When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Took my car to some one who works on S2000. Trusted the guy since he's a fellow S2000 owner to let him change the valve cover gasket.
Noticed oil burning smell today after driving and opened the hood to check. Found that he had put scratches all over the the place where the gasket touches the head.
Looks like he used some kind of a rasp to remove dirt/old rubber on the seal. I had the same issue on my Jeep when I went to change the two differentials fluid. (No drain holes, you must remove the cover) The mating surfaces were gouged and scored. You never use a hard tool on mating surfaces like that. I had to polish it out.
You may have to do the same. Be careful not to let any dust or debris fall into the engine.
But there's no oil leak. There's nothing to fix, I can almost guarantee the smell is some oil that found its way to the header when the VC was removed. Look at the back of the valve cover on the exhaust side, towards the firewall If your VC gasket is leaking it'll pool up there. That or the corner near the air bleeder on the driver's side.
Even if it is leaking, it could be that the VC was not torqued down properly.
It must be done in steps and in a star pattern. Tq must be even or it will seep oil.
The valve cover isn't pressurized(usually), it only deals with oil splash, so not much is being asked of the VC gasket.
I will open, clean, inspect and retorque to the specs but what about the scratches...... Giving me major anxiety. And there is thin layer of oil near the header bolts as well as.
Is it only on certain locations along that edge? Could be scratches from a valve adjustment feeler gauge?
I imagine it wouldn't be difficult to scratch that aluminum (it's aluminum, right?) with the edge of a feeler gauge if not being careful.
Cylinder head scratches
