Hi, I need some help here. Valve adjustment done yesterday and today I've put on a new valve cover gasket and tube seals. Today putting valve cover back on and finishing up.

The trouble I'm having is that when I seat the cover in place and start to tighten it down, the top lip of a couple of the tubes is visible to some degree. I have checked and double-checked a few things:

- tube seals in place within the gasket properly and evenly
- nothing blocking the proper seating of the cover itself (wire harness, etc.)
- tube seals lubed up with some engine oil to help guide them in place

I've pulled the cover off a couple times to look everything over and I just don't see why the seals aren't sitting on top of the tubes and covering them complete. I am *assuming* that this does matter.

EDIT: I'm thinking that the seals just aren't pressed in enough within the vc. I mean, they are set in evenly and recessed down a bit and not sitting flush with the edge of the hole (this is with vc off and sitting on the workbench upside down)... but perhaps they can get tapped in a bit further.

 

They are not supposed to sit on top, they slide down the tube a 1/4” or so.

 

Well that changes everything! I appreciate your reply very much, thank you.

 

When you initially bolt down the VC with new tube seals, some of the tube seals will not complete go around the tubes. Just take a blunt object and give the seal lips a light push and they will go right over.

 

This was a post from Billman when I performed my first valve adjust and was wondering about the tube seals. I found it helpful to visualize:


Quote:

With the cover upside down on the work bench, the 4 tube seals should look like this \/ \/ \/ \/

When you pull the cover, some of them get stuck to the tube, and you will get this \/ \/ /\ /\

The last two have been pulled in the wrong direction. Just push them back down with your finger.

If you don't, you can cut the lip on the tube seal.

You can likely check yours just by pulling the coil packs and inspect them with a bright light. You can see the seal edge around the tube.

I've pulled over 1000 covers, and the chances of the seals inverting is 95%

 

Thanks a lot, guys.

For whatever reason I thought the seal had to cover the top edge of the tube. But it makes sense that it does not do this.

Car is back together and running (phew). I let it warm up and didn't see any oil seeping out from anywhere, so that's good news. Hmm, I should probably pull the coils out and make sure they're dry as well, then I can sleep well.

Thanks again -- the info and real-time help is invaluable.

 

I have since done this a couple of time and the light bulb goes off on how those tube seals work. I bought a new set for the second go but the first were in such good shape I let them be.