Rocker Cover Gaskets

[oceanracer Moderated member Find all posts View Profile Close oceanracer]

This is another job for my list . Good info thanks

[RobboMC Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close RobboMC]

Mine has the same little issue at 199,000. I just nipped them up by hand with a 3/8" drive socket. You will need an expensive little torque wrench to measure 6Nm. But if you are going to go to the trouble of removing the covers then a new gasket would probably be necessary as in my DIY experience reusing a gasket is not worth the risk.

I finally got around to tightening up the LOWER bolts on my rocker covers. Yep, I know it's been 21 months, I've been busy.
I found I could turn each bolt about 1/4 to 1/2 turn for it to go 'tight'. Not overdoing it, but they were working loose as the gasket gets old.
The left side are easily accessible but obviously I removed the air box to get at the drivers side bank.

Sooner or later we will all have to bite the bullet and remove these rocker covers. I might ask Santa for one of those baby torque wrenches, will come in handy for the other cars I work on as well.

PS technically my son tells me they are camshaft covers as a twin cam engine has no rockers!

LOL.

[RobboMC Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close RobboMC]

My mechanic mate looked at my weeping engine last week and said he sees lots of Prado's with cracked rocker covers around the bolt hole nearest the oil filler.

So make sure that you tighten these bolts up evenly, tighten the centre bolt first, then the outer ones, progressively like a wheel.

A little torque wrench to get the torque accurate may be a good investment, cheaper than replacing a cracked cover.