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Rocker Cover

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stretchit2

stretchit2

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Gents,

I have noticed a leak at the cap of my rocker arm (valve) cover. More precisely at the base of the neck to which the cap screws onto.

Can this be easily repaired? Is there some type of seal or gasket that is installed where this neck enters the rocker arm cover?

Thanks in advance,

Jeff
 
Are you talking about the oil filler or the bolts that hold the cover on? You should not be getting any oil up that high. Oil only dribbles from the rocker arm asembly. You may want to observe the oil flow without the cover on and engine running.
 
tahoe healey said:
Are you talking about the oil filler or the bolts that hold the cover on? You should not be getting any oil up that high. Oil only dribbles from the rocker arm asembly. You may want to observe the oil flow without the cover on and engine running.
Click to expand...

If TH's suggestion is correct that the oil is NOT dribbling from the rocker arm assembly, make sure you have the cap or a rag handy to put back on before you get oil everywhere.
 
What is being suggested here is that you have a worn rocker assembly squirting oil up against the top of the valve cover. Check it out as suggested.--Keoke
 
Clarifications (so my wife is right I am a poor communicator!).

Firstly, it is the oil filler neck at the base, not the bolts.

Secondly, I think this has been going on for a while, and I just now had the rocker arm assembly refurbished and it is just dribbling oil now. Perhaps it is residual oil from the glory days of oil gushing 8" into the air, what a impressive site.

In any case, it would seem that there is a breach between the filler neck and the rocker arm cover. Is that something that is soldered or welded?

Cheers,

Jeff
 
In any case, it would seem that there is a breach between the filler neck and the rocker arm cover. Is that something that is soldered or welded.

I am not sure. However, I have run a nice bead of solder around the joint inside the cover in some cases to stop that leak. :cheers:
 
Again, oil should not be up that high unless it got there when you spilled. There is no pressure in there to force oil out. Try using a Q-tip to remove oil and go for a drive, then check the inside of the filler cap with your finger. If you get oil remove the valve cover and watch for oil squirting with the engine on.
 
I have to disagree. When the engine is hot and running at high rpms, the rockers will fling drops of oil all around the inside of the cover. It may not be squirting oil into the air, but the thing is designed to oil the entire rocker assembly and the oil does what oil does when you flick it at 4500 rpms.
 
Yep Bill ,But it should stay inside the cover and not pool in the groove outside just under the filler cap. Maybe a bad cap seal can cause this too???
 
I agree Keoke, but that is a problem with the cover.

I did this little experiment myself recently when I had to replace my rocker oil banjo and pedestal. After all the work was done, the fitting was good and tight and there was no squirting or even leaking from the fitting or from the pedestals. But the rockers themselves were still flinging little droplets of oil and would expect them to.
 
agree Keoke, but that is a problem with the cover. Yep it is.

Hey TH I agree with Bill too. You are going to get some oil flinging around inside there from the hot oil under engine pressure and the mechanical action of the lifters at speed OK--Keoke-- :laugh:
 
And I agree with you that it may a bad seal on the filler cap as apposed to the seal at the base of the filler tube. I only get a fine coat of oil on the inside of the valve cover since I had the rocker assembly rebuilt. Got oil everywhere before including the rear carb air cleaner.
 
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