96 camry v6 rear valve cover seal....

[mjk]

I have a rear valve cover seal that is leaking. It leaks a bit on my exhaust manifold, and i get a wiff here/there, while idling. My engine, for 200k, isn't a real consumer of oil. I've been running HM oils, and now Lubro Moly Oil Saver, since winter and I am down to adding about a quart for a 5700 interval.

Now the 'unanswerable' question - would you fix it, or just leave it? Looking at about $200.00, at my mechanic.

 

[hypervish]

For $200 why not. That Camry can go for another 100k easy. I'd do it.

But depends on how long you are planning on keeping it.

 

[MBS500]

Fix it youself, and take a peek under covers. It's time consuming, about 4 hours on this car if you never done it, maybe longer,but it is pretty straight forward. Also change O ring gaskets in valve cover, they get old and oil drips into spatk plug wells. Posibly good idea po change plugs and wire while you are there. This car will live another 200k miles with moderate care.

 

[davebarnum]

If it's the valve cover gasket, sure, fix it. But do not pay anyone to do so. Get a new gasket and a tube of silicone sealant.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gBq6PHu3BA

Easier than changing your own motor oil.

 

[MBS500]

Originally Posted By: davebarnum
If it's the valve cover gasket, sure, fix it. But do not pay anyone to do so. Get a new gasket and a tube of silicone sealant.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gBq6PHu3BA

Easier than changing your own motor oil.
on traverse v6 it's not easier than changing oil, you need to take off intake, manifold, TB, and other little things.
Forgot to mention- change PCV also.

 

[davebarnum]

^ good points ^

Okay, so you don't have the 4-cyl...couple more things to remove before you do that. $200 may be worth the headache.

MBS500- how do you like the Bimmer?

 

[tig1]

My grandson has a 2002 Camry V6 and it leaked. We tried the HM oil thing for 0ne year and didn't work. We finally had it fixed at Pep Boys in Florida(I live in Illinois or I would have done it) for about $395. $200 is a steel. Everyone we checked with was in the $400 range.

 

[kschachn]

Also replace the valve cover hold-down bolts and compressable washers. The bolts bottom out in the cylinder head and if the washers are old then they do not put a sufficient compression force on the cover. You can buy just the washers but I have never had luck getting the old ones off the bolts. IMHO it is a lot easier to buy the washers and bolts. Some people do a ghetto mod where they add a washer or two to the stack to re-compress the washers. That would be up to you. Also replace the PCV grommet besides the valve itself. Torque the bolts carefully since they do bottom out in the head. You do not want to break one off.

You don't have to take the throttle body off the intake, it can stay attached.

 

[MBS500]

Originally Posted By: davebarnum
^ good points ^

Okay, so you don't have the 4-cyl...couple more things to remove before you do that. $200 may be worth the headache.

MBS500- how do you like the Bimmer?
my father drives it every day, I drive it sometimes. He loves it, he calls it jet fighter in comparison to w140 S500 I had (which he called heavy bomber ) It's quick, more then enough especially in sport mode, faily quiet, comfy and smooth. I don't like auto transmission, it's jerky on low rpms, I understand if U floored it, but not when I just touched it a little. That is unacceptable in my view, and fairly known problem( oil and pan with filter were changed not so long ago). Changing transmission "brains" may fix this, but it's expensive. It is pretty easy on oil, uoa showed low wear numbers on more than 14k miles on unknown oil from dealer and 0 tbn. Takes 8 liters of oil, filter is under the belly covered with little latch for access. Nice v8 sound when you floor it, MPG for him is average around 22-24, for me 19