crappy valve cover

Codeman · Jan 21, 2004

hey- I bought another xj, and Im tearing it apart doing tuneup stuff, and one thing I did was change the gasket on the valve cover. It was grimy as you can imagine in there... in fact the whole engine compartment is grimy and oily. any suggestions?
thanx
CODEMAN

CaptTrev · Jan 21, 2004

well, u can either leave it and consier it good rust prevention

-OR-

de-grease it and use your then to be clean engine to spot any new leaks etc

i keep mine as clean as possible for this reason

its also REALLY nice to be able to work under there without getting all gunked up everytime u touch anything

XJ91 · Jan 21, 2004

I also keep the engine compartment nice and clean.

Makes for easy clean-up after repairs. :thumbup:

desertred · Jan 21, 2004

Without trying to steal the thread, what are some good products to really clean up this gunk - especially the varnish on the inside of the oil pan? How about the oil/dirt/sludge build up on the outside of the engine?

Erik the Red · Jan 21, 2004

Costco carries a degreaser in a gallon size jug and it works reasonably well on the engine as well as the garage floor. I use a power washer for the really heavy grime down underneath. Whatever you do, don't spray water etc on the throttle position sensor.

Erik
88 Comanche

XJ91 · Jan 21, 2004

desertred said:
Without trying to steal the thread, what are some good products to really clean up this gunk - especially the varnish on the inside of the oil pan? How about the oil/dirt/sludge build up on the outside of the engine?

Erik the Red said:
Whatever you do, don't spray water etc on the throttle position sensor.

If you decide to use a power washer also put a plastic bag over your altinator.

For carbon removal = Throtle Cleaner (Arisol Can)
For most other gunk = GUNK or Brake Cleaner (Eats most through crap)

Heep · Jan 21, 2004

Isnt the valve cover aluminum, hence it wont rust.Take it off and clean it and put a new gasket in it.

XJ91 · Jan 21, 2004

Heep said:
Isnt the valve cover aluminum, hence it wont rust.Take it off and clean it and put a new gasket in it.

True, and aftermarket ones are plastic :shiver: They will not rust but carbon deposits build up on them almost imediately.

I took mine off cleaned it all put it back on, the gasket leaked 3 days later. Took it iff to redo the gasket and the cover was black again???

MoFo · Jan 21, 2004

On my '90 4.0 L I had to retorque the valve cover bolts twice after installation. I would plan on that. It has been sealed for a year, no problem.
MoFo

crappy valve cover

Codeman

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CaptTrev

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XJ91

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desertred

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Erik the Red

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XJ91

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Heep

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XJ91

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MoFo

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