Date:         Wed, 4 Sep 2002 23:24:15 -0400
Reply-To:     Dan Erlandson <danoer1@ECLIPSE.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Dan Erlandson <danoer1@ECLIPSE.NET>
Subject:      Oil leak at head cover
Content-type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

I seem to have a small oil leak out of the head cover on the passenger side
of the engine (cylinders 2 & 3??).  On the VW Bugs this gasket was just cork
(if I remember correctly) and I remember replacing it occasionally.    It
looks like the Vanagon has the same sort of locking system for the head
cover (do we call this a valve cover??) as the Bugs did, sort of a swing bar
that pushes down hard on the cover and locks it into place(??)
So my question is...  Should I just replace the head gasket?  I get some
valve noise at times and am currently running some Marvel Mystery Oil
through the system (due to change it out soon), but the leak was there
before the last oil change.  There is really no drip, but the head / valve
cover is dirty/oily from oil leaking out.  The engine was rebuilt about
30,000 miles ago, currently has 167,000 on it.  Any suggestions? or should I
not worry about it too much??


-- -- Dan Erlandson
99 Passat
91 Vanagon GL
Flemington, NJ
> danoer1@eclipse.net