sfhellwig

OK, this is a very specific, overly simple question that I bet a lot of you will say doesn't need to be asked. By I want to fix my oil leak and I only want to do the procedure once. So I will ask anyway. I have read all of the threads about removing the UIM. I have the FSM and know the patterns and torques of the bolts. I know that the FSM shows to add sealant at the corners of the VC. My question is at which point do you put the RTV (Gray, right)? Of course you clean all surfaces, then the VC has a groove in it to hold the gasket. Then the FSM shows applying sealant in 4 spots (2 corners on each "rocker" cover) which would be ON TOP of the gasket, right before you put it on and tighten it down? I know someone said the sealant keeps the gasket in place while placing but I figure that was additional dabbing and that the FSM is showing additional sealant over the gasket. Yeah, so I need to ask this specific of a question. I read enough threads and everyone else seems to understand or just getting some in the area is good enough. Like I said, I only want to do this once. Thanks guys.

MaxJammin

i would recommend just going the gaskets right, and using a bit of high tac gasket sealant for proper fit, and no more worries, my car had 200k on the originals, and i did them, and since then 100k later no leaks at all

just my $0.02 good luck

phatboislim

iTrader: (27)

personally...i was timid about doing just the corners...so like a newb i laid a very thin layer all around where the VC would lay and a little more on teh corners...no problems as of yet and its about 6k miles on them

The Wizard

iTrader: (43)

When I did mine, and the way I understood the FSM, was to put the RTV on the actual metal head (in the corners), then install the VC with the gasket pre-installed.

In addition to what the FSM said, I put a very small light bead around the whole perimeter too; especially since one day my 98 will be boosted.

phatboislim

iTrader: (27)

now i dont feel so newbish for doing this

but as wizard says, do it

sfhellwig

I see where your coming from. The FSM can kind of look like the heads. I guess regardless the RTV will get in the same place. Between the gasket and the head, not between the cover and it's gasket. I may do a tiny bead the whole way around, but at least feel better hearing from a few people now.

joseph.mcgowen

i didnt rtv it at all the first time because i didn't read the fsm so when i redid them i also did the whole perimeter as well and i have a few hundred miles on them and no leaks

schmellyfart

iTrader: (46)

When I installed a rear valve cover for my 00vi, I initially just put rtv in the corners mentioned in the FSM. It leaked so I cleaned it up and put some rtv around the perimeter and it hasn't leaked since.

JSutter

iTrader: (46)

Since its a pain in the butt on a VQ, RTV both sides all the way around, with a bit more on the corners.

GGENIUS

iTrader: (1)

rocket surgery.

cashoit

i went to my mech shop and he was doing a VC on another car.

HE put RTV around the whole perimeter of the valve cover. And this guy was pretty liberal about the amount of RTV he used.

He is a terrific mech and can pretty much do anythin..if he put RTV then i would too

phatboislim

iTrader: (27)

i wouldnt put a 'liberal' amount though....wouldnt want that getting into any of my other parts

cashoit

Thats i told him. He sd it wasnt a problem. He did by friend VC and he was right..its not a problem

phatboislim

iTrader: (27)

to each their own...but i put a thin layer and put more in teh corners (where its already recommended to put it). i did mine at my mechanics shop, had him make sure what i was doing *putting a thin layer* was good, he said he just put it in the corners but the thin layer was good. no leaks and its been good for awhile, so...

cory420

a light amount of rtv silicone (black) is all you need, just to hold the gasket in place. i would never do the corners or any spots. reason being, it might create a lift in that area and ruin the seal.

The Wizard

iTrader: (43)

So I guess the engineers at Nissan don't know what they're doing, and they wasted their time clearly stating that RTV must go in the corners...

phatboislim

iTrader: (27)

TELL HIM AGAIN HUMAN!!!

The Wizard

iTrader: (43)

He logged off...

asand1

iTrader: (1)

Well I guess the "420" has elevated him to a "higher" plane of wisdom.

OP, use a dab in the corners directly on the head, this is imperative to a good seal. Run a small bead for your piece of mind if you like, although it is not necessary.

phatboislim

iTrader: (27)

i guess he went back for another puff puff giveeeeeeee in this *****!

jholley

iTrader: (13)

Before I added RTV sealant onto the clynder heads I inserted the gasket into the valve cover to see how well it'll hold. It held in the groove when I turned it over so I didn't apply RTV in there. I then applied a thin bead all around the heads with a thicker amount in those left corners. When I was laying the rear valve cover onto the head the gasket fell out onto that fresh sealant. After cleaning it off I reapplied RTV all over the head and applied RTV into the groove to keep it from falling this time.

Some of that RTV must of fell into the head because this is what it sounded like for the first time:

Loud Clicking

The sound came from the top of bank 1 so one of those lifters must of got stuck. I changed the oil twice and added CD2 oil detergent but it didn't help. I removed the plenum and rear valve cover a second time. Removing all the parts took less time then carefully removing that RTV sealant surrounding the entire head.

The valve clearances were all within speck and it was well lubricated. I dropped a small amount of CD2 onto all 12 lifters then bolted it up again. This time I decided to follow the FSM and just put sealant in the corners.

I started it up and the clicking stopped in about 30sec.

It would only take about 90min to change that rear valve cover gasket in another 135,000 miles so why risk getting those lifters stuck agaian.

joseph.mcgowen

when i did my vc the gasket fit in the groove pretty snug and i was told not to rtv the groove because it might keep the seal from seating all the way but like phatboislim said "to each their own" if it works it works

sfhellwig

I knew there was going to be one of those comments made. But look at how many people have answered and how many different ways it was done.

For some reason I wasn't getting notified that I had follow ups. Thanks guys for all of the personal experiences. I always trust in the FSM, and would certainly have applied as it showed. But there are several people who still had leaks so I may just run a thin bead around the whole thing. Seems like it hasn't been a problem and by golly, I really only want to do the back one time. I will likely do the front cover just as practice and then I can bust the back one out in no time on another day. FSM shows on the TC a beads that is approx an 1/8 inch. Sounds good to me, I was being cheap and bought the small tube of RTV thinking I would only do the corners.

joseph.mcgowen

i used a small tube and it was enough for me to do the rear vc with a bead all the way around the vc ive been to lazy to do the front it will get done soon enough it isn't leaking so i figured its no big deal