DIY changing Top valve cover gasket guide

TitanRev

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For Campro owners most will have faced this minor issue of oil leak at the top valve cover. This problem will start roughly around the 30,000KM plus mileage. If you are a slow driver and seldom rev the engine hard you can delay this problem until 60,000KM or so...when the oil leak happens it does not affect the engine performance but just becoming an eye sore and if go unattended the leak will start to worsen or other parts of the top cover will start to leak. This problem can be solved and cause of the problem is the rubber gasket have failed prematurely and Proton only apply very little gasket seal around the top cover.
Red arrow marks area if the most common leaking places. Some owners will have leaking near the cam pulley cover just beside the top cover but the problem is all from the top cover gasket
Credit to Eilarazi for the picture


Original gasket sealant area from Proton, they only apply it around the area where the cam pulley is. Credit to Eilarazi for picture


So I will guide you here step by step on how you can change this top gasket yourself and learn a thing or 2 about your car during the process. This guide can be as a reference for any cars as the procedure is about the same. I apologize 1st for the lack of pictures because I have no helper during this DIY
some pictures are taken from eilarazi.blogspot.com and credits to the original person.

Tools you need
1. Flat head screw driver
2. Philips screw driver
3. Torque wrench (Optional)
4. Ratchet (small one) 1/4 or 3/8 + 8mm, 10mm and 12mm box socket and extensions
5. long nose pliers
6. pliers
7. Old rag
8. Old newspaper or magazine
9. Degreaser or heavy duty cleaner
10. Small plastic containers (a few of them)

Materials and parts you need
1. Top cover gasket
2. High temp gasket sealant ( I used this)


Step 1
Remove all the necessary sensors connectors and hoses from your top valve cover. Make sure to check thoroughly all the hoses and connectors to your sensors are removed. Then check again to make sure there's no more things attached to your top valve cover.

Step 2
Using your ratchet and sockets. Start removing your COP (Coil On Plug) or spark plug cables. In the case or Campro IAFM users, do take note to be extra careful with the COP boot as they are very prone to breaking and the rubber material is quite soft. I have broken 2 in the process of this DIY so for safety please do it patiently or just buy 1 or 2 of the COP on standby they cost less than 90 bucks a pop. During removal of the COP, EXTRA EXTRA care is needed and these COP tends to hold onto their place very tightly. Due to the breaking of the COP I notice some newer COP has the top part and the bottom part silicone glued together already to avoid such problems. The reason that the COP is holding very tightly in place is because there's a metal tube where the rubber boots sits + rubber and metal surface generate quite a lot of grip. I have no problem removing Cylinder 1 and 4 COP but Cylinder 2,3 was the ones giving problems.

This is the top of the COP


This is the rubber part that is very prone to breaking off the upper boot to the COP



This is the dust cover for the rubber part which is also prone to breaking if too much praying with sharp objects


Dust cover broke off and left bottom part inside the top valve cover. What should you do? don't panic, you can retrieve the bottom part after you have the valve cover removed. With the valve cover removed you can use flat head to pry the bottom part out slowly.


Step 3
After removing all the COP or plug cables you can use your ratchet to remove all the bolts on the top valve cover For Campro there's a total of 11 bolts need to be removed 3 on the cam pulley cover and 8 on the valve cover. After removing all the bolts keep them in a small container that you have prepared. This will avoid you from missing any bolts or mixing them with others. Then recheck again all the bolts are removed and no more bolts are holding the valve cover. Take you flat head screw driver and slowly slit it into the small gap between the top cover and the cylinder head then you slowly pry open the valve cover and it is off.

This is the sight you will see after removing the valve cover. Credit to Eilarazi for the picture


Step 4
With your old rags clean the oil residue around the cylinder head and the valve cover with heavy duty cleaner or degreaser. After cleaning off all the oil residue at the cycliner head area use some magazine to cover the cyliner head so to aviod any dust or foreign object from falling into it. Also remove the old gasket, after you have thoroughly clean the areas put in the new gasket and apply new sealant to the entire valve cover like below picture. Do apply them in a steady and adequate amount. Do not worry if you apply a bit too much as you can clean the sealant residue off after you put everything back.


Step 5
Put the valve cover back into the cylinder head slowly and making sure the valve cover is lined up nicely to the cylinder head this will avoid the uncured sealant from touching other parts during the process. After the valve cover is firmly fixed back you can start to put all the bolts back but not tightening them yet. Start tightening all the bolts with hands 1st before going with the ratchet. After all the bolts are hand tighten enough then you can start to tighten each bolt with your ratchet with the below sequence Start from 1 not forgetting the 2 bolts circled. On the tightening part of the valve cover bolts. After tighten them down firmly just add another 1/2 turn to it. Also the reason for using a 1/4 or 3/8 ratchet and not a full sized is because the bolts are small and could snap easily if over tighten with a full sized ratchet.


Step 6
Re-install and fix back all the connectors and hoses to the valve cover and install back the COP or plug cables. For COP cars, try not to tighten the COP too much just secure them firmly is adequate (I also apply a round of thin rubber grease RG4 around the rubber boot so that it don't grip the metal tube too strong this grease is for rubber and used in high temp for brake caliper oil seal. Clean off all the excessive residue along the edge of the valve cover.


You can also take this time to paint your valve cover if you want. Just clean the valve cover properly and masked off all the sensors holes and places that you do not wish to paint over. Do paint a high temp base coat 1st before putting down the colours of your choice.


Enjoy and Happy DIYing
For more DIY on Campro here's a useful link
http://eilarazi.blogspot.com/
 
Last edited:

stupidcar

5,000 RPM
Mar 18, 2013
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This is mine. A few calls and some long FB msgs. Thanks to you for clarifying.
I also learn from EilaRazi one :biggrin:
It was damnnn fun and exciting to see my cams.
The gasket when its out is still soft and rubbery for my case.
Seal Cam Cover (Part number: PW810724)
Part number will lessen the confusion.
I found out that the part you said leaked the most is because it isn't flat at all.
My nails can fit snugly in it. Other parts are all flattened.
Still, couldn't open my cam pulley cover to check if my RTV silicone is enough or not.
Cam Pulley Cover's gasket is as brittle as flour.



I used this RTV silicone. Most places applied, not all.


My COP isn't as brittle as your though. Only the end rubber boot is brittle.


Some layman experiences for CamPro.
http://www.zerotohundred.com/newforums/proton/442081-persona-owners-thread-2.html#post1064521654
 
Last edited:

TitanRev

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SC, on the COP part...it can break any where at the placed you and I mentioned. if it's not glued with silicone but I notice your COP all is silicone glued that's why it didn't break and easier to remove. You can notice the black shining ring around the rubber part. Mine don't have the silicone glue. Actually originally it was not glued so you can swap out the bottom part with performance one from TM works or change the ignitor spring inside to increase the spark of the plug. I apply the gasket marker all over just for safety...Hahahahaha
 

Supra_Fanatics

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SC, on the COP part...it can break any where at the placed you and I mentioned. if it's not glued with silicone but I notice your COP all is silicone glued that's why it didn't break and easier to remove. You can notice the black shining ring around the rubber part. Mine don't have the silicone glue. Actually originally it was not glued so you can swap out the bottom part with performance one from TM works or change the ignitor spring inside to increase the spark of the plug. I apply the gasket marker all over just for safety...Hahahahaha
What brand of heat base coat did u use bro? Can use primer?
 

TitanRev

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Any high temp base coat will do.
 

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