I have a 1972 bus with a 2.0 liter engine in it and the thing has been leaking from the right valve cover in the front. specifically at the lower (duh?) front corner of the gasket and seal.
It seams like the valve cover retainer wire is pretty tight, but it is still leaking. I replaced it with a valve gasket seal from the VW dealer. I (perhaps incorrectly) asked for a valve cover gasket for a
2.0 liter aircolled engine (IE vanagon Aircooled engine), could they have given me one with the wrong width???
Are various valve cover gaskets different widths by engine size say
1700, 1800, or 2.0L???
I am considering putting some gasket sealer on the gasket (on the cover side) but an cautious because I have never has to do this with any of my other VW's...
When you pull it off, study the condition of the gasket. Look for indications of how it failed - like did it suck inward? It is possible to remove the bail and put the straight section just after the 90 degree bend where it seats in the head in a vice and pull the long section such that you bend it in a tighter than 90 degrees to the section that is clamped. Do both sides very slightly as a little bit makes a BIG difference in how hard it is to put it back on! First you might want to check the gasket thicknesses. I have found that most gaskets sold for this application are about
40% thinner than "the ONE that works!" I bought the good ones from my local VW aftermarket FLAPS and they buy them in bulk - no package. The FelPro ones are awful! If you use a sealer on the cover side, make sure it is a glue type (I use 3M weatherstrip adhesive) as a lot of the thick gasket sealers are designed to stay soft and allow the gasket to slide around. If you use silicone, be sure it is good for heat and good for oil. Most are not. Lastly, If you're sucking gaskets and never used to, you may be ready for some engine work as you may have excessive blow-by. And pastly-lastly, there are tabs top and bottom inside your covers that are supposed to keep the gasket in place. Jan suggested welding or brazing in some additional tabs. But wait - there's more: You can also vent the covers to equalize the pressure and minimize the sucking or blowing. Others who have done it can advise you on this.
-- Dave "Busahaulic" Pearson Fall City, Washington Remove obvious from addy to e-mail
Double check the leak source.. VERY often it's actually the pushrod tubes leaking where they enter the head, and teh oil will then run down and "look" like it leakes from the valve covers.
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