Are valve cover bolts “torque to yield”?

@Clearwater Bill @cruxofthebisquit I have read a few places that I should replace the “Half moon pieces” along with the gasket?

 

No need to replace or remove the half moons unless they are leaking. But make sure you use sealant at the points where it's called for, usually along the top of the half moons. And clean the surface real good with brake cleaner on a clean towel before applying sealant.

You can also replace the pvc valve grommet while you have the cover off. It can be brittle and fall inward, so it's easier to do when you have the cover off.

Spark plug tube seals also. A kit might include all of these rubber parts and the rubber seals for under the bolts.

 

Does the 4 cyl. engine utilize them?
If so, it's really just a matter of re sealing your existing ones as a new one comes with no sealant in place. They're Aluminum, they don't wear. BE SURE yo reseal though as this is a common leak point.

 

I disagree with this completely but the reality is that it's a simple enough job that you can re do when the seal goes and it too leaks. Do it or not for your own research. I certainly used to take a more "If it ain't broke" attitude and still can if complicated to go ahead. This is not.

BTW: The rest of the info. is great.

 

You're probably right. Just pull the half moons, clean the surfaces well and put new sealant on. I guess most people use something like Permatex Ultra Black or is there something better?

 

Should I use any sealent around the gasket when replacing it? Like a silicone or anything to that effect? Or just put the gasket straight on?

 

I'm getting a little confused thinking about different engines. Engines with a timing belt usually have a semi-circular bearing the sticks up and there is a corner to the valve cover gasket. On these types of engines Toyota specifies putting sealant where this corner is. I don't think these 4-cylinder engines have this. They are flat all around the valve cover.

Toyota will usually specify putting sealant on top of the flat part of the half moons where the valve cover gasket sits because there might be a small gap/crack between the cylinder head and half moon. For some reason Toyota doesn't specify it in the 1996 rapair manual.

So, you just need the sealant on the circular part of the half moons where it contacts the cylinder head and it doesn't hurt to put it on the flat part of the half moon when you install the valve cover.

You don't need sealant all the way around. The bare metal and gasket should form a good seal, and putting sealant all the way around will just make it harder to clean if you ever need to remove the cover again.

 

The bolts themselves are NOT torque to yield, they are indeed reusable. The grommets though, Toyota says they are not reusable. If they are all still present, and in good shape, go ahead and reuse them!

 

My bad, it's a 2.7! No grommets! Disregard haha