OT-Honda - V-6 woahs

[challenger]

I am doing a lot of top end work on my 08 i-vtec odyssey. The front valve cover is shot and I just discovered that the rear is not great but, I think, it serviceable. The problem with these covers is that they get holes in them from the aluminum deteriorating. This happens around the spark plug seals. The front one is costing me over 200.00 unexpected $. Anyone else with one of these nightmare vehicles. There are a lot of theories but mine is galvanic action coupled with poor design and materials.

I'll never buy another Honda.

[nickel-city-fab]

Do they use salt on the roads where you live? It looks like that kind of corrosion.

[Michael Edwards]

I'll never buy another Honda.

AK BOOMER just took his shirt off.

[wmgeorge]

Its just a valve cover holding in no pressure oil and no water like heads do? If so I would just clean it up and use silver RTV or epoxy.

[A.K. Boomer]

AK BOOMER just took his shirt off.

Lol No - no - no, it's not the cars fault --- he just needs to move to another state ---- that's freaking horrible!!!

[MattiJ]

Some of the cracks look like there is something weird going on with the valve cover. Like residual or assembly stress related corrosion/cracking.
Should be really fun TIG project

[A.K. Boomer]

Actually could be high magnesium content also --- mag does do funny things in certain "environments" and sometimes it seems like it just needs a little push and off it goes into self destruction mode...

[chipmaker4130]

A 'woah' on a motor vehicle is best effected with the brake pedal. On a horse, the reins work well!
(teasing you, of course)

[challenger]

No salt used on the roads here in SE NC. I will NEVER live in such a climate. Life is too short to be stuck in cold weather IMO.
I have to assume that the covers are indeed high magnesium content and, although I don't have a TIG machine, my guess is that trying to weld this garbage metal would result in a bunch of rolling balls of molten pot metal.
The front valve cover was beyond repair as the holes for the plug seals were actually corroded through in several places. In addition, cylinder #5 spark tube hole was oblong due to the heat (I suppose?) generated by a badly cracked coil pack.
Lastly, FWIW, the front cylinder bank is fouled with an incredible amount of sludge. I will own this because I never changed the PCV valve. This resulted in a collapsed breather tube AND a PCV valve that was broken into pieces and required the removal of the valve cover which was coming off regardless because of the oil leak.
Thanks goodness this vehicle was replaced with a new Kia Sportage. Im fixing it to give to my daughter who is expecting her second nose picker. I'll drive it to KY and bring her Subaru outback back as "payment". That one needs a head gasket.
Im screwed 😁

[A.K. Boomer]

Hey -- for what it's worth you got me thinking, did these covers ever have little ground straps connected to them and were taken off a long time ago???


I ask this question because iv done hundreds of valve adjustments on the little houndawg in-line 4 bangers (and yotertoys) and guess what? they do have a small strap far right corner closest to the front,,,

and when I think about it --- there is no real reason for this strap other than to ground the valve cover to the rest of the engine/frame, You see, turns out the valve cover is "free floating" all on rubber - from where it rests onto the head to where it gets cinched down,,, there's a reason for that strap otherwise houndawg would not have put it there, electrolysis ????????

[Willy]

You are not alone. This almost looks like yours, also an '08 Odyssey.
The picture and link below leads to the Odyssey fan club.

https://www.odyclub.com/threads/2008-odyssey-valve-cover.289986/

However if you look elsewhere there are other Honda models also with similar afflictions.

[challenger]

Hey -- for what it's worth you got me thinking, did these covers ever have little ground straps connected to them and were taken off a long time ago???


I ask this question because iv done hundreds of valve adjustments on the little houndawg in-line 4 bangers (and yotertoys) and guess what? they do have a small strap far right corner closest to the front,,,

and when I think about it --- there is no real reason for this strap other than to ground the valve cover to the rest of the engine/frame, You see, turns out the valve cover is "free floating" all on rubber - from where it rests onto the head to where it gets cinched down,,, there's a reason for that strap otherwise houndawg would not have put it there, electrolysis ????????

Thanks. Yes there are ground straps on the rear cover but I will need to confirm if the front has a ground. Seems like it would be grounded considering all that's bolted to it even if it isn't a typical braided /dedicated type of ground strap.

[A.K. Boomer]

Willy's pic #2

that pic is not electrolysis,,, that has more to do with un-uniform cooling from casting.. the big inner structure retained heat for longer than the thinner main cover,,, too much of a hurry or improper cooling/insulating techniques during the build... Not good and yeah i will not defend honda to the tooth --- they do pretty good job in comparison to other companies but they are not invincible... I cry foul on pic #2 and in fact can see how it would be related to others... not good...

[A.K. Boomer]

Could be getting fooled ---- # 2 pic could still be electrolysis related if the inside got eaten away so bad that the top part was too thin to hold the spark plugs access seal tension, then cracks would result like that especially if these cracks are uneven and raised more on the side of the spark plug access seal area...

iv never seen valve covers do this - this is really horrible but if they are missing a ground strap that should have been there it might not be honda's fault...

If it's all systems go and it still happened then this is the companies fault...

[akajun]

Ive got an 09 with 180000 on it. Its been a great car. we bought it new and to date other than oil changes, batteries, tires has had very few mechanical problems.
did the 100k miles service with the timing belt and water pump service
just replaced the alternator
ac system needed a part once
replaced on bad wheel bearing
replaced the rollers for the sliding doors
not bad for 12 years
however we are in south LA and have no road salts but 100% humidity every day lol
Id buy another honda in a heartbeat