Spark plug seals

S

Survey20

Test Drive
Hi all,
I have a 2009 offroad, and a leaky valve cover - driver's side.

Going to replace both gaskets. But I'm reading the spark plug gasket seals are built into the cover. So a new cover for both sides is needed, from what I've gathered..

ON rockauto I see Spark Plug Tube Seals for sale individually, and it says "for use with Removable PCV valve baffles only"

Does anyone know what this means? Can I buy these seals and swap them into my current valve cover to save quite a bit of money vs new covers?

Thanks
 
TerryD

TerryD

Total Tease
Supporting Member
Location
Covington, Va
Survey20 said:
Hi all,
I have a 2009 offroad, and a leaky valve cover - driver's side.

Going to replace both gaskets. But I'm reading the spark plug gasket seals are built into the cover. So a new cover for both sides is needed, from what I've gathered..

ON rockauto I see Spark Plug Tube Seals for sale individually, and it says "for use with Removable PCV valve baffles only"

Does anyone know what this means? Can I buy these seals and swap them into my current valve cover to save quite a bit of money vs new covers?

Thanks
Click to expand...
They won't work on the VQ40DE. I tried. There's a write-up in the maintenance section with the part numbers and some tips.
 
Zack.

Zack.

Has been dubbed Arnold
Supporting Member
Location
Livermore, CA
Doubly confirming - skip the park plug seals and replace the valve head covers. Also, DO NOT follow the 20inch/pound torque specs. That’s how you break something .
 
Zack.

Zack.

Has been dubbed Arnold
Supporting Member
Location
Livermore, CA
Yes, however they don’t even need that. This is why I have one spot with globs of rtv after breaking two extractor bits trying to fix things. Probably wouldn’t have worked on the outer (lower) side
 
TerryD

TerryD

Total Tease
Supporting Member
Location
Covington, Va
Zack. said:
Doubly confirming - skip the park plug seals and replace the valve head covers. Also, DO NOT follow the 20inch/pound torque specs. That’s how you break something .
Click to expand...
What bolts use that? My valve cover bolts are torqued to 74in-lb per the manual?
 
XterraRising

XterraRising

Bumpers Installed
Location
Utah
Zack. said:
Should have followed that like I learnt from my dad back when we were working on the 720. Torque specs are probably more important for suspension than something like this.
Click to expand...
All fasteners have an elastic range that they will stretch to when torqued down. The rotational torque applied to the fastener correlates to clamping load when all fasteners are torqued to spec. If it is clamping a seal, torque is equally important as a suspension piece. Too much torque, and you squish the seal and destroy it. Too little, and you don’t get enough clamp load to seal and you get leaks. I always follow the service manuals when it comes to torque anyway, especially if I’m doing warranty work or things like injectors on Diesel engines.
 
S

Survey20

Test Drive
So it doesn’t sound like a big deal to go 20” lbs or “tight enough”
Stupid question - do you use blue loctite on these.
ive done a lot of work on cars the past 15 years or so but oddly never a valve cover
 
Muadeeb

Muadeeb

Nissan al Gaib
Admin
Location
Dallas
No. I'm of the belief that you do as it was, unless it was royally effed up. The fsm doesn't call for any sealants or adhesives, so I don't put any.
 
TerryD

TerryD

Total Tease
Supporting Member
Location
Covington, Va
Muadeeb said:
No. I'm of the belief that you do as it was, unless it was royally effed up. The fsm doesn't call for any sealants or adhesives, so I don't put any.
Click to expand...
It actually calls for RTV around the pints at the front of the heads where the covers go around the front cam journals at the phasi g solenoids.
 
S

Survey20

Test Drive
Yea I’m gonna use rtv in the rounded corners. I was referring to the bolts.
Was going to just go with the manual recommended torque, but just past finger tight seems alright
 
XterraRising

XterraRising

Bumpers Installed
Location
Utah
Zack. said:
maybe I’m remembering it wrong, I could’ve sworn it was 20
Click to expand...
74 lb-in. That’s a Tina hair over 6 lb-ft. I know my torque wrench is accurate that low, but a lot of your harbor freight specials aren’t accurate at that low a torque.

Cheap torque wrenches = broken fasteners. I’ve seen it too many times.
 
Muadeeb

Muadeeb

Nissan al Gaib
Admin
Location
Dallas
XterraRising said:
74 lb-in. That’s a Tina hair over 6 lb-ft. I know my torque wrench is accurate that low, but a lot of your harbor freight specials aren’t accurate at that low a torque.

Cheap torque wrenches = broken fasteners. I’ve seen it too many times.
Click to expand...
That's when you get the 1/4" one that does inch lbs
 
XterraRising

XterraRising

Bumpers Installed
Location
Utah
Yeah, I need to upgrade my old 1/4 drive clicker to the one like my 3/8 that throws a party when I hit that right torque. But the 3/8 can do 5 to 100 lb-ft, and automatically calculates lb-in and N-M. Pretty nifty torque wrench.
 
Brunnie

Brunnie

Bumpers Installed
Supporting Member
Location
Colorado Springs
Some where there was someone that had misread the manual and tightened (I think it was valve cover bolts) to 20 FT lbs. :eek: They snapped a couple off and the vehicle ended in the shop having those bolts taken out and new valve covers put on.

They just didn't read close enough.
 
TerryD

TerryD

Total Tease
Supporting Member
Location
Covington, Va
XterraRising said:
Yeah, I need to upgrade my old 1/4 drive clicker to the one like my 3/8 that throws a party when I hit that right torque. But the 3/8 can do 5 to 100 lb-ft, and automatically calculates lb-in and N-M. Pretty nifty torque wrench.
Click to expand...
I have the flexible pointer type since I have been known to do a little differential work in the past.
 
XterraRising

XterraRising

Bumpers Installed
Location
Utah
I never had a beam type. Last time I set up a differential, I borrowed a friend’s. But my digital shows me dynamic torque, so it works.
 
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