Vehicle Classics

How To Replace Your Car’s Valve Cover Gasket

While you’re driving, the moving parts of your engine are opening, closing, and shaking in a well-orchestrated symphony of activity. In order for everything to work properly, oil is needed in order to provide lubrication. Given the frenetic activity of your engine’s parts, it’s no surprise that oil is liberally splashed about.

You should be checking your oil level periodically to ensure that your engine has enough to properly lubricate the parts. If you notice that the level is consistently lower than it should be, you may have a leak. One of the areas that can develop leaks is the valve cover gasket (VCG).

A valve cover is bolted to the top of your engine (the cylinder head, specifically). The cover prevents oil from splashing over every component under your hood during operation. The VCG sits between the cover and your engine, and creates a seal. In effect, it keeps oil from escaping.

Over time, the gasket can dry out and develop cracks. If that happens, it will slowly lose its ability to provide a seal, allowing oil to leak. Fortunately, replacing the VCG is a simple process.

Step By Step Instructions

Before taking the valve cover off the gasket, first try to tighten it down. Occasionally, the bolts can become loose after thousands of miles. You might discover the leak can be resolved simply by tightening the cover.

Assuming the leak is still a problem after tightening the bolts, remove the valve cover. Every vehicle is a little different; the cover in your car may be surrounded by PCV hoses and cables, which you’ll likely need to disconnect.

Next, loosen and remove the bolts holding the cover in place on the cylinder head. Take the cover off while being careful not to let anything fall into the engine.

Your cover may be fitted with a groove that holds the valve cover gasket in place. Remove the VCG and look for residue along the perimeter of the cover. If any exists, scrape it off. Otherwise, it may play havoc with the seal of the new VCG.

The last step is to install the replacement valve cover gasket and bolt the valve cover back onto your car’s engine. Tighten the bolts, reconnect any of the hoses and cables that you had previously detached, and start your engine. The VCG should maintain a tight seal.

Replenish The Oil Until The Leak Is Repaired

If you’re unable to replace the valve cover gasket immediately, make sure that you keep the oil level in your car replenished. Too often, drivers neglect to keep the level up when their engine is leaking oil. If your engine lacks sufficient oil during operation, it can overheat due to excess friction. That will often cause expensive damage (a shame given that the gasket costs less than $20).

An experienced mechanic will probably be able to replace a VCG in less than an hour. If you intend to do the job yourself, set aside a few hours to make certain the gasket is installed properly.

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Driving Blunders That Can Have Disastrous Consequences

Getting behind the wheel can be dangerous. Even with the latest in automotive technologies improving driver safety, there remains the ever-present possibility of injury or worse. Exacerbating the problem, millions of drivers are overly-confident in their ability to operate their vehicles. Whether they’re putting on makeup, shaving, eating, or texting their friends, they can unwittingly pave the way for tragic results. Here is a list of 4 alarming things drivers do behind the wheel which endanger themselves, their passengers, and other motorists.

Driving While Exhausted

A study conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in 2007 reported that over 1,400 people were killed that year due to circumstances related to driving under fatigue. The fact is we lead busier lives today than ever before. More people are working additional hours in order to pay bills; some are even holding two jobs while juggling their other responsibilities. People often sacrifice sleep and get into their cars thinking they’re fine. In truth, the chances of their being involved in a traffic accident skyrocket. If you’re exhausted, don’t drive.

Driving Too Fast

The same overconfidence that makes people think they can multitask effectively behind the wheel leads many motorists to speed. Each of us has been on the highway and noticed another driver racing by as if propelled by a medical emergency. The problem is that motorists rarely have the level of control they assume they do. One false move can – and often does – trigger an catastophic accident that impacts multiple cars.

Running Against Traffic Lights

Law enforcement agencies have been noticing a rising trend in the number of motorists who are purposefully running through red lights. This often happens because drivers assume other cars will require a few seconds to react to their newly green light. Unfortunately, that is not always what happens. Sometimes, vehicles that are approaching an intersection are already traveling at a cruising speed; their drivers anticipate the light change. When the light turns green, they enter the intersection in less than a second. Running through red traffic lights is a major cause of deadly accidents.

Driving Under The Influence

Any list that discusses the deadliest blunders motorists make on the road would be lacking without the mention of alcohol. Despite nationwide campaigns to educate the public about the dangers of getting behind the wheel while drunk, fatalities continue to mount. One person dies nearly every half hour from a traffic accident related to drinking. In the 2007 NHTSA study mentioned above, it was also reported that over half of the motorists who were killed in auto accidents at night were drunk.

Even though automakers are designing advanced safety systems for our protection on the road, much of the responsibility for driving safely remains firmly in our hands. That responsibility should not be taken lightly.

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How Does Your Car’s Fuel Injection Work?

If compared side by side, today’s vehicles would look a world apart from their predecessors from a generation ago. The differences don’t stop at the exterior; they can be found deep under the surface (or, under the hood). The parts that were found in yesterday’s automobiles have been replaced by components which are more efficient, sophisticated, and durable.

While many older performance vehicles still use carburetors, newer models have largely moved to electronic fuel injection (EFI). Through a carefully-designed procedure of multiple parts working in seamless unison, your car’s EFI can deliver more power in a variety of driving circumstances.

In this article, I’ll describe the components which make up your electronic fuel injection assembly. I’ll also explain their respective functions as well as how they work together.

The Engine Controller

Often called the brain of your vehicle, the engine controller is a computer which keeps track of a variety of things while you’re driving. For example, it will monitor the position of your throttle, the oxygen sensor, and engine emissions. It also takes note of your current driving conditions. Whether you’re moving up a steep hill or coasting easily along the highway, the computer will identify the amount of gas required to deliver the performance you need.

Input Sensors

Computer programmers are familiar with the phrase “garbage in, garbage out.” The engine controller works on the same principle. In order to identify the amount of fuel required, it needs data. It receives that data from a number of input sensors. For example, it will watch a coolant temperature sensor to determine your engine’s operating temperature. It will monitor an oxygen sensor to identify the proper air and fuel mixture needed to maximize performance. There are also manifold absolute-pressure inputs and engine speed sensors that must be monitored.

As long as these sensors function properly, the computer can make accurate assessments. If one (or more) fails, the bad input data can cause a loss in performance.

The Injector

The injector is the order taker of your vehicle’s EFI system. As the inputs are delivered to the computer, the computer calculates how much fuel is optimal given your driving circumstances. The “order” is sent to the injector which fires the calculated amount into the combustion chamber. The firing is done as the injector’s nozzle opens and closes; the amount of time the nozzle is open is called its pulse width.

Your vehicle’s EFI system is able to deliver more efficient performance than a carburetor. Because a carburetor operates mechanically, it cannot effectively monitor all of the variables which change while you’re driving. By contrast, EFI leverages your vehicle’s computer to inject precise amounts of fuel based on airflow, engine temperature, voltage, rpms, and other criteria.

While the system is not as simple to fix if problems develop, EFI represented an important evolution in automotive technology.

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