Valve cover gasket life expectancy?

[hc1001]

Just wondering how much life you guys are getting from the VCG? OE BMW vs aftermarket.

I changed mine out in 4/10/13 with 129.5K miles. It developed some sweating that started at the front passengerside above the AC compressor last summer 2018 and now its leaking more from the front and rear passengerside corners(leaks always seem to get worse during the cold winter months. Shrinkage).

I used a Victor Reinz gasket the last time. Only lasted a little over 5 years and ~10K miles. I read the BMW gasket is of better quality. Thicker and softer.

[pbonsalb]

I just put a pair of AJUSA valve cover gaskets on my 08M3. Hope they hold up. Time will tell.

[LockDots]

Did you put some RTV on the half moons and metal-mating surfaces? Sounds typical of no-RTV in those sections if I remember correctly

[hc1001]

Yes i did. It was leak free for almost 5 years.

[pbonsalb]

Did you replace the rubber grommets for the valve cover bolts?

[AJLM34A]

I used a Victor Reinz gasket the last time. Only lasted a little over 5 years and ~10K miles. I read the BMW gasket is of better quality. Thicker and softer.

For $21.50, get an Elring which better than VR.

Screen Shot 2019-02-28 at 8.08.12 AM.png

[BMWManiac]

Until it leaks again :-)

I would say 5 years or 60k miles would be good. I only go about 3k miles a year now, so hopefully 20 years for me! We won't be able to drive our gas powered M3s by then anyways

[hc1001]

Yes the grommets were replaced at the same time as the VCG.

How long are the gaskets holding up for you guys? And what brand?

I think age and heat cycles is a bigger factor with this gasket than mileage but thats just my opinion.

[jayjaya29]

On the 95s with the mag valve cover, the life expectancy is way lower. I found that putting rtv on the head mating surface helps a lot.

[Moron95M3]

On the 95s with the mag valve cover, the life expectancy is way lower. I found that putting rtv on the head mating surface helps a lot.

Mine seems to leak a year later, I slightly overtorqued and that helped a tad. Ugh

[LockDots]

Mine seems to leak a year later, I slightly overtorqued and that helped a tad. Ugh

You're an ME, dammit. You should have known better! :P

[Braymond141]

You can't overtorque, they are cap nuts. The design of the fasteners is intended to bottom out and that's it. Any additional "torque" snaps the stud.

This sounds about right for Victor Reinz. Elring is my go to. Semi unrelated, but on the S54 no OEM gasket is guaranteed to seal... and they leak immediately (if they don't seal). Only OE BMW have a high success rate of sealing.

[Moron95M3]

^^Braymond, I know it's a top hat spacer there, regardless, maybe i had a fat gasket, or something, I was able to snug them down more than the low torque specified...and it made a difference. I think for me at the torque callout, the top hats weren't fully seated against the head (i.e. fat gasket or something).

[hc1001]

Thanks guys. I just swapped out the valve cover with an Elring gasket and grommets from fcpeuro.

It looks like the old gasket shrunk and no longer applied a seal to the mating surface, one of the grommets was leaking and cylinder 6 spark plug hole had some oil in it. I couldnt see where the rear leak was coming from tho.

The gasket was still flexible and soft but i guess it just compressed from age and no longer expanded.

[TostitoBandito]

When they get really old the rubber turns into something resembling hard plastic or glass. Super brittle and not flexible at all. My (original, I think) gasket had been leaking down the passenger side of the block and a little into the spark plug holes for quite some time before I replaced it. I paid the $60 or whatever for the genuine BMW gasket set plus the grommets, so I never have to deal with prying pieces of old gasket out of my valvetrain ever again. If you put RTV where it says to and your surfaces are clean then it shouldn't leak at all and I assume should be good for 10+ years at least.

[E85STI]

It seems like mine needs to be replaced about every two years.

[hc1001]

It seems like mine needs to be replaced about every two years.

What brand are you using?

[E85STI]

What brand are you using?

I don't remember the other brands I used but the most recent one is the Victor Reinz brand. Was not happy with the gasket when it arrived. At the half moon shaped areas the pieces that hang over the edges were not standing up straight but stuck to the curved area like it was formed wrong. Hard to explain what I mean. I will post a couple of photos.

VC Gasket.jpgVC Gasket 2.jpgVC Gasket 3.jpg


I was stuck on a Sunday afternoon and had to use a razor to separate it so it would stand up right. Had to try to fix it due to needing to drive it to work the next morning.

[TostitoBandito]

Yuck, that sucks. The genuine BMW one I put in last year was nice and supple and dropped in perfectly. It was only like an extra $20 or something, so I figured why not. Gaskets aren't super expensive.

[E85STI]

Yuck, that sucks. The genuine BMW one I put in last year was nice and supple and dropped in perfectly. It was only like an extra $20 or something, so I figured why not. Gaskets aren't super expensive.

Next time I have to do it, which is inevitable, I will spend the extra money for a genuine BMW one.