Hi guys, first time posting, new to the forum. I'm in process of replacing valve cover gaskets. I bought new valve covers and gaskets. I replaced the driver side however I noted our RTV around the spark plug tubes. I cleaned everything up and installed the new valve cover without the rtv.

My question is, when I opened the passenger side I also saw a lot of RTV on the valve cover spark plug gasket area. Do I need to put our RTV on the new valve covers in the sparkplug area? Do you know if they come like this from the factory?

 

You don't need to RTV the spark plugs gaskets that are pressed into the valve covers, but some do it for some added insurance. It's likely the previous owner did that when they replaced them in the past, or they tried to RTV it in order to avoid replacing the valve covers.

To answer your question, there is not RTV on the spark plugs from the factory.

 

What Heel said! No RTV required for the spark plug tubes. Although I have never done a valve cover gasket job on a 350Z, most vehicles with timing chains require a dab placed where the timing case meets the head (near the cam sprockets). I'm sure the 350Z is no different. So don't forget to do that when installing the new valve covers + gaskets.
Cheers!
-Icer

 

As someone who done the valve cover job already, I followed the FSM and only used RTV on the outer edge when it mates to the valve cover gaskets, nothing for the spark plug tube. You should hear/feel the gasket pressed in for the spark plug tubes.

You need RTV on the lower edge that's furthest away from the cabin, just a dab on both cylinders.

 

I did put a small amount of RTV on my spark plug tubes and thought I was the only one who’d ever do that … added insurance.