Replacing the spark plug well seals in the valve covers
#166
Join Date: May 2017
Location: Washington State
Posts: 14,817
Received 2,469 Likes
on
2,161 Posts
Coupe 6MT Premium RAS
It all depends on how much oil is leaking into the spark plug well, if it's just 1/4" or so every 60k miles then it won't really affect performance. If it's covering the spark plug then it will cause misfiring and also damage the coil. Dirty oil conducts electricity, especially when you're working in the 50k+ volt range.
It's pretty easy to just put some of the permatex ultra grey that you're going to use for the valve cover gasket onto the spark plug well seals to help seal them up better.
It's pretty easy to just put some of the permatex ultra grey that you're going to use for the valve cover gasket onto the spark plug well seals to help seal them up better.
The following users liked this post:
nwellinghoff (04-24-2018)
#167
#168
Join Date: May 2017
Location: Washington State
Posts: 14,817
Received 2,469 Likes
on
2,161 Posts
Coupe 6MT Premium RAS
This is as good as I can draw Basically you just spread RTV around the existing spark plug well gasket, clean the surface really well first with brakekleen on a rag so the RTV will adhere and not drip off when you turn it upside down, don't go crazy with the stuff a little goes a long way. If you goo a bunch into the inside of the spark plug well try to clean it up with a screwdriver and a small rag.
#170
Join Date: May 2017
Location: Washington State
Posts: 14,817
Received 2,469 Likes
on
2,161 Posts
Coupe 6MT Premium RAS
#171
#172
#173
#174
They don't look like it to me, but can you confirm that those are not the Beck/Arnley covers? My plan, based on what I've read here, was to use the BA ones when I eventually do have to replace mine. However if people are finding those aren't lasting long either, I'll probably just spring for OEM ones.
#175
Join Date: May 2017
Location: Washington State
Posts: 14,817
Received 2,469 Likes
on
2,161 Posts
Coupe 6MT Premium RAS
As long as the PCV system doesn't have any obstructions like something physically blocking the airflow inside it then you're not going to get pressure buildup in the head that's going to push oil past the seal.
I've got a couple years and about 25k miles on fel pro seals inside my OEM covers and have no leaks, and I don't expect to have any in the future either.
@FreshLikeAG that picture you posted, were those the aftermarket covers you installed? Someone has drilled them out and installed aftermarket seals because that's basically exactly what mine looked like after I put the Fel Pro seals in.
I've got a couple years and about 25k miles on fel pro seals inside my OEM covers and have no leaks, and I don't expect to have any in the future either.
@FreshLikeAG that picture you posted, were those the aftermarket covers you installed? Someone has drilled them out and installed aftermarket seals because that's basically exactly what mine looked like after I put the Fel Pro seals in.
#176
@FreshLikeAG that picture you posted, were those the aftermarket covers you installed? Someone has drilled them out and installed aftermarket seals because that's basically exactly what mine looked like after I put the Fel Pro seals in.
When I replaced the gaskets the first time I was expecting to find oil in the number ?6? spark plug tube like most. So I just bought cheap valve covers to do it all at once. Well, the oem ones were dry as a bone so I held onto that set. The reviews on the aftermarket ones I used all talk about leaking so that's why I just put rtv on the seals and went back to oem
I replaced all the pcv hoses with silicone. That just leaves the pcv valve, right?
Last edited by FreshLikeAG; 02-02-2020 at 01:28 PM.
#177
Join Date: May 2017
Location: Washington State
Posts: 14,817
Received 2,469 Likes
on
2,161 Posts
Coupe 6MT Premium RAS
Yeah, you can just unscrew it to remove, then spray it out good with brake cleaner. However I would physically blow air into all the hoses from both directions to make sure you don't have something blocking airflow inside the valve cover gasket tube/baffles, same with the intake tube, intake manifold, etc.
I think valve cover baffle clogging is a minor issue for these engines. While you have them off it's easy to check and clean if necessary, oily grime gets built up and starts to restrict airflow. Under normal driving conditions it's not an issue until you're hard on the throttle and there's a lot of blowby gas then it can't move ALL the gasses out of the valve covers.
I think valve cover baffle clogging is a minor issue for these engines. While you have them off it's easy to check and clean if necessary, oily grime gets built up and starts to restrict airflow. Under normal driving conditions it's not an issue until you're hard on the throttle and there's a lot of blowby gas then it can't move ALL the gasses out of the valve covers.
#178
Yeah, you can just unscrew it to remove, then spray it out good with brake cleaner. However I would physically blow air into all the hoses from both directions to make sure you don't have something blocking airflow inside the valve cover gasket tube/baffles, same with the intake tube, intake manifold, etc.
I think valve cover baffle clogging is a minor issue for these engines. While you have them off it's easy to check and clean if necessary, oily grime gets built up and starts to restrict airflow. Under normal driving conditions it's not an issue until you're hard on the throttle and there's a lot of blowby gas then it can't move ALL the gasses out of the valve covers.
I think valve cover baffle clogging is a minor issue for these engines. While you have them off it's easy to check and clean if necessary, oily grime gets built up and starts to restrict airflow. Under normal driving conditions it's not an issue until you're hard on the throttle and there's a lot of blowby gas then it can't move ALL the gasses out of the valve covers.
Used two cans of brake cleaner on the valve covers before installing them. I'll clean the pcv valve this weekend
#179
I had Infiniti replace every gasket from both the valve cover ones up back when I first got the de coupe, around 6k miles later and I've noticed some leakage on both front outside corners.. before the leak was terrible on both sides, now its just enough to smell oil from both of the front corners slowly dripping onto the heat shields.
So couple of questions..
Is this one of those things I wont be able to tell what's going on until it’s all opened up again?
Or can I start somewhere like the PCV system and begin eliminating things 1by1 before taking everything apart?
Then again is it just more likely the valve covers are warped? (Believe they are still the original oem pair, so 17 years old and as far as I can tell I'm the only one that's had any major repairs or maintenance done to this G)
It’s an '03 6mt coupe with around 130k on it
Last edited by JoshD4PREZ; 05-06-2020 at 03:29 AM.
#180
Join Date: May 2017
Location: Washington State
Posts: 14,817
Received 2,469 Likes
on
2,161 Posts
Coupe 6MT Premium RAS