What is it with the 4.0 Valve cover and the leaks it has? When I got my XJ the Valve cover bolts were about finger tight. I replaced the cylinder head in August and "snugged" the Valve cover Bolts down and as of the past month I have had a leak thats gotten worse over time.

It was suggested to me by another member that the Valve cover is likely the cause of the leak. I had it all figured out that it was the rear main,because thats where it was dripping,right onto the exhaust!!

Checked my Valve cover bolts and YUP,Finger tight AGAIN.

Anyone else have issues with their valve cover leaking and constant loose V/C bolts?

Other than Locktite, is there a remedy?

So I have snugged the bolts up,and sprayed the underside and top of the engine off with Carb cleaner to get rid of the residual oil. Hope this re-torque on the V/C bolts solves the leak issue. Its embarrassing to be at a stop light and have light puffs of smoke come out of the bottom of your vehicle. The stares I got... you wouldnt believe.

 

You may use a lock washer to help hold them tight, but are you sure they didn't
just need to be retorqued. If you use Locktite, use the blue and clean the hloes with some brake cleaner to remove any oil residue. Oh, I've known some guys that even used their gf's nail polish to "lock" some small bolts down.

 

Well since they were loose,it looks like they needed to be retorqued...Never encountered this before though.

 

My dad had me "gun shy" for along time about tightening them to tight.
While replacing the vc on my 71 Cuda he was showing me how to tighten them
down and saying " be carefull not to tighten to much or you'll --- oops! -- break it,
see!"

 

I kept having troubles with mine leaking no matter how many times I changed gaskets but not the bolts coming loose. I finally used a product called The Right Stuff which is a permanent gasket maker. I know when you tighten these bolts they arent suppose to be to tight so the gasket doesn't get crushed and I think that`s why mine kept leaking. With the gasket maker I was able to snug them down far more than normal.

 

Get a Fel-Pro blue valve cover gasket. Replace your old gasket with it and go on. I'll bet the valve cover gasket ou've got on there is cork/rubber and is toast from being loosely installed a few times.

 

This. I had one bolt back out to finger tight, the rear most one. I tightened back down, and bam leak was worse. I had to replace the whole gasket. Make sure when you do it, that you criss cross torquing the bolts, and in stages. And maybe give your jeep a humble offering to appease it.