Q about my new valve cover.

[lookin]

I just got a new front valve cover today, and the inside is coated with what looks like black primer. There is a bit of over-spray though inside, near the humps for the cam end seals, from when they shot the outside with primer before painting it silver.

The over-sprayed area is not very smooth, but it is not terribly rough though. Still this worries me a little.

Is this normal? Or should I smooth that area before I install it this weekend? Is there some sort of DIY oil shed coating I could spray the insides with? Or would doing that be just plain silly?

Also:

I notice the 3 little drain holes for the baffle, that are spaced like 2 inches apart running along the length of the cover, are really rather tiny. I wonder if I should enlarge them. Or would that be a bad idea?

I use Mobil1 oil and change it often, and so maybe it will stay clean behind the baffle now. I am guessing the dyno oil used, by the previous owner for it's first 46,000 miles, is what caused it to get a little clogged up.

Thanks in advance to any one who answers my silly questions.

[black86glhs]

I used to enlarge or drill more holes in many 3.0 valve covers. I took care of a lot of oil burning problems this way. Some had even had the valve seals done. Ever notice that not many Mitsu's or Hyundai's that used the same engine don't burn oil, but the dodges do?

[lookin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by black86glhs I used to enlarge or drill more holes in many 3.0 valve covers. I took care of a lot of oil burning problems this way. Some had even had the valve seals done.

OK. Thanks for telling me. I am probably going to enlarge those drain back holes just a tad now.

Quote:

Originally Posted by black86glhs Ever notice that not many Mitsu's or Hyundai's that used the same engine don't burn oil, but the dodges do?

No, I didn't know that. I would sure like to see what their valve covers look like inside.

The major oil consumption issues, I thought I had, turned out to be a leaky seal where the oil filter mount bolts to the block. A real mechanic spotted it for me. Obviously I am not a real mechanic, but I think it only leaked when the oil pressure increased at higher RPMs, and that's why I never saw any on my garage floor.

I have some remaining PCV issues and very minor OC though. I wonder why my plugs look so good, and it isn't smoking visibly? I think maybe the MSD 6A CDS is keeping the plugs clean, and not enough oil is blowing by and burning to make visible smoke.

I use a MOPAR (made in Japan) PCV valve, and I get 20"Hg at 1000 rpm in neutral. Since there are no signs of serious blow-by, then the new front valve cover will probably fix things.

I have never done a valve cover R&R before, but it looks like it will be easy. It should only take my newbie butt twice as long as one of you guys.

Thanks a bunch for the feedback.

[black86glhs]

The 3.0's are easy. I'm an ex-GM master tech, so I do have some mechanical abilities. I'm still learning the Dodge stuff at times myself. AN old mechanic told me how he was fixing the oil burning on most of the 3.0's without putting valve seals in them. Dodge has a bulletin on enlarging or adding drain holes to eliminate the problem. Oil gets above the baffle and can't drain out before it gets sucked through the pcv system. We did it to my friends Caravan and watched the oil burn stop completely within a couple of minutes.
The engines are turned 180 degrees from ours and use a different valve cover. Sometimes the drain holes get sludged up, thats why they want you to enlarge them.

[lookin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by black86glhs AN old mechanic told me how he was fixing the oil burning on most of the 3.0's without putting valve seals in them. Dodge has a bulletin on enlarging or adding drain holes to eliminate the problem.

Do you know how I can get a copy of that TSB?

I wonder if the new dealer part VC, I just got, is improved over the one they speak of in that TSB.

[black86glhs]

Dealer will have it, but not likely to print it out for you. Could call Chrysler at the 1-800 number and see if they can help you.

[lookin]

Thank you so much for your help tonight.

[black86glhs]

your welcome. Nice that I could help someone instead of always needing it...lol.

[RoadWarrior222]

Interesting stuff, got a spare valve cover I think that I'll have to take a closer look at. Think I've only got the front one, doh, came in a box of random parts.

[lookin]

All the experienced 3.0 mechanics, I asked, said the exact same thing. The front valve cover baffle, can't be adequately cleaned, and it must be replaced.

The previous owner of my 3.0, was the original owner, and it had always been dealer serviced. The 5/50 warranty had just run out, at 5 years with 46,000 miles on it, when I bought it.

The dealer always changed the oil, with some sort of cheap dyno apparently, and although I immediately changed it to Mobil1 and kept using it that did not clean it out.

So after years of merely adequate PCV, the baffle got a little more clogged over time despite using Mobil1, reducing PCV a bit more. Eventually even I was able to finally to do the math, as to the likely cause, and I began to ask around about the vc issue and my suspicion was confirmed.

Now I am seriously considering enlarging the drain back holes also, and I wonder if some sort of oil shed coating, or something, would prevent the problem from reoccurring. My new valve cover is coated with black primer inside, and I think repainting the inside, after enlarging the drain back holes, may help.

I am not sure what would be best. I don't want to just make assumptions and screw up my new valve cover. So my first step will be getting a copy of the TSB, black86glhs so kindly mentioned, about enlarging the drain back holes.

I am asking you guys about this, because you guys know as close to everything about 3.0s as is possible. I hope that maybe one or two of you will be kind enough, to help me with this issue, even though "I am less than popular" here. I figure it is worth a try anyway.

[lookin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RoadWarrior222 Interesting stuff, got a spare valve cover I think that I'll have to take a closer look at. Think I've only got the front one, doh, came in a box of random parts.

Thanks. I would love your input on this.

[lookin]

I took a longer look at my new valve cover today, and it really isn't bad inside. The primer is on pretty even really.

I was also wrong about the drain back holes. They are not 2" apart as I said earlier. There are three holes, but the one nearest where the PCV hose pipe is, is about 10mm not 3mm, the second one is about 5" away not 2" as I said, and it is about 5mm not 3mm. The third hole is down on the end corner and is about 4mm.

Don't know why I remembered it wrong as I did. I had looked at it just hours before.

[RoadWarrior222]

Well I found mine...


Not totally sure what year this is by the way. I got it at a yard sale, basically a trunk full of 3.0 and van parts for a few bucks. The guy was talking my hind leg off all the while, some long yarns, so kind of lost track.. But most of the parts were off the '89 he'd just sent for scrap I beleive, but he'd had a '90 before it, and I guess some might have been spares he'd picked up. So it's about 60% likely to be '89 30% a '90 and 10% anything else.

Anyway, this one seems pretty clean really, no signs of sludging, just that typical baked on brown look. I can see what might be happening from the design of it though...

Most of the drain holes there will be at the front of the vehicle when installed. The PCV breather comes out about 3/4 of the way across to the right of the pic, nearly on the centerline but just toward the holes side. So, what I can imagine happening is that when you're accelerating hard, the oil is flying about, and maybe collecting in the back of the baffle plate there. Your suspension will load to the rear and the engine will rear back on it's mounts a bit, all working to trap the oil up there. Which isn't really a problem until....... you let off the gas suddenly, then you get sudden high vacuum and the engine probably slurps up a teaspoon of oil out of the PCV system, because it doesn't drain back fast enough.

Now one can also imagine the baffles getting really clagged up over time, engine heat is rising up, and your engine will be hottest in periods of hard acceleration, when it's throwing most oil up, and getting more stuck up there. So it's pretty inevitable that it gets baked on up there. Eventually, it's completely blocked, your PCV system isn't a PCV system anymore. Then oil starts forcing it's way past the valve seals and down the guides to release pressure. I can see this in extreme circumstances practically blowing the valve guides out. So did they fall or were they pushed?

Also being at the front of the engine, where is most of the oil dripping? Onto the exhaust valves, hmmm, now where do we suspect most guide related oil consumption at idle? Yeah, dripping down the exhaust valve guides and burning up in the exhaust port.

So it looks to me like improving the drainage up here is a very wise thing to try to accomplish. Quicker drainage should mean it won't suck oil on sudden vacuum after hard/fast running, it should mean that there's less up there to bake on and clog things up, and it should mean that if the seals and guides are a bit on the loose side already that oil will only drizzle over them briefly at idle and not just drip feed them continually.

The prospect of a cleaning job looks a little nightmarish, considering you can't see how you're doing. I would think that a spell in a "hot tank" such as used for block cleaning might at least soften things up enough that you'll get most of it out blasting it through with hot water, then compressed air. Alternatively one could consider soaking it in varsol or similar for a day or two to get things softened up.

It could be an idea to figure out some kind of "windage" plates for welding into them to catch larger drops of oil and let them drip back before they get up there and bake on, or get slurped out when vacuum goes high suddenly. I'm thinking a couple of longitudonal ridges. Actually, you could probably do it by pop rivetting a splayed section of thin "U" channel down the length of it. You'd have to fit it carefully to make sure it didn't catch on any valvegear though.

At the minute I'm thinking I'd poke 3 holes in the back, between valves to stop any oil pooling under hard acceleration. I'd like to see that TSB though to see the "approved" method of dealing with the problem. Anyone have access to alldata? Is it on there?

RW222

[lookin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RoadWarrior222 Well I found mine... Not totally sure what year this is by the way. So it's about 60% likely to be '89 30% a '90 and 10% anything else.

That looks exactly like the brand new "1995 one" I just got from the dodge dealer!

So either they have not changed, since 1989-90, or I got an old style brand new one.

I really need to see that TSB.

Another thing I now realize. I really suck at trying to describe how things look.


Thanks for posting that pic RoadWarrior222! .... and thanks for your ideas too.

[lookin]

Saaay. How do we know if following the mighty DXC TSB, about this enlarging the drain-back holes mod, even helps for that matter?