Valve cover leak?

[pwagon717]

Story:

I was getting drop of oil on the manifolds at start up. Some smoke for like 2 miles, then after that it goes away. Decided to change the valve cover since I thought it was the problem. Changed the valve cover the first time, it started to leak more oil from the two bolts at the bottom rear of the engine. Took it apart again added some sealant. During that stage, I snapped the stud for one the valve covers. Ordered two more from Blunt. Switched everything out again. Start the engine to watch if it is leaking again. Once again it is seeping from this area and leaving a puddle underneath the car. Valve cover changing should be some basic stuff, but this turning into a problem:

Bolts at bottom rear (leaking area)

X_____X_____X

Questions:

Do I need proper torque on these?
Should I add RTV this area?
OR is it leaking from somewhere else?

[Jand3rson]

I did a thin layer of silicone on both sides of my valve cover gasket, and after running it a few times for 15-20 minutes and driving it once, no evidence of a leak anywhere.

I have, however, heard of many people with slightly warped valve covers that just don't seal properly, doesn't matter how much sealant you use. Check the underside of your valve cover with a straight edge for flatness.

[ck_taft325is]

IIRC the service manual actually states you should squeeze a bit of RTV/Silicone on the back and front of the head and the VC to prevent small blowby. I'm not 100%.

[EduardoGomez]

If you are using valve cover from 92-95 the magnesium will react with the paint coating where the gasket rides, then the paint lifts up and created the leak. What you got to do is clean all the paint from the valve cover where the gasket rides, so that the gaskets seals against bare metal instead of paint.

[bostonbmw]

Check to make sure your exhaust is not touching the subframe. I had a similar issue that was solved when I modified the exhaust to clear the subframe.

[e30s50dan]

had this problem on my S50...first, use the good valve cover gaskets from the factory or pelican parts,not from advanced auto or auto zone..I then used a thin layer of silicone on the complete bottom of gasket(near exhaust) and front and rear ,then TORQUED to factory specs

knock on wood,mines been fine!

[surebimmer]

Did you replace the valve cover grommets? Replace those and see if the leak is still present.