Leaking valve cover gasket?

C

clicknext

Member
:
2006 Tungsten Grey Mazda6 GT I4
So apparently my valve cover gasket is leaking. Dealer spotted it for me and says repair is $103. Does anyone know how much the parts would cost and how hard it is to do yourself?

They also said that the power steering fluid is dirty and should be flushed, but the manual says that it shouldn't need periodic maintenance. Any thoughts on that?

Thanks!
 
$103 for the VCG probably includes the valve cover gasket + 45 min of labor or so. You can buy the part for $20 + $6 for silicone gasket sealer and do it yourself. You will have to do the following:

1. Remove the coils and wires.
2. Remove spark plugs.
3. Remove bolts holding down valve cover gasket (might have to move part of the wiring harness out of the way).
4. Remove valve cover and valve cover gasket.
5. Put some silicone sealant adjacent to the cams.
6. Installation is the reverse of removal!

The shop manual can be helpful (see sticky on first page of Protege5 forum).
 
I thought my vc gasket was leaking but the bolts were just loose. I tightened them and haven't had any issues so far.
 
You don't have to remove the spark plugs to take off the valve cover.

Also, make sure you don't over tighten the bolts when you put it back on. Too tight can snap the bolts (ask me how I know that) or warp the cover slightly, creating a new leak.
 
bucksatan said:
You don't have to remove the spark plugs to take off the valve cover.

Also, make sure you don't over tighten the bolts when you put it back on. Too tight can snap the bolts (ask me how I know that) or warp the cover slightly, creating a new leak.
Click to expand...

+1 - the spark plugs don't need to be removed. And I think the torque on those bolts comes out to like 6 or 7 ft-lb.
 
Mine is leaking too - how much oil (max) would you all say would leak out of a leaky valve cover gasket in about 3000 miles?
 
Is it really that bad though?

Mine has built up a good bit of goo after 100k miles but it isn't a problem and it isn't any measurable amount of oil lost. I'm sure the dealer would tell me mine is "leaking" too.

It isn't worth the time/money/headache. Don't worry about it. Just do it when you do the timing belt.
 
Thanks for the great tips! I did find that the bolts were so loose that I could turn them with my fingers. Torqued them to about 6 ft/lbs so hopefully that fixes it. If not, I'll try to replace it with MaxPower's instructions.

Weird that they were all so loose though. I was thinking maybe switching to synthetic caused the leaking, but it certainly couldn't have caused the looseness?
 
clicknext said:
Thanks for the great tips! I did find that the bolts were so loose that I could turn them with my fingers. Torqued them to about 6 ft/lbs so hopefully that fixes it. If not, I'll try to replace it with MaxPower's instructions.

Weird that they were all so loose though. I was thinking maybe switching to synthetic caused the leaking, but it certainly couldn't have caused the looseness?
Click to expand...

No, they probably just shook loose from age.
 
hmm.. well then, I must be burning oil then. - I was planning on going to mobil 1 high mileage soon.
 
I just replaced my valve cover seal. The leak was very small. It was leaking onto the heat shield for the header. It only took $40 and 15 minutes of my time. The old gasket was very hard and dry. It was well worth it for a clean and sealed engine.
 
And the other question - no the p/s fluid does not require periodic drain and flush. If the fluid is pink and not burnt smelling - it is fine. Any problems with p/s?

And get another mechanic. I smell a weasel.
 
P-Funk! said:
And the other question - no the p/s fluid does not require periodic drain and flush. If the fluid is pink and not burnt smelling - it is fine. Any problems with p/s?

And get another mechanic. I smell a weasel.
Click to expand...

I disagree with you here - just because it's not in the owner's manual doesn't mean it's not required. Things like changing the tranny and brake fluid aren't in there either, but they still should be done.

Power steering systems inevitably get little bits of abrasive metal in the fluid from the wearing of the steering rack over time. If your fluid is changed regularly (I do mine every 30,000 miles), it should keep your steering rack and power steering pump alive and well for the life of the vehicle.

To the OP, if I were you, I would just buy a cheap siphon and siphon the fluid out yourself. Be sure to replace it with ATF.
 
Hmm, the fluid looks not pink but more brown-ish... maybe I'll do what slavrenz said and just siphon it out myself. What's the "proper" procedure for flushing it? Is that container in the passenger-front side of the engine bay just an excess reservoir, or is that most of the fluid right there?
 
my vc bolts were also loose causing oil to build up around the coils, so i also thought the vc gasket was bad till i checked. but when i bought the car the lug nuts were really loose so who ever had it before was a moron. the whole car was shaking on the highway. these cars seem very prone to vibration though, maybe its the stiff stock suspension
 
^nope - you were right the first time - just bad maintenance.

To flush the p/s system you could loosen a return line on the p/s pump and catch the fluid as the engine is idling - ensure you refill the reservoir. Take your time and be careful.
 
i will be attempting gasket replacement tomorrow, it seems very straight forward but i have a question or 2 about the silicone sealant. permatex alone has 14 different sealants that i can see,

1.) im not sure which silicone sealant is the correct one.

i see in the service manual the areas to put the sealant,

2.) how much exactly do you put? is it a very thin layer as if applying thermal paste on a computer processor? or do you put a noticable amount like cream cheese on a bagel?
3.) do i put any sealant on the gasket itself? the link provided points out to wet it with a little engine oil, which is recommended?

thanks
 
Please log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

S
Use Power Steering Fluid or ATF in power steering pump?
Replies
0
Views
1K
ShinoBino
S
S
Power Steering Pump Leaking, Oil Pan Gasket Leaking
Replies
3
Views
2K
MrGiggles
M
N
Seeking advice for my Protege5 error codes P0660, P0401 and P0456
Replies
3
Views
2K
nomadicsoul
N

Latest posts

Back