Hey guys,

New Crossfire (coupe, 2005, MT) owner here. I'm a total Crossfire newbie but I love it. Already getting tons of compliments.

I recently got it checked out by a mechanic post-purchase and was told that the valve cover gaskets, and oil separator needs to be resealed. He said that the dripping oil could ruin the starter and cause other larger problems down the road. Estimated cost around $400-$500 dollars.

Does the cost sound right to you guys? And is this a necessary repair? Sounds like it might be. For what it's worth, I have a state inspection coming in May that I'll need to pass.

I'd really appreciate any thoughts, thank you so much!

 

It IS a necessary repair, but a totally do-able DIY if you can turn a wrench at all.
Usually the rubber valve cover gaskets are OK, but are also cheap to replace if you are not sure.
The valve cover vents are the main leaking area, and are much easier to repair with new RTV if you remove the valve covers to do it.
( you can also clean everything up with gas while you have them off )
There is a stickey here somewhere about this DIY ......

 

Thank you for your response, AlA_Xfire. Ill try to locate the DIY article. If I ended up taking it to a mechanic, does the $400 - $500 repair estimate sound right to you? Mechanic said there was a decent amount of labor involved for everything.

 

The ONLY labor intensive job is removing all the old RTV completely, so the new RTV can make a good seal.

( but if you do the RTV reseal with the valve covers still on the engine, you stand a good chance of introducing contaminants, and that ain't good if, for instance, an old piece of RTV blocks a small oil passage somewhere )

 

His price is ridiculous. Unless his shop time rates is $200 an hour. Then he is spot on.... It's better to do it yourself. One reason being you can take your time to clean the vent cover up, and apply the RTV. I would let the RTV set up so it will form a good seal. Say 2-3 hrs, overnight if possible. Then put the covers back on. You may have some seepage around the oil filter housing which is from a poor seal when they replaced the filter. That you can take care next oil change. That is about all that leaks in the beginning. I am sure beyond 100K miles, the valve cover gaskets will need replaced as well.


Shop Hours: 1 hour... If in the Christmas spirit 1.5 Hours tops.

 

Thank you guys, I really appreciate all of the insight.

I just took some pictures of the leak under the hood (you can see the leakage underneath the car when it is on a lift too). Given the mechanic's quote seems way over the top, and the guy has been trustworthy to date, I want to make sure I've described the problem accurately. Here are the pics:

 

Classic valve cover vent leaks ......

Mine looked pretty much the same when I bought it at 42K miles.
56K now, and not another drop has leaked after the DIY.
( but not really fair, I recently replaced my covers with black crinkle paint covers, and no leakage there either. )

 

Have you even tried to just tighten them down a bit?

 

Leaving this sitting overnight means it will set up pretty good and if you apply the RTV with ripples in it then the ripples may leak at the deep spots.You need to get the top and bottom faces of the RTV nice and flat. You leave some of the RTV brands a couple of hours lightly nipped together and then tighten it to specification, this ensures that the top and bottom surface of the RTV is flat and matches the two metal faces.
Always follow the directions of the RTV manufacturer.

 

Thanks so much guys. You saved me $500. I found the DIY thread and will be trying it with a buddy of mine once things warm up a little. I really appreciate it!

How long do you think this will take (aside from letting the sealant set) for two guys who know how to turn a wrench but not much else? Any risk of us messing something royally up in the process as total noobs?

 

Not much chance of messing up. Make sure you have all the necessary tools on hand before starting.
( torx bits, NM torque wrench, good quality RTV, clean place to work, some replacement hose of both sizes, 12 pack of Corona )

 

The 12 pack of Corona.....is the LAST step in the process....trust me on this one....

 

Any advantage of using the Mercedes Engine Sealant RTV Factory Silicon Sealant sold by Needswings?