I was going to wait till Spring to post this but thought it might help someone doing this repair during the Winter. I apologize for not having more testing miles. Due to the weather we have been having my Crossfire is sleeping till Spring. I will update the results along with the accumulated miles once I bring it out of hibernation.

My 2005 Crossfire currently has 101k miles. I got my Crossfire in August of 2021 from a local Chrysler dealer. They attempted to fix a breather oil leak before I took possession. The passenger side they used a lot of RTV and the driver side not enough, so I had a slow leak from day one.

I have corrected the leak on both breather covers and that is what I want to share with you. I first tried grey RTV because I had it on hand, that didn't last long. However, what I found recently may be the answer to the breather leak problem, while using very little RTV.

Fluoroelastomer O-Ring Cord Stock Chemical-Resistant, Soft, Durometer 55A,3/32 Fractional Width, 395 degree temp, 3 ft. Length
The 3/32 size fits in the groove on the covers and holds in place while installing the covers. The soft Durometer of 55A allows the material to be compressed to provide a good seal and allows the full torque spec to be reached. RTV is only needed on the bolt hole lugs and one small area on the passenger cover between two lugs. Each cover took a 3 foot length to install the seal. This type of O-ring cord is excellent against gasoline and synthetic fluids. The 395-degree heat rating is more than enough for the application location. The driver side is one continuous cord, passenger side is two pieces. Both have a Dab of RTV at the joints. Due to the O-ring cord and the RTV being in the same temperature range and both rated for automotive use, I do not expect any conflict with two different materials.

I have installed this on both covers in my Crossfire and have done a test drive of around 60 miles with no leaks. I found the O-ring cord online thru McMaster Carr, I have purchased from them several times over several years and trust their product. My total cost for this was $27 … $7 each cord and $13 shipping. I also changed the five small aluminum bolts to the stainless steel while doing this fix.

This has worked for me and I hope it will work for others. As long as you use equal amount of care and prep as I have, you should have good results as well.

 

Ultra black RTV works. Let us know how well your experiment works out. Cleanliness is critical.

 

I will keep the forum updated, however, it will be Spring before I put any more miles on my Crossfire ... I did the same cleaning as I would for only using RTV

 

Great post!
Thanks for sharing!

 

Looks promising! Will be watching for updates.

 

I'd bet money this won't work, because you can't tighten those bolts enough (or CAN you?)
In any case, I am pinning this thread so it does not get 'lost' between now and spring. Let's see how this turns out.





OOPS, someone else already pinned it......

 

That was a concern, I checked clearance without the O-ring cord and checked it with the O-ring cord ,both with no torque and with torque ... on both test the bolt lugs bottomed out (came together) as they would with RTV And the clearance around the edge of the cover was the same ... reaching the 7ft lb torque was no more difficult than with RTV ... and the small stainless steel bolts were no different as well ... the softness of the O-ring cord compressed easy and at this time seems to have given a good seal ... if this does not work I will replace the O-ring cord with RTV

My reason for trying this is I find at times my hands get a little shaky and it is hard for me to apply a good even bead of the RTV ... I am just looking for a different way that I am able to do ... and we don't know if someone doesn't try ... I'm the guinea pig ... I appreciate the comments and questions, I will keep the forum updated

 

If using the 1x use aluminum screws doesn't allow enough long-term holding force to seal with the O-ring (DeKalb's follow-up seems to indicate they do), then I would say that a marine grade screw (provides anti-corrosion for use with the magnesium alloy engine parts) would need to be used to enable a higher torque setting on the smaller screws to seal the O-ring. (Note: I would not anticipate any issues with the torque holding settings on the larger screws, which have a 2-fold requirement: holding force for both crankcase breather covers & valve covers.) I have these anti-corrosion screws installed on my 2007 Coupe when I repaired the crankcase breather cover seal leaks. These allow me to check the torque values on the breather assemblies, along with the torque holding force on the valve cover screws, & re-set the holding torque found during inspection, when required. And my breather covers haven't leaked since I did the repair back in 2010. It is worth noting that the Valve Cover Gaskets haven't leaked on my 2007 Coupe & my checking these screws for proper torque every couple of years I believe has been a positive factor in the overall assembly.





I am interested to see how DeKalb's repair holds up.

 

I did replace the aluminum screws with the stainless steel which allows more force

 

If the weather holds as it has been forecast I hope to have an Update in a few days.

 

UPDATE ... Weather was not too bad ... I uncovered the Crossfire, put in a Bob Seger CD, and put more miles on the car, totaling 444 miles since installing the O-ring cord on the breather covers. I didn't plan on that number it was one of those things that just happens. I didn't think about taking a photo of my starting mileage until I was half way through, by then it was too late.

Results to date look very promising ... 444 total miles since installing O-ring cord in both breather covers ... Torque was checked about half way through and at the end of the test ... both times on both breather covers Turque checked to spec for all bolts concerned ... No seepage of any type ,at any location, on or around either breather cover.

I am very satisfied with the results I am seeing ... I will clean the car again and put it away till Spring, at which time I will continue to keep an eye on the breather covers and report updates as necessary.

 

Thank you for continuing your updates with us
I have made this thread a "sticky" which keeps it on the top in this section
Wishing you Happy Holidays

Gary

 

Updates are some of those things that help us learn ... an open mind doesn't hurt either
Happy Holidays to you as well

Chuck

 

Checked Breather cover Torque this morning after the engine had time to cool down ... Driver side all bolts/screws checked good ... Passenger side, valve cover bolt near the firewall took a little turn to reach Torque, all other bolts/screws checked good ... No seepage on either breather cover

 

I called Needs Wings and ordered a couple of items and ss I am on the process of installing new valve cover gaskets and changing the spark plugs I asked about how to seal the breather upper valve cover pieces..... that I had read black RTV gasket silicone was used. Maybe he was just trying to make a sale but he said Black RTV is NOT what to use. He sells a Mercedes sealant of some sort (about $37 I think) that Mercedes specifies.

​​​​​​​

 

I believe most use Permatex Ultra Black RTV ... I personally have some trouble applying the RTV (or any sealant) in a smooth manner ... I looked for other options and found none ... i did find the O-Ring cord and am giving it a try ... it is easy for me to apply and has held torque and sealed the breather covers thru my testing so far ... NeedsWings is a good place to get things we need for our Crossfires, and a good source of information ...
I'm not saying not to use the Mercedes sealant ... but I am sure most people use the Ultra Black RTV, and I am trying another option using the O-Ring cord ... whatever you use is your choice and your responsibility

 

I did not use the Black RTV sealant when I repaired the leaking crankcase covers on my 2007 Coupe. I used the Permatex® Ultra Grey® RTV Silicone Gasket Maker, which is recommended for high temp (-65F - 500F / same temp range as Ultra Black) applications plus withstands high vibrations (engines do shake). I did my repair back in OCT, 2009 and no leaks thus far. But I also check the torque on all the fasteners every couple of years. I've found these to loosen up over time (probably related to the weak aluminum screws used by M-B in this application). I have marine grade SS screws (the small ones) so they can be re-torqued, if required. Since I check the torque on all the crankcase breather & valve cover screws, I've not seen an signs of oil leakage in these areas. The valve cover gaskets on my 2007 Coupe are the ones the factory installed.. I'm convinced that the Marine Grade Crankcase Breather screws, which allow me to perform a torque check every 2 years, are a major contributor to the non-leaking assembly thus far on my V6.

 

I have not forgotten about this ... Indiana weather has been getting better ... rain most of this week, hopefully it will clean the salt residue off the roads ... I will be back out before long racking up miles and reporting back on my breather fix ...

 

Update ... Rain did clean off the roads ... have had the car out a few times, just over a hundred miles ... all breather and valve cover bolts and screws are holding torque ... no leaks or seepage from either side ... O-ring cord is doing it's thing ... will continue updates are I add miles

 

Thanks for the update!