I replaced the valve cover gasket for the car more than one year ago and now the oil literally flows out from the gasket area above the alternator.
It doesn’t flow continuously but once it a while.
There’s nothing looking bad but the area around spark plug is damaged. This baffled me as there appears to be a strong impact on it. What could cause this? Do I need a new valve cover?
It looks like the spark plug hole is eroded away not hammered. The deposits on the inside of the cover indicate high miles and not nearly enough oil changes.
Yes you need a new valve cover. Or at least a better one than this.
That is pretty corroded. Normally something you will see with lots of short trips where the condensation doesn’t get fully burned off. In order to use any sealant, that will need to be thoroughly cleaned of any oil residue and loose material. However, bear in mind that the material those existing seals are made from is unlikely to adhere to any kind of RTV type gasket sealers. It can’t hurt to try other than redoing it if it fails. But it must be clean and bone dry before applying any sealant. I would soak that entire casting in my tank but you might get away with something like brake cleaner sprayed in that localized area and scrubbed to clean it…
