Valve Cover/Oil Extension Neck Recall
 

2004 SS, 165k miles

Hey guys, I finally got my letter saying hardware's available for our leaky valve covers gaskets/oil neck. Has anyone done it yet? It says we get new valve covers too, I presume they just integrate the oil fill extension into the valve cover? I don't really care about the ignition recall, but I'm really not looking for my wife to give me an "I told you so" if I burn the house down because I ignored a recall so I'll probably do this one.

Kind of funny anectdotal story. I was actually topping off my oil one time at a gas station at 2 in the morning on a drive back from SC and I actually spilled a little onto the exhaust manifold. It did briefly flash, then I crapped my pants, then it put itself out, then I never told my wife (who was in the car) about what happened. No harm no foul, right?

Thank You!
 

:rolleyes: Thanks for posting & sharing for member's that maybe not be aware & for those that are `if they have had this done :thumbsup:

Personally, I' rather be Safe then Sorry :( + it's free from GM >Chevrolet (it maybe inconvenient, but I believe a good investment of your time)...I hope you get it done on yours...:thumbsup:

"I told you `so" >LOL>:rotfl:

Oct 27, 2015 - A valve cover gasket can degrade over time, allowing oil to seep out. ...and Oldsmobile Intrigue; and the 1998-2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo. ... Motors issued its third recall in seven years for cars that can leak oil and catch fire, ...Missing: neck

Oct 30, 2015 - Resolutions included installing a revised valve cover gasket and/or new... 1998-1999 Chevy Lumina and Oldsmobile Intrigue, the 1997-2004 Buick Regal and Pontiac Grand Prix, the 2000-2004 Impala, and the 1998-2004 Monte Carlo. .... In myneck of the woods $200K won't buy you a studio apartment.

Got my letter yesterday as well. Called to make an appointment and my local dealer has to order parts. I just got a zzp plog put on and my factory manifold was full of oil and i always could smell it when the car was hot. So probably good to get it addressed. If you want to keep your engine cover, be sure to take it off before you go as it seems like they'll take it otherwise.

I got mines a few days ago, apparently this won't apply to me because there is a different engine and transmission in, lucky I changed the front myself with felpro gasket, I didn't do the back yet, pain in the neck

I got my letter on this the other day. I'm curious what is "redesigned" about these valve covers and gaskets.
I'm honestly on the fence to have this recall done or not. I have seen a couple burnt 3800's in the junk yards, would hate for mine to become one of them, but what design change was really made.
I'm currently running with aluminum valve covers from the 3800 F-bodies. That being said, I really don't want to loose my aluminum covers.
And lastly, recall or not, there are reasons I do my own work on my cars (I don't trust shops too easily with my cars).
I'm curious for people to post pics of these new parts.

Are they voiding the recall because the engine is not original to the car??

Maniac, our thoughts are pretty much the same. Redesigned gasket is easy to me....make a better gasket. Clearly Felpro and the like have been doing this for years. This is a cheap/easy fix for GM. Remember, it's only a recall because of safety. They don't actually care that it's leaking otherwise they'd fix the rear too as it likely has the same crappy gasket. So the rear can leak and not cause a fire so no concerns there from GM's part (again, this is about safety and not reliability, i.e.-they had crappy LIM gaskets and didn't replace those under recall because there was no safety concern and I guarantee there's been more failed LIM gaskets than torched 3800's).

I'm also curious about the oil neck and, by extension, the valve cover as I think they're related. I don't know about you guys but I sometimes find it's as easy to remove the whole neck as it is to remove just the oil cap. I wonder if some people accidentally have removed it, then don't get it seated, then it leaks. I know that's user error but in my engineering experience engineers have an obligation to dummy proof and I would not consider that oil neck to be dummy proof. I think this could be on GM. So, then to me, the fix could be a modified valve cover that integrates the oil neck.

And completely agree with you on the last point. I don't trust shops. This seems easy enough, but you never know.

Who wants to be the guinea pig?!?! We need pictures! :)

I'd be the guinea pig, but I would think they would turn me away :)

Well now I'm really confused. If you go to the DOT website, it says recall 14574 has been discarded and 14574A is in effect. On DOT's website that recall states NA 3.8's get a new spark wire retainer and the blown 3.8's get a new gasket in addition to the retainer.

This sounds like my everyday job so much it isn't funny. GM sends out a recall notice with completely different information than what's on their "official" bulletin on DOT's website. I know it's a different rev, but to me this is more of a change than a simple rev based on what I got in the mail.

Also, it definitely says only on 2004's, so maybe owens91's engine is 03 or prior? Anyway, have a read if you'd like.
http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/acms/cs...5V201-9560.pdf

Oh joy, just more plastic spark plug clips. Another ignored recall :thumbsup:

Thats how i read it both in my letter and online, n/a 3800's seem to just get wire retainers while supercharged versions get retainers and a new valve cover and gasket. Either way i know mine leaks, i could smell it when the car was hot. I'll be the guinea pig as i have an appointment next week.