# Valve cover seal replacement-is it easy?



## Karaya1 (Jul 9, 2006)

I was replacing my spark plugs today on a 2003 GTI vr6 w 149,xxx miles and noticed a little oil on two of the plugs, #3 and #6. The car is running very smoothly and has no noticeable loss of power and no oil leak/burn which makes me think its the valve cover seals. 
Is replacing the valve cover seals as easy as removing the valve cover gasket and swapping them out, or is it more involved? I've never removed the gasket on a VR6 and am curious if anyone can let me know if this is the case.
I figure ill replace the gasket seals while i am at it also.

Thanks.

Brian


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## apstguy (Apr 3, 2006)

Easy depends on how you see it. It requires you to take off the intake manifold (you must replace it's gasket every time you remove it), and to even be able to get to those bolts you must put the lock carrier into service position (remove the front of the car). Otherwise the gasket replacement is easy


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## Karaya1 (Jul 9, 2006)

Thanks for the quick reply.

Bit more work than other cars I've had after doing some research..

I think ill just keep monitoring it for a week or two and see how much oil builds up on the plug/ignition coil. The oil lightly builds up on the outside of the ignition coils and doesn't seem like it would prevent anything from working. 

I'm guessing this job would take quite a while and I'd probably go on a replacing/maintenance spree.

Anyone else experienced this oil leak before?


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## pushedpast (Aug 19, 2008)

*^ with... not so stupid*

I have the same problem with m 04 GTI, it's pushing 100k and has had a minor leak around the coils that i noticed when i changed the plugs at 75k, the problem is that the manifold really is a pain in the ass to remove, and if all you need to replace is the gaskets? i'd say it is a TON of effort for not much of a problem. I'll be doing mine when I replace my timing chain guides this summer, kuz I'll have to pull the manifold anywho


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## mycarsux (Dec 1, 2005)

I JUST did the spark plug seals and valve cover gasket (and other things) my thread is here.


http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?5277206-Spent-some-quality-time-with-the-VR6-today..


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## jaso028 (Aug 12, 2007)

I noticed my spark plug seals are bad to... Ugh! 

this looks ok, I need to change my coolant so it really might not be all that bad...


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## mkIVgladiator (Mar 6, 2013)

*jetta vr6 2.8L valve cover seal replacement-is it easy?*

yes ... this below is a copied forum from a 5 year old thread anyways here it is.....
I understand what you guys are going through, but you don't understand why the valve cover gasket is leaking in the first place, if you look carefully at the bolts, these vw engineers decided to put flat seats at the end of the valve cover bolt in the mk4 jetta .....these pictures should allow better visual understanding .... i had to use a grinder cutting wheel to take the seats off b/c i decided to go with cork/rubber composite material/black oil resistant RTV, as i did use the same combo for the oil pan.... b/c rtv alone won't hold up against oil,heat and air pressure.

as you see in the picture below that seat.... yeah thats no good, your gonna want to cut that tip off carefully not to destroy the bolt's threads.... actually easy once you get close from grinding ... to prevent damage to the thread... just break the tip off w/ plyers ... breaks right off once you grinded enough.

now i use lock washers because they fit tightly around the valve cover bolt, yes... you need washers for this piece of crap valve cover.... total of 8 the other two valve cover bolts are studs closest to the filler cap.................................. i found lock washers to be thick enough to space out the bottom of the bolt. This car is easy to work on but requires engineering and design modifications... if you can find a washer that can go around the seat of the valve cover bolt ... more power to you but i wasn;t going to chance it since i was using a significantly lower profile gasket.


image ru
now for here your gonna want 2 grind the half round gasket flat if your using the cork/rubber composite material but completely unecessary if you just buy a gasket but regardless if you buy a new gasket you will still have to follow steps above... i guarantee it!

i use cork b/c i'm hip, i still used rtv to stick the gasket so when i removed the bolts the gasket did not retract


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## zoidmk5 (Sep 17, 2006)

what you just posted is from a 12v VR6, not a 24V, which has the spark plugs in line in the middle of the head, which require small donut type gaskets to stop oil from leaking into the spark plug holes...that is the common failure on these motors, not so much the outer valve cover gasket


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## smi2710 (Sep 6, 2001)

where is everyone buying their 24v valve cover gaskets from for the best price. I'm about to do this job as well


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## Tiros (Apr 4, 2014)

smi2710 said:


> where is everyone buying their 24v valve cover gaskets from for the best price. I'm about to do this job as well


Might as well do the chains too, while your already in service mode and have all that crap apart.

Then of course, being the tranny is out might as well do the clutch too...


I got mostly all my stuff from ECS Tuning.


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## zoidmk5 (Sep 17, 2006)

Tiros said:


> Might as well do the chains too, while your already in service mode and have all that crap apart.
> 
> Then of course, being the tranny is out might as well do the clutch too...
> 
> ...


considering the VC gasket job is only a couple of hours, I would never say "while you're there, do chains and clutch" as that just extended the job to 3-4X longer...now if my clutch went bad and needed to be changed, then I would say def do the chains at the same time, but not for something so simple

I got mine from Urotuning...they had the best price, and I saw the parts in 2 days. just did mine a few weeks ago


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## 03gli401k (Jul 8, 2006)

Tiros said:


> Might as well do the chains too, while your already in service mode and have all that crap apart.
> 
> Then of course, being the tranny is out might as well do the clutch too...
> 
> ...


I find ECS and the Dealer to be close in price. I just go to dealer for connivance and a small discount


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## Tiros (Apr 4, 2014)

zoidmk5 said:


> considering the VC gasket job is only a couple of hours, I would never say "while you're there, do chains and clutch" as that just extended the job to 3-4X longer...now if my clutch went bad and needed to be changed, then I would say def do the chains at the same time, but not for something so simple
> 
> I got mine from Urotuning...they had the best price, and I saw the parts in 2 days. just did mine a few weeks ago


I was half kidding but half not.
Changing that gasket is at least 1/2 the job of doing the chains. Which seem to have a problem with stretching. So you know you have to remove the clutch to do the chains...who would put the old clutch back in? It's a project creep thing.

So if the OP has 150k or so, how long is the clutch good for? And the chains? So how much longer until he has to put the carrier back into service mode? Also to do the chains, the intake gasket will need to be replaced again.


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## codyleebanks (Mar 4, 2015)

I'll probably be crucified for saying this, but I bought mine off RockAuto and threw it on this week. I just picked up a Beck Arnley, but of course my gti has 201k on it so there's that.


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## zoidmk5 (Sep 17, 2006)

Tiros said:


> I was half kidding but half not.
> Changing that gasket is at least 1/2 the job of doing the chains. Which seem to have a problem with stretching. So you know you have to remove the clutch to do the chains...who would put the old clutch back in? It's a project creep thing.
> 
> So if the OP has 150k or so, how long is the clutch good for? And the chains? So how much longer until he has to put the carrier back into service mode? Also to do the chains, the intake gasket will need to be replaced again.


its a common mis-conception that 24V chains stretch like the 12V ones do...can they stretch? of course they can, but they aren't nearly as susceptible to stretching as the 12V's...12V guys typically do them every 80k-100k because they know the flaw, and do everything else at the same time. in a 24V, as they aren't as susceptible, but it can of course happen, I only recommend it if you are already fiddling with the trans and/or clutch

I'm not arguing with you in any way, just making it known to others that are reading, as anybody who thinks of anything VR6, sees thread after thread about doing chains, and most of the time, it pertains to 12V's



codyleebanks said:


> I'll probably be crucified for saying this, but I bought mine off RockAuto and threw it on this week. I just picked up a Beck Arnley, but of course my gti has 201k on it so there's that.


so long as the bolt holes line up and the gasket falls into the groove, who cares


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## PowerDubs (Jul 22, 2001)

My 24v has over 240,000 miles on the original chains and clutch. Changing the valve cover gasket is waaay less work than chains.


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## 02JttaGLI (Nov 23, 2010)

PowerDubs said:


> My 24v has over 240,000 miles on the original chains and clutch. Changing the valve cover gasket is waaay less work than chains.


What brand/weight oil you use? How often do you change it?


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## PowerDubs (Jul 22, 2001)

Mostly Castrol 5/40, changed probably around 7-8k.


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## 02JttaGLI (Nov 23, 2010)

Have you ever gotten it analyzed? I usually change mine around 5k, but maybe I don't have to... Are most of your miles highway? I've used Castrol 5/40 for years but recently switched to Liqui Moly 5/40.


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## vdubb24v (Dec 21, 2006)

PowerDubs said:


> My 24v has over 240,000 miles on the original chains and clutch. Changing the valve cover gasket is waaay less work than chains.




have you done the timing chain guides? 

What transmission fluid are you running? Brake fluid? 

Are your motor mounts stock? 


Sorry for the random questions, but one can learn from someone who has 240,000 miles and still on the stock chains and clutch. Thanks


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