09-17-2024, 12:28 PM
I’m working on my 2007 Ford Ranger with the 4.0L V6, and I’ve started noticing a few signs that are making me think my valve cover gasket might be shot. First off, there’s oil leaking down the side of the engine, which is already a headache. Then I’ve noticed a burning oil smell when the engine gets hot—probably from the oil dripping onto the exhaust manifold. And to top it off, when I pulled the spark plugs, there was oil on them too.
Does this sound like classic bad valve cover gasket symptoms? From what I’ve read, it seems like a pretty common issue, but I’m trying to figure out if I should tackle it myself. I’m handy enough to take a swing at it, but I’ve heard that if the gasket is hard to reach or there’s a lot of stuff to remove, it might be better to have a shop do it. Anyone replaced theirs before? How tricky was it?
Also, if I let this go for a while, am I risking more damage to the engine or just dealing with annoying leaks? Any advice would be awesome, especially if you’ve done this on your Ranger. Thanks!
Does this sound like classic bad valve cover gasket symptoms? From what I’ve read, it seems like a pretty common issue, but I’m trying to figure out if I should tackle it myself. I’m handy enough to take a swing at it, but I’ve heard that if the gasket is hard to reach or there’s a lot of stuff to remove, it might be better to have a shop do it. Anyone replaced theirs before? How tricky was it?
Also, if I let this go for a while, am I risking more damage to the engine or just dealing with annoying leaks? Any advice would be awesome, especially if you’ve done this on your Ranger. Thanks!