Re: AMC I-6 Oil weapage / leakage / seepage

["Jim Blair" <carnuck@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

A: More like a design flop! Even I had trouble getting my Eagle's plastic 
cover to stop bleeding all over the place! (I redrilled the holes and fixed 
the way the aftermarket used cover I got mounted and even with black 
silicone I STILL had minor weepage at freeway speed!) Ford and Chev have 
been having major probs due to the same junk design. Ford is paying million$ 
to cure the 4.6L plastic intake problems.


From: farna@xxxxxxx
Subject: Re: AMC I-6 Oil weapage / leakage / seepage
To: mail@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Message-ID: <ADVANCES62ZbLAX3cf3000001cf@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>

I wouldn't exactly call it a "design flaw", though I know the plastic valve 
cover is much hated. It will warp over time, but the cars/engines were made 
to last around 10 years with few problems. That being the general design 
criteria, I'd say they met that. Most didn't start to leak until 15-20 years 
old. The last AMC car made was the 88 Eagle, it's 14 years old (but doesn't 
it use an aluminum valve cover?). A lot of the leaks are caused by people 
reinstalling too. The plastic valve covers really need to be snugged up but 
very little torque on the bolts. To much uneven pressure around it and it 
will always warp. Surfaces need to be squeaky clean before applying sealant 
too. It worked well, but I don't have an inch-pound torque wrench, and most 
mechanics wouldn't take the time on a valve cover unless they already knew 
it was a problem area. SO I agree with you in one respect -- it wasn't the 
brightest idea in the long run, but I wouldn't say it's a design flaw from 
an enginee!
 ring standpoint.


On October 18, 2004 Brien Tourville wrote:

> These engines ran a plastic valve cover that
> was a failure the day it was installed.
>
> AMC removed using a few of the bolts - why
> I'll never know - which allows the plastic to
> 'bulge' - allowing the gasket to fail in areas.
>
> The aging plastic warps - adding to the number
> of gasket failures.
>
> There have been a number of engine fires

> due to these Design Flaws.