got milk??

iTrader: (18)

Just installed new valve cover gaskets torque to spec and now I am leaking some oil from the drive side. Ran the car for a little bit because the oil spill was pretty small. Finally got around to taking a look at it. When I pulled the driver side valve cover the gasket fell off and now when I try to put it back on it is too big. It fit fine weeks earlier. Now I am trying to research what would cause gasket expansion like that?

My PCV system is somewhat in the works as I am waiting on my catch can. Currently I am running a breather on the oil cap and then my PCV valve is attached to a line that runs to the driver side head. The valve is working great because when I detach the line and put my finger on it I have vacuum.

Darkman

iTrader: (2)

I have had those gaskets expand from just trying to reinstall them. I finally gave up trying to reinstall them and just got new ones. It occurred to me later that perhaps putting them in the freezer for a few hours might reshrink them, but I have not tried it.

cadivette

iTrader: (1)

Any rubber that you place in an environment with oil and heat like that will swell. That is completely normal. Like Darkman said, just get another set.

01ssreda4

iTrader: (96)

Yep, I have had the same thing happen to a set on my car. Might as well just replace them.

vettenuts

iTrader: (4)

Go around the gasket and gently squeeze it together (to make it shorter) while you push it down into the valve cover. Also, I have installed new ones and while installing had them fall out of place. This may be what happened and why you had a leak. Generally these things don't leak.

S10xGN

iTrader: (11)

We have O-ring sealed oil filters on our compressors at work that are about 16" in diameter and this is how we change those O-rings when they become too compressed to seal anymore (new rings look to be ~ 2" too big to fit).

Set the gasket over the cover, punch it down in 4 places equidistant around the perimeter each about an inch long, then check to see that the extra gasket material "bulges" are about equal. Next, split the difference between your previously "stuck" spots and punch down these 4 new spots. Just continue doing this until it's all the way in.