I am getting ready to replace, for the second time, the seal for the cam cover. It is leaking at the same and probably usual place, the left hand rear corner. The first time I replaced it I used a grease that we use for gaskets on airplane engines. Airplane engines get really hot and that grease has always done well in that application. It is called Fuellube. Well, when the first seal leaked it turned out the grease had hardened like a rock and was a b...h to clean up. I called a jag shop and was told to put the seal in dry. So I did. Now it is leaking again. First seal replacement was at about 75K miles. Now it has 124k miles on the X300.

And suggestions as to how to keep this seal from leaking again?

Thanks guys and gals.

 

I use a small bead of black RTV in the groove and a slight smear of black RTV on the flat (still useing the rubber one piece gasket of course)....a dab at each half moon corner and then tourqe to spec, let dry overnight and into the next day if possible before starting then drive about a 100 or so miles and give each fastener a "tweek" tight. That's my method, so far so good...now where's that piece of wood?

 

I installed mine dry except for, as mentioned above, a dab of sealant (I use permatex #2) on the half-moon sections.

It was fine for a few months but then started leaking at the corners. Lucky me the fix here was to simply retighten the fasteners. I dunno what the spec is but this second time I tightened them a bit more than I'd normally be comfortable with. I reckon I was a bit too gentle the first time.

All's well ....no leaks....for the last year or so.

Cheers
DD

 

Do the cam covers perhaps warp? It might be worth laying it on a flat surface to find out, or fitting it dry without a gasket to check all around with feeler gauges.