I have the F22B1 engine which requires the 12030-P0A-000 gasket set. As part of the gasket set you get five 90442-P0A-000 rubber washers for the bolts that fasten the valve cover to the head.

Interestingly, on my car the washers have metal caps ... which are found on part numbers P2A instead of P0A (e.g. 90442-P2A-000 for the washer, and 12030-P2A-000 for the gasket set). The P2A parts are still sold but for engines other than the F22B1.

Should the F22B1 engine use the washers with metal caps? Or does my car just have the wrong washers on it? I just think it's odd that for some engines the metal caps are included with the washers, and for others they are not.

Thanks. John

90442-P0A-000:

and


90442-P2A-000:

 

I had always seen them with the caps, but I would imagine they'd be fine without.

On a side note make sure to tighten the bolts to spec and not more, they are extremely easy to over tighten(ask me how I know).

 

Is the rubber grommet "stuck" inside the metal caps? Peel the old rubber out from the metal caps, & use the metal caps with the new grommets. I wouldn't use the rubber part without the metal cap.

 

^x2

I have never seen one without them.

You won't be able to maintain the proper tq between the valve cover and cylinder head if you don't use the metal caps. After time the heat from the engine will soften the rubber and the nut will sink into it. therefore loosening the seal between the VC and the cylinder head. That cap is there to keep this from happening.

 

Its cheaper to sell the rubber grommets without the metal washers in making a kit at a reasonable price. They are not meant to be use without the washers.

 

Looking closer at the photos, it looks like the rubber grommets are full size -- i.e. the size of the others including the metal cap -- so the metal cap may not be reusable.

Also, the parts diagram on the web sites don't show a separate part there ... the washer is always a single piece.

My concern is that a rubber cap is not as strong as a metal cap ... but that must have been designed into these fasteners. The F22B1 may not need as much clamping strength as is needed for other Honda engines?

Or is that rubber cap extremely strong?

 

I was wrong on the washers. If you look at web images of the rubber grommets from the bottom they have the washers it is just had to see. if you were to tighten the valve cover nuts without the washers they would cut into the grommets and the gasket wouldn't seal.

 

yeah, the sealing issue was my original concern and reason for posting this thread. It's really hard to see that those caps are metal from the photos. So you're saying that the P0A does have metal covers, they're just black in color?

Then I assume the difference between P0A and P2A is a difference in dimensions and color of metal, not metal vs rubber ...

 

I went to Yahoo and did a image search for 90442-P0A-000 and from the bottom view you can see the edge of a washer . That part number is refereed to as a washer by some of the sites. The five grommets are not going to be the same size as the valve cover that has them in the center.

 

I would either use the old washers and grommets, or buy some new OEM washers/grommets. The torque on these is very little, and it's easy to snap the studs if you tighten them too much, so you want to use the correct bolts and washer setup.