[mizts]

Hi all.. recently acquired a 2000 ZTS and am curious if anyone has seen valve cover damage like this before. It wasnt really leaking cos the gasket is basically filling the gap, but any ideas as to the cause?

Also.. the P0420 code is present, and I've heard an exhuast leak could cause that.. would that include a leak between the block and the cat?

I'm thinking maybe exhaust gas? In any case do you have to remove the rad fan in order to get the heatshield covering the catalytic off? It doesn't seem like just loosening the PS hose is freeing it up enough.

Thanks in advance..

 

[mizts]

Well.. I found that the EGR tube bolt onto the manifold was hanging off so I thought that might have been the cause, but I tightening that back on and put on a new valve cover and ran the engine for a minute or two and it was hot again right around that spot, so I'm thinking there is must be some other exhaust leak.

Question: Which this more likely: a manifold gasket leak, a crack in the manifold itself, or a leak on the union with the cat?

tia

 

[mizts]

OK.. Well, the cat was blocked.. I replaced it with a Walker one..

However, the valve cover is still getting quite hot at the front, and there doesn't appear to be any manifold leak.

Could someone tell me does the front (exhaust) side of the zetec valve cover usually get a lot hotter than the back half? And if so, how hot.. too hot to touch?