Importance of rocker cover gasket

Don't know, but I'm going to have to do similar soon. My gasket pisses oil and seems to have shagged a rear engine mount thanks to years of hot oil treatment.

Even replacing the mozarella based cross head screws with allen bolts has only helped to a degree, because the rear ones are hidden under the throttle body and idle up controls.

I got told by Toyota, as it is just a fancy rubber band it could be re- used. I have a new one on order, because they were obviously talking bollox. Don't know what the Zetec gasket is made from though.

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funny that mine does the same but it's a VERY VERY tiny amount around the edge which i only noticed recently, not bad for 6 months and 2 oil changes :)

Same cheese head screws holding it down.

BTW, have you pulled your sparkplug leads? There is an inner gasket that runs round lead 2 and 3.

The plug wells may be full of oil. Mine were, until I replaced the screws with bolts and antishake washers.

This time I'm doing it properly. Cover off, degrease the inside/outside, and check the PCV airways are clear with degreaser and brake cleaner. Should get rid of any sludge and stop it blowing the new gasket.

Then give the outside quick polish up to get rid of the oxidisation. Should look proper blingy.

They cost like 10 pence. THe old one will have been compressed. Just buy a new one.

Yeah, if it is in pretty much fine condition, should be ok, but that depends on the car and the gasket type.

My main fiddling is with a rover v8 engine, has rubber rocker cover gaskets which don't need replacing. I have a set of cork gaskets like it originally had, it's probable that these would be hard to re-use as once you tighten the cover on, the cork is crushed and separating it again would probably damage the cork.

Paper type gaskets can be made with a sharp knife and a sheet of generic gasket material just stuck to the part with engine oil. That said, it's more bother than it's worth when you can buy the correct one for 50 pence.

Just do what seems sensible at the time, if it is wrong then the covers will end up leaking a bit of oil / crankcase gas, you'll be able to see this and replace them later if you cut a corner wrongly, it won't damage the engine as far as I can imagine.

If only the Toyota ones were so cheap. Saved a little money buying pattern at =A328 all in. Was quoted =A329+VAT b= y=20 local dealership. Although some franchises seem to do them for =A39=20 instead.

--=20 Carl Robson "Sorry Sir the meatballs are orf" (The poster formerly known as Skodapilot)

Depends what it is, but that's crazy money for gaskets.

It is

the outer black ring part, and the inner Fig8 part. Shaped to go over the cam bearing arches, and surround the plugs (the=20 inner fig8 gasket does plug 2 and 3.

--=20 Carl Robson "Sorry Sir the meatballs are orf" (The poster formerly known as Skodapilot)

Blimey. Do you get to re-use them or is this an "every time" replacement?

Good reason not to get a toyota, not that they need gaskets all that often.

Well, Toyota parts guy said "No, you don't need to replace it=20 everytime". But on mine, if it like everything else I've been replacing, it is 15=20 years old, original and never been removed or replaced. if the parts=20 I've fitted last as long as I will be happy.

--=20 Carl Robson "Sorry Sir the meatballs are orf" (The poster formerly known as Skodapilot)