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Valve cover gasket

2003 - 2009, roadster, coupe, facelift
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Spock
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Valve cover gasket

Post by Spock » Wed Mar 22, 2017 4:49 pm

I am changing my valve cover gasket, and I haven't run into any problems. But I notice that when I fit the new gasket into the grooves in the valve cover it doesn't seem to press all the way in. I think that the gasket is intended to compress and seal correctly when it is torqued down in position. But before I do that, I thought I would ask if this is correct or if I should be looking for a different gasket.

Many thanks!

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Chris_D
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Valve cover gasket

Post by Chris_D » Wed Mar 22, 2017 4:58 pm

mine was a bit off when i offered it up to the cover when replacing mine. it will be fine if located centrally in the channel when tightening down.
make sure you add a dab of RTV in the corners and half-moons and pattern-torque the bolts.
E85 3.0i roadie (03) 'Benny'. E93 320d M-Sport Cabrio (11) 'Bob'.
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Spock
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Valve cover gasket

Post by Spock » Wed Mar 22, 2017 5:02 pm

Thanks Chris, that's good to know. Do you have the pattern for tightening the bolts? I had intended to go round and round, a little each time. But if there's a pattern available....

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Chris_D
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Valve cover gasket

Post by Chris_D » Wed Mar 22, 2017 5:11 pm

Spock wrote:Thanks Chris, that's good to know. Do you have the pattern for tightening the bolts? I had intended to go round and round, a little each time. But if there's a pattern available....
You'd prob be ok going circular. i did mine crisscross from the inside out.
The bolts will 'stop' at a certain point anyhow so no over-tightening risk but cirular or crisscross tightening should be fine for avoiding warping the cover or minking the gasket.
Was yours leaking or just preventive maintenance?
E85 3.0i roadie (03) 'Benny'. E93 320d M-Sport Cabrio (11) 'Bob'.
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'Always different, always the same.' John Peel on The Fall.

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Spock
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Valve cover gasket

Post by Spock » Wed Mar 22, 2017 7:46 pm

Leaking at the lower side onto the exhaust manifold as far as I could tell. The old gasket had gone brittle on that side and so had the gaskets around the spark plug positions. A few of the ring seals around the fixings had also gone brittle and I will be replacing the full set.

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Chris_D
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Valve cover gasket

Post by Chris_D » Wed Mar 22, 2017 7:54 pm

Same here. Dripping onto manifold and smoking away like a bleedin bbq :cry:
E85 3.0i roadie (03) 'Benny'. E93 320d M-Sport Cabrio (11) 'Bob'.
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'Always different, always the same.' John Peel on The Fall.

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raymond.harper
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Valve cover gasket

Post by raymond.harper » Wed Mar 22, 2017 8:08 pm


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