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Pinging, smoking, terrible running, all from a small gasket?

2K views 4 replies 4 participants last post by  M.J. 
#1 ·
How important is this seal in the valve cover?

Nissan part #13271-4M501

Very!

I have a 1997 Nissan 200SX SE - GA16DE

Just had a new upper tensioner installed at a shop. When we left the shop, the car started running really bad, pinging, smoking, no power... randomly. The car did not smoke before. It would not rev smoothly and sputtered, then it would sorta act fine, but start pinging again, loudly. Oddly, when it pinged, it would also smoke, a LOT, when it stopped pinging, it would stop smoking.

Got the car home and just checked on my phone the symptoms, and one person said it was a small rectangular gasket inside the valve cover. Drove the car again that evening and it still did the same thing.

I found the part they were talking about (many other people on forums) which seems to not come in most valve cover gasket sets, and the dealer had it for $8. They did not know anything about it at the parts counter and were surprised they had it. I told them about the symptoms and they had no idea.

Replaced the old gasket, the old one was a brick, must have been stuck in place until it was removed, and now the car is back to normal, revs fine, no smoke, no pinging.

I would not have suspected that such a small little gasket would cause so much trouble
 
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#2 ·
Yes, that's typical...Valve Cover breather gasket.
Without that gasket, the engine basically ends up attempting to suck raw oil into the intake and burning it. Would probably happen after a high-ish RPM run and some good vacuum, like when decelerating down a long hill...engine really draws up some vacuum and sucks oil.
As you've found out, when that gasket dries up, it all doesn't work so well.
And no, it doesn't come with most valve cover gasket kits...at least not the 3 I've bought in the past.
 
#4 ·
That's the one. Gets hard over time, loses it flex, cracks, breaks, pisses you off...all in the same little chunk of molded synthetic goo.
 
#5 · (Edited)
I just replaced an upper chain tensioner, in one of my 1.6l s. it still had a little life left in it, but got within a 1/16 of an inch from the metal base, at 21-22 years and 211,000. ( B-13)
The valve cover gasket was due a change because of leaking also. Before the repairs, I bought 2 of those parts, ( an extra for the other engine) rectangular gaskets before I even started.
Sure enough, when I took that valve cover off and looked at it, it was hard as a rock, even had to chip it off carefully to keep from breaking the breather tube.
It is a must replace, if you open that valve cover. Most parts stores will not even know what your talking about, or can't get it. I got mine, from Courtesy Nissan parts out of Texas.
 
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