Gasket identification help - oil leak
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From: Santa Barbara & Los Angeles, CA
C32, Cobra, 700hp Vespa
Gasket identification help - oil leak
During my phenolic spacer install last night, I noticed I have an oil leak. The leak is on the valve cover, but its coming from the small covers that reside on top of the valve covers. The passenger side is leaking pretty bad, the driver side is just oozing. There is only oil coming from those small covers, not the valve cover itself. I cant seem to identify what these are. Here are a few pictures of what I am talking about. I highlighted the covers in red in the drawing. Any help would be appreciated. I want to get this fixed asap.
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From: Santa Barbara & Los Angeles, CA
C32, Cobra, 700hp Vespa
Thanks for the identification. Are these gaskets available seperately? I have a lot of oil in the surge tanks.
Also, is there a standard PCV valve on these cars? If so, where is it located?
Thanks!
Also, is there a standard PCV valve on these cars? If so, where is it located?
Thanks!
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GMC - Miata - Trek - P-Car
Poor choice of words on my part regarding the housings’ function. Just viewed your pictures of the surge tanks and throttle body. In my experience, that is not unusual. Obviously, they don’t keep all of the oil mist in the blowby from migrating to the intake tract!
There is no PCV valve in the circuit. It’s a closed-loop system like any other crankcase vapor containment design. However, because the vapors are readmitted into the system upstream of the throttle blade, there is no traditional PCV valve. The breather hoses (connected to the splitter) are only exposed to the slight negative pressure in the airbox tract, not intake manifold vacuum as we’re accustomed to in other marques.
Sorry, I don’t have the part numbers for the housing gaskets, but they are available separately.
There is no PCV valve in the circuit. It’s a closed-loop system like any other crankcase vapor containment design. However, because the vapors are readmitted into the system upstream of the throttle blade, there is no traditional PCV valve. The breather hoses (connected to the splitter) are only exposed to the slight negative pressure in the airbox tract, not intake manifold vacuum as we’re accustomed to in other marques.
Sorry, I don’t have the part numbers for the housing gaskets, but they are available separately.
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Thread Starter
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From: Santa Barbara & Los Angeles, CA
C32, Cobra, 700hp Vespa
Well I just got off the phone with the parts department. They said those gaskets are not avilable seperately. My guy said he had the same issue with his car. He pulled off the covers, cleaned everything up real good, laid RTV down, torqued everything, and has not had a problem since. Unless someone can obtain these, it looks like that will be the route I take.
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2002 C32
Well I just got off the phone with the parts department. They said those gaskets are not avilable seperately. My guy said he had the same issue with his car. He pulled off the covers, cleaned everything up real good, laid RTV down, torqued everything, and has not had a problem since. Unless someone can obtain these, it looks like that will be the route I take.
Regards,
pete
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From: Santa Barbara & Los Angeles, CA
C32, Cobra, 700hp Vespa
Thanks for the additional info pete. I will pull it apart tonight to fix it, and take some pictures of whats under there. I need to do an oil change very soon, so I want this taken care of first.
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code3smith-
You and moorfan are indeed correct. I beg your pardon.
The approved seal between the cam cover and breather housing is actually RTV silicone. I had looked in my old hardcopy screenshots of the EPC, where it showed a gasket. Visited my dealer’s parts department manager on the way home from work today. He had a new cover in stock. Of course, it had the ubiquitous silicone seal.
Just shows to go ya, you can’t believe everything I post.
Sorry about that. I owe you a tube of Permatex!
You and moorfan are indeed correct. I beg your pardon.
The approved seal between the cam cover and breather housing is actually RTV silicone. I had looked in my old hardcopy screenshots of the EPC, where it showed a gasket. Visited my dealer’s parts department manager on the way home from work today. He had a new cover in stock. Of course, it had the ubiquitous silicone seal.
Just shows to go ya, you can’t believe everything I post.
Sorry about that. I owe you a tube of Permatex!
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From: Santa Barbara & Los Angeles, CA
C32, Cobra, 700hp Vespa
No worries John 
You can make up for it by providing me with the torque specs on the cover bolts I picked up the RTV and want to take care of this tonight. Thanks.
You can make up for it by providing me with the torque specs on the cover bolts
I picked up the RTV and want to take care of this tonight. Thanks.
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From: Maine
Not an AMG :(
What is the best strategy for applying that RTV so that it doesn't 'pooch' inwards and potentially drop down?
Thanks!
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From: Santa Barbara & Los Angeles, CA
C32, Cobra, 700hp Vespa
Well I took care of the passenger side last night, since that was the one leaking so badly. I took some pictures and I will post them later. To answer the question about the RTV, there is really only one way to apply it to these covers. The cover itself has a nice U shaped groove built in. Where it mates up to on the valve cover is an inverted V shape. So they fit into each other. I simply filled the groove on the cover itself, then laid it back down, it spread perfectly. The only thing that was time consuming, as you probably guessed, was getting the old gasket cleaned up. That aside, its a 20 minutes job on the passenger side. The driver side looks a little more involved.
By the way, the cover bolts were loose. If you are just getting some oil vapor/dirt around your cover, I woulld clean it up, and try retorquing the bolts first. That might be all thats needed. Since my car is higher mileage, I took care of the gasket.
For the bad news of the night. I decided to retorque the valve cover bolts. I got the spec, and started tightening them. SOme needed alittle tightening, and all went fine, until the last one. I was waiting for the torque wrench to give away, but the bolt did first...$*&#^&$*)#&^*)$# So...It broke towards the top of the bolt, which leaves me some room to try and get some needlenose on it to back it out. Its too narrow to try and tap. That was the only good news was that the bolt was still threaded, and didnt break off inside.
By the way, the cover bolts were loose. If you are just getting some oil vapor/dirt around your cover, I woulld clean it up, and try retorquing the bolts first. That might be all thats needed. Since my car is higher mileage, I took care of the gasket.
For the bad news of the night. I decided to retorque the valve cover bolts. I got the spec, and started tightening them. SOme needed alittle tightening, and all went fine, until the last one. I was waiting for the torque wrench to give away, but the bolt did first...$*&#^&$*)#&^*)$# So...It broke towards the top of the bolt, which leaves me some room to try and get some needlenose on it to back it out. Its too narrow to try and tap. That was the only good news was that the bolt was still threaded, and didnt break off inside.
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Not an AMG :(
Well I took care of the passenger side last night, since that was the one leaking so badly. I took some pictures and I will post them later. To answer the question about the RTV, there is really only one way to apply it to these covers. The cover itself has a nice U shaped groove built in. Where it mates up to on the valve cover is an inverted V shape. So they fit into each other. I simply filled the groove on the cover itself, then laid it back down, it spread perfectly. The only thing that was time consuming, as you probably guessed, was getting the old gasket cleaned up. That aside, its a 20 minutes job on the passenger side. The driver side looks a little more involved.
For the bad news of the night....... I was waiting for the torque wrench to give away, but the bolt did first...$*&#^&$*)#&^*)$# So...It broke towards the top of the bolt, which leaves me some room to try and get some needlenose on it to back it out. Its too narrow to try and tap. That was the only good news was that the bolt was still threaded, and didnt break off inside.
For the bad news of the night....... I was waiting for the torque wrench to give away, but the bolt did first...$*&#^&$*)#&^*)$# So...It broke towards the top of the bolt, which leaves me some room to try and get some needlenose on it to back it out. Its too narrow to try and tap. That was the only good news was that the bolt was still threaded, and didnt break off inside.
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From: Santa Barbara & Los Angeles, CA
C32, Cobra, 700hp Vespa
I ordered a new VC to CH bolt. As soon as I get it, I will see if I can back the old one out, and simply replace it with the new bolt. I dont really want to pull the whole cover...
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2002 C32
Regards,
Pete
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C32, Cobra, 700hp Vespa
I agree. But I just write it off to being a weak bolt in the first place. No one has probably ever tightened it back down. Like John said, it’s steel threading into aluminum, so go easy.
Honestly, its happened to me once before on another vehicle. On that car, I had to pull the cover to get the bolt out. I am crossing my fingers that wont happen here.
Honestly, its happened to me once before on another vehicle. On that car, I had to pull the cover to get the bolt out. I am crossing my fingers that wont happen here.
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Brandon,
Because you asked privately to borrow my W203 service DVD to help resolve some of your car’s idiosyncrasies, I felt compelled to offer assistance to a fellow AMG owner and MBWorld member.
I’ve enjoyed working with and improving the performance of my cars for more than three decades. There are few things, besides family and my livelihood, which provide greater pleasure than my beloved mechanical toys. I’ve willingly loaned and shared tools, techniques, knowledge and literature with myriad fellow enthusiasts over the years. Never, not even once, has any item I’ve loaned failed to be returned in a timely manner. Until now. I’ve busted many a knuckle, on several occasions, to aid a friend or fellow automobile aficionado. I will continue to do so because it’s ingrained in my (however faulty) character.
When I paid to send my disk (via overnight express) to you early last month, it was with the expectation that you would return it in due course. Unfortunately, you have not yet returned the disk. As I have communicated with you, I have several pending projects that require due diligence and research from my MB service disk.
Alas, you have continued to ignore my Emails and PMs about its return. Why have I been rebuffed for my sincere attempt to help you?
John
Because you asked privately to borrow my W203 service DVD to help resolve some of your car’s idiosyncrasies, I felt compelled to offer assistance to a fellow AMG owner and MBWorld member.
I’ve enjoyed working with and improving the performance of my cars for more than three decades. There are few things, besides family and my livelihood, which provide greater pleasure than my beloved mechanical toys. I’ve willingly loaned and shared tools, techniques, knowledge and literature with myriad fellow enthusiasts over the years. Never, not even once, has any item I’ve loaned failed to be returned in a timely manner. Until now. I’ve busted many a knuckle, on several occasions, to aid a friend or fellow automobile aficionado. I will continue to do so because it’s ingrained in my (however faulty) character.
When I paid to send my disk (via overnight express) to you early last month, it was with the expectation that you would return it in due course. Unfortunately, you have not yet returned the disk. As I have communicated with you, I have several pending projects that require due diligence and research from my MB service disk.
Alas, you have continued to ignore my Emails and PMs about its return. Why have I been rebuffed for my sincere attempt to help you?
John
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From: Orange County, CA
GMC - Miata - Trek - P-Car
code3smith-
Received the disk with today’s mail. I very much appreciate you getting it back to me.
My faith in car-crazy acquaintances has been restored. Thank you!
Received the disk with today’s mail. I very much appreciate you getting it back to me.
My faith in car-crazy acquaintances has been restored. Thank you!
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none
From my understanding about the C32 crankcase system, which is little. Does the C32 just use the little vacuum created pre-blower to aid in evacuating the crankcase?? I would understand this as post blower would pressurize the crankcase. However, then the crankcase stuff would pull through the blower also right?
I currently have my CC vented to atmosphere through a catch can. I have a few plans to use a vacuum pump to evac the CC. I would like to better understand the C32 system to see what factory uses on a production F/I setup. I personally like the idea of using engine vacuum as it's free, but don't want to pull the CC gases and oil mist through the blower....
...to keep this on topic I'm also changing the same exact gaskets this weekend.
I currently have my CC vented to atmosphere through a catch can. I have a few plans to use a vacuum pump to evac the CC. I would like to better understand the C32 system to see what factory uses on a production F/I setup. I personally like the idea of using engine vacuum as it's free, but don't want to pull the CC gases and oil mist through the blower....
...to keep this on topic I'm also changing the same exact gaskets this weekend.
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2004 C32 AMG - 2009 C300 Sport
