9 captured repliesDiscussion pagination complete · Source accounts, not a confirmed diagnosis
THIS DISCUSSION / SOURCE-DERIVED OVERVIEW
Discussion summary
YOUR RESEARCHPossible valve cover oil leak/extensive photos
Leading reported evidence
Use 3/8 torque wrench
Performed · outcome unconfirmed
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
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0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
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Read evidence and context
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Performed · outcome unconfirmed
I use a 3/8 torque wrench on valve cover bolts, you want to tighten them evenly and they are a low torque bolt so they are easy to strip.
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
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Suggestion · Original poster
After a thorough inspection it seems the tubes may not be the culprit as it looks pretty clean on top of the covers compared to what I have seen other members encounter.
Leading evidence: 'Use 3/8 torque wrench' (no explicit attributable resolution; this is a reported action or suggestion). Across 1 matching discussions, The most frequently discussed action is 'Clean on top of the covers compared' (1 discussions). For that action, 0 discussions report a resolution and 0 report an unsuccessful attempt. No action has an explicit, attributable resolution report under the current rules. These are forum reports and suggestions, not a confirmed diagnosis.
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Suggestion · Original poster
After a thorough inspection it seems the tubes may not be the culprit as it looks pretty clean on top of the covers compared to what I have seen other members encounter.
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that contain suggestions
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Suggestion · Original poster
I was thinking the same thing about a reseal by the PO.
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
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Suggestion
Only after being certain it wasn't the tubes would I reseal the cam covers.
Reseal valve cover or something i may be over looking
Suggestion or failed attempt
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
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Suggestion · Original poster
Hopefully some of you gurus can give me some insight as to what is my next step...reseal the valve cover or something I may be over looking?
These are separate views of the same evidence. Frequency alone does not establish a fix, and these counts must not be added together.
Clean on top of the covers compared
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context
Discussions that contain suggestions
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Suggestion · Original poster
After a thorough inspection it seems the tubes may not be the culprit as it looks pretty clean on top of the covers compared to what I have seen other members encounter.
Counts describe captured discussions, not unique people or a diagnosis. Author identities are not reliably stored. Exact duplicate evidence is counted once across matching discussions; one discussion counts at most once per action/state. Multiple repairs reported together remain a combination. Suggestions and failed attempts do not establish a fix. Matches cover whole discussions and can include related faults, model variants and incomplete threads.
9 eligible posts · 0 unverified posts · 1 discussions match the subject in their title or opening post.
Rennlist: 1 discussions
0 evidence records excluded for query context · 0 excluded by outcome qualification · 0 adjusted by outcome qualification.
0 acknowledgements have no verified action link; they do not establish a repair result.
Generation: 20261027T003124Z · outcome-qualification-6. Deterministic extraction; no AI model inference. How we use sources
Hey guys looking for any insight on a little oil leak I am having on MY 99 3.4 with 83k miles. I have noticed a couple drips from the passenger bank on my garage floor after taking her for a ride and parking. Being the **** person I am i dug in there to find the source.
First thought before taking the heat shield and muffler off was spark tubes and it would be an easy fix. After a thorough inspection it seems the tubes may not be the culprit as it looks pretty clean on top of the covers compared to what I have seen other members encounter. As seen in the pictures it looks as there could be some sweating from the tubes, but is it enough to create oil to drip on the floor?
There is oil saturation directly on the bottom of the covers as seen in the photo and looks to be dripping off the corner closest to the transmission.
The photos below are exactly the state I found the oil leak, I did not clean anything.
Hopefully some of you gurus can give me some insight as to what is my next step...reseal the valve cover or something I may be over looking?
Pictures with description are as follows, be lenient as we all know it is hard to capture good pictures with our cars on jack stands.
After muffler removal, some WD-40 on mani from loosening bolts
Directly underneath, can see a drip
Directly underneath toward rear bumper
Through exhaust manifold
Each of the spark plug tubes as follows
Looking at the black, squeezed out, sealant it appears that someone has had the cover off at least once. Before you take it off again look at the oil pressure sender unit. They can leak down the passenger side and run back along the bottom.
I was thinking the same thing about a reseal by the PO. I will check out the oil pressure sender unit as well. I appreciate that heads up
Does anyone know the torque specs off hand and is there a torque sequence before I go searching?
Hrm, this is a toughie. I'd do the tubes and clean it. Then I'd run it awhile. Only after being certain it wasn't the tubes would I reseal the cam covers. Unfortunately, it very well may be that the PO did a faulty, and probably unnecessary, cam cover reseal. This is very common.
After some thought this is my plan of attack. I poked around by the oil pressure sending unit and it was dry as a bone. I picked up new tubes and O-rings and I'm going to replace, clean everything really well and then and take her for a spin to try to pin point it with out having any mess.
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