. Lost a gallon of oil on my way back home from a pull in Oskaloosa.