Guest

I'm in the process of changing the valve cover gasket on my 258...it
leaks...shocker I know. I took the cover off and cleaned the crap out of it
with Simple Green. The inside is very dry now. So I put a new gasket on. I
fired it up for about 2 minutes and found yet another small leak. So today I
take it off and noticed that the top inside of the valve cover doesn't have
any oil on it at all...bone dry like the day I put it on. Wouldn't you think
that two minutes of running would be enough to get the oil out of the pan
and splash the top of the cover?? It got enough oil up to show a leak from
the bottom of the cover. My gauge is reading low...around 20-25 PSI. I just
recently bought the jeep (was a project) and the entire dash was out of
it..so I'm not sure if this is a guage/sender problem or not.
Allen
83 CJ7

DougW

ABanks5@columbus.rr.com did pass the time by typing:
> I'm in the process of changing the valve cover gasket on my 258...it
> leaks...shocker I know. I took the cover off and cleaned the crap out of it
> with Simple Green. The inside is very dry now. So I put a new gasket on. I
> fired it up for about 2 minutes and found yet another small leak. So today I
> take it off and noticed that the top inside of the valve cover doesn't have
> any oil on it at all...bone dry like the day I put it on. Wouldn't you think
> that two minutes of running would be enough to get the oil out of the pan
> and splash the top of the cover?? It got enough oil up to show a leak from
> the bottom of the cover. My gauge is reading low...around 20-25 PSI. I just
> recently bought the jeep (was a project) and the entire dash was out of
> it..so I'm not sure if this is a guage/sender problem or not.
> Allen

Was there oil on each of the rockers? The stuff that accumulates on the valve
cover gets there by condensation, not usually by splash. Although I think there
should be some by the rockers.

--
DougW

DougW

ABanks5@columbus.rr.com did pass the time by typing:
> I'm in the process of changing the valve cover gasket on my 258...it
> leaks...shocker I know. I took the cover off and cleaned the crap out of it
> with Simple Green. The inside is very dry now. So I put a new gasket on. I
> fired it up for about 2 minutes and found yet another small leak. So today I
> take it off and noticed that the top inside of the valve cover doesn't have
> any oil on it at all...bone dry like the day I put it on. Wouldn't you think
> that two minutes of running would be enough to get the oil out of the pan
> and splash the top of the cover?? It got enough oil up to show a leak from
> the bottom of the cover. My gauge is reading low...around 20-25 PSI. I just
> recently bought the jeep (was a project) and the entire dash was out of
> it..so I'm not sure if this is a guage/sender problem or not.
> Allen

Was there oil on each of the rockers? The stuff that accumulates on the valve
cover gets there by condensation, not usually by splash. Although I think there
should be some by the rockers.

--
DougW

DougW

ABanks5@columbus.rr.com did pass the time by typing:
> I'm in the process of changing the valve cover gasket on my 258...it
> leaks...shocker I know. I took the cover off and cleaned the crap out of it
> with Simple Green. The inside is very dry now. So I put a new gasket on. I
> fired it up for about 2 minutes and found yet another small leak. So today I
> take it off and noticed that the top inside of the valve cover doesn't have
> any oil on it at all...bone dry like the day I put it on. Wouldn't you think
> that two minutes of running would be enough to get the oil out of the pan
> and splash the top of the cover?? It got enough oil up to show a leak from
> the bottom of the cover. My gauge is reading low...around 20-25 PSI. I just
> recently bought the jeep (was a project) and the entire dash was out of
> it..so I'm not sure if this is a guage/sender problem or not.
> Allen

Was there oil on each of the rockers? The stuff that accumulates on the valve
cover gets there by condensation, not usually by splash. Although I think there
should be some by the rockers.

--
DougW

c

<ABanks5@columbus.rr.com> wrote in message
news:C1fub.9747$uw5.1177@fe2.columbus.rr.com...
> I'm in the process of changing the valve cover gasket on my 258...it
> leaks...shocker I know. I took the cover off and cleaned the crap out of
it
> with Simple Green. The inside is very dry now. So I put a new gasket on. I
> fired it up for about 2 minutes and found yet another small leak. So today
I
> take it off and noticed that the top inside of the valve cover doesn't
have
> any oil on it at all...bone dry like the day I put it on. Wouldn't you
think
> that two minutes of running would be enough to get the oil out of the pan
> and splash the top of the cover?? It got enough oil up to show a leak from
> the bottom of the cover. My gauge is reading low...around 20-25 PSI. I
just
> recently bought the jeep (was a project) and the entire dash was out of
> it..so I'm not sure if this is a guage/sender problem or not.
> Allen
> 83 CJ7
>
>

This really isn't an issue. Some engines (the 258 included) take a while to
get the oil flowing at the top end. Even then it may or may not splash the
valve cover at idle. Some engines will spray oil all over the place when the
lifters are being adjusted with the valve cover(s) off. As for having 20-25
PSI oil pressure at idle, that is perfectly fine. A good rule of thumb is to
have 10PSI pressure for every 1000RPM that the engine is turning, so at
4500RPM you should have 45PSI as a minimum. The gauge is easy to test. Just
ground the lead that goes to the sending unit and the gauge should max out.
The sending unit is a bit more difficult to test. You can hook up a
mechanical gauge and verify the sender is working properly, or just replace
the sending unit if you aren't sure about it. They aren't very expensive.
This is why I really prefer mechanical oil pressure gauges. They are much
more reliable than the electrics, and also respond to pressure changes
faster.

Chris

c

<ABanks5@columbus.rr.com> wrote in message
news:C1fub.9747$uw5.1177@fe2.columbus.rr.com...
> I'm in the process of changing the valve cover gasket on my 258...it
> leaks...shocker I know. I took the cover off and cleaned the crap out of
it
> with Simple Green. The inside is very dry now. So I put a new gasket on. I
> fired it up for about 2 minutes and found yet another small leak. So today
I
> take it off and noticed that the top inside of the valve cover doesn't
have
> any oil on it at all...bone dry like the day I put it on. Wouldn't you
think
> that two minutes of running would be enough to get the oil out of the pan
> and splash the top of the cover?? It got enough oil up to show a leak from
> the bottom of the cover. My gauge is reading low...around 20-25 PSI. I
just
> recently bought the jeep (was a project) and the entire dash was out of
> it..so I'm not sure if this is a guage/sender problem or not.
> Allen
> 83 CJ7
>
>

This really isn't an issue. Some engines (the 258 included) take a while to
get the oil flowing at the top end. Even then it may or may not splash the
valve cover at idle. Some engines will spray oil all over the place when the
lifters are being adjusted with the valve cover(s) off. As for having 20-25
PSI oil pressure at idle, that is perfectly fine. A good rule of thumb is to
have 10PSI pressure for every 1000RPM that the engine is turning, so at
4500RPM you should have 45PSI as a minimum. The gauge is easy to test. Just
ground the lead that goes to the sending unit and the gauge should max out.
The sending unit is a bit more difficult to test. You can hook up a
mechanical gauge and verify the sender is working properly, or just replace
the sending unit if you aren't sure about it. They aren't very expensive.
This is why I really prefer mechanical oil pressure gauges. They are much
more reliable than the electrics, and also respond to pressure changes
faster.

Chris

c

<ABanks5@columbus.rr.com> wrote in message
news:C1fub.9747$uw5.1177@fe2.columbus.rr.com...
> I'm in the process of changing the valve cover gasket on my 258...it
> leaks...shocker I know. I took the cover off and cleaned the crap out of
it
> with Simple Green. The inside is very dry now. So I put a new gasket on. I
> fired it up for about 2 minutes and found yet another small leak. So today
I
> take it off and noticed that the top inside of the valve cover doesn't
have
> any oil on it at all...bone dry like the day I put it on. Wouldn't you
think
> that two minutes of running would be enough to get the oil out of the pan
> and splash the top of the cover?? It got enough oil up to show a leak from
> the bottom of the cover. My gauge is reading low...around 20-25 PSI. I
just
> recently bought the jeep (was a project) and the entire dash was out of
> it..so I'm not sure if this is a guage/sender problem or not.
> Allen
> 83 CJ7
>
>

This really isn't an issue. Some engines (the 258 included) take a while to
get the oil flowing at the top end. Even then it may or may not splash the
valve cover at idle. Some engines will spray oil all over the place when the
lifters are being adjusted with the valve cover(s) off. As for having 20-25
PSI oil pressure at idle, that is perfectly fine. A good rule of thumb is to
have 10PSI pressure for every 1000RPM that the engine is turning, so at
4500RPM you should have 45PSI as a minimum. The gauge is easy to test. Just
ground the lead that goes to the sending unit and the gauge should max out.
The sending unit is a bit more difficult to test. You can hook up a
mechanical gauge and verify the sender is working properly, or just replace
the sending unit if you aren't sure about it. They aren't very expensive.
This is why I really prefer mechanical oil pressure gauges. They are much
more reliable than the electrics, and also respond to pressure changes
faster.

Chris

Joe

Odds are if the cover leaked then there is oil present.
Next time you seal the cover, use the gasket sealer on both sides of the
gasket and let it sit a good 24 hours before starting the engine. That
should stop the leaks.


<ABanks5@columbus.rr.com> wrote in message
news:C1fub.9747$uw5.1177@fe2.columbus.rr.com...
> I'm in the process of changing the valve cover gasket on my 258...it
> leaks...shocker I know. I took the cover off and cleaned the crap out of
it
> with Simple Green. The inside is very dry now. So I put a new gasket on. I
> fired it up for about 2 minutes and found yet another small leak. So today
I
> take it off and noticed that the top inside of the valve cover doesn't
have
> any oil on it at all...bone dry like the day I put it on. Wouldn't you
think
> that two minutes of running would be enough to get the oil out of the pan
> and splash the top of the cover?? It got enough oil up to show a leak from
> the bottom of the cover. My gauge is reading low...around 20-25 PSI. I
just
> recently bought the jeep (was a project) and the entire dash was out of
> it..so I'm not sure if this is a guage/sender problem or not.
> Allen
> 83 CJ7
>
>

Joe

Odds are if the cover leaked then there is oil present.
Next time you seal the cover, use the gasket sealer on both sides of the
gasket and let it sit a good 24 hours before starting the engine. That
should stop the leaks.


<ABanks5@columbus.rr.com> wrote in message
news:C1fub.9747$uw5.1177@fe2.columbus.rr.com...
> I'm in the process of changing the valve cover gasket on my 258...it
> leaks...shocker I know. I took the cover off and cleaned the crap out of
it
> with Simple Green. The inside is very dry now. So I put a new gasket on. I
> fired it up for about 2 minutes and found yet another small leak. So today
I
> take it off and noticed that the top inside of the valve cover doesn't
have
> any oil on it at all...bone dry like the day I put it on. Wouldn't you
think
> that two minutes of running would be enough to get the oil out of the pan
> and splash the top of the cover?? It got enough oil up to show a leak from
> the bottom of the cover. My gauge is reading low...around 20-25 PSI. I
just
> recently bought the jeep (was a project) and the entire dash was out of
> it..so I'm not sure if this is a guage/sender problem or not.
> Allen
> 83 CJ7
>
>

Joe

Odds are if the cover leaked then there is oil present.
Next time you seal the cover, use the gasket sealer on both sides of the
gasket and let it sit a good 24 hours before starting the engine. That
should stop the leaks.


<ABanks5@columbus.rr.com> wrote in message
news:C1fub.9747$uw5.1177@fe2.columbus.rr.com...
> I'm in the process of changing the valve cover gasket on my 258...it
> leaks...shocker I know. I took the cover off and cleaned the crap out of
it
> with Simple Green. The inside is very dry now. So I put a new gasket on. I
> fired it up for about 2 minutes and found yet another small leak. So today
I
> take it off and noticed that the top inside of the valve cover doesn't
have
> any oil on it at all...bone dry like the day I put it on. Wouldn't you
think
> that two minutes of running would be enough to get the oil out of the pan
> and splash the top of the cover?? It got enough oil up to show a leak from
> the bottom of the cover. My gauge is reading low...around 20-25 PSI. I
just
> recently bought the jeep (was a project) and the entire dash was out of
> it..so I'm not sure if this is a guage/sender problem or not.
> Allen
> 83 CJ7
>
>