What is it with these F*KNG valve covers and fill tubes!!??

[89Suburban]

I've been trying to fix this shit for 3 years now and I'm getting pissed off!!!

Why is this such a conglomeration to figure out???? When I bought the truck the fill tube was half hanging out past the o-ring and leaking oil and I am sure sucking dirt in. I temporarily siliconed it shut until I ordered a new one. That's the new one in with the home made oil plug in it because my factory locking plug would not fit right and lock into it. Definitely a cheap *************.

And same thing, it twist locked into teh valve cover correctly but would STILL tilt open past the o-ring. So I silicone that one as well!!! And had to deal with that POS home made oil cap which every time you pop off it goes flying out of your hands into the unknown of the chassis because the wing nut is so small to grab onto with my big hands.

I asked here a million times about it. @Just Fishing posted a part number for me to try The OEM tight fitting Oil Filler Tube PN: 609729947. I ordered a used one because that is all you can find with that part number. Received it, looked great as you can see in the pics, nice hefty locking cap. I was so excited to install it! Did so in the bitter cold last night but I was pumped to finally have this fixed!!!


Went through all this and it would not lock into place correctly!! Would only clock in and lock pointing downwards!!!!



Here are some of the beginning pics:

 

[89Suburban]

Took the old one out, cleaned up the valve cover real nice to install the new one, noted the locking tab cast into the valve cover hole. It is in the 6 o'clock position. Even the new one would fit, it would absolutely not clock into an upright position, only pointing down towards the fkng fender. And even locked into that position, it would ALSO still tilt out of the hole past the damn o-ring just like the old *************!!!

 

[89Suburban]

Took a comparison pic of the two fill tubes and locking slots, also a pic of the casting number of the valve cover. You can see the new fill tube has 2 locking slots and the older one just has one. Neither of those slots would clock it into the right position, and only one of the slots would actually lock against the casting tab, in an upside down position.

 

[89Suburban]

Is there an aftermarket cover I can install to bypass all this ridiculous ********???? Ready to weld a custom aluminum tube on this ******* thing.

 

[wjburken]

This might be worth trying for $40.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/1999-2007-...ENGINE-VALVE-COVER-12611021-OEM-/313133200901

 

[OR VietVet]

It may well be a valve cover problem and not the tube.

GM fill tube: https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=7224260&jsn=2450

Gm valve cover: https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=11676449&jsn=2455

 

[NoReverseYukon]

Mine, too , wouldn't seat correctly. I just did away with the whole damned thing. Surprise surprise but that cap also fits directly into the valve cover ! At least it did on my 2001.

 

[wsteele]

Looking at Rock Auto's OE valve cover, it looks just like yours (with regard to where the locking tab position is), on the same page their fill tube (they don't list an OE, just Dorman and another), the tab and locking position looks just like yours (which does seem wrong to get the orientation vertical). I did notice there are different valve covers for some other GM vehicles with the same engine, where the locking tab is in another spot in the neck. Maybe your fill necks are for another valve cover for another vehicle. I could see a screw up where whoever coded the fill neck into a 2007 5.3L, used a number that went with a different install, that had a valve cover where the locking tab is clocked in a different spot. Just some wild ass guess.

 

[OR VietVet]

If you take the oe supplied number from the Dorman one, the fill tube number is 12574386 and then type that in at the top of the page for a parts search, it comes up. strange but true.

https://www.rockauto.com/en/partsearch/?partnum=12574386

For some dumbass reason it describes it as a transmission filler tube, but of course it is wrong.

 

[89Suburban]

This might be worth trying for $40.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/1999-2007-...ENGINE-VALVE-COVER-12611021-OEM-/313133200901

I wish I could yank on the fill tube and see if it does the same damned thing. I could put mine together and sell it the same way hiding the truth inside.

 

[wsteele]

The newer filler neck looks like you could grind away the vertical part of the casting with a Dremel where it stops on the locking tab of the cover, such that you could just keep clocking it around until it stopped in the vertical position, 180 degrees around.

 

[89Suburban]

Mine, too , wouldn't seat correctly. I just did away with the whole damned thing. Surprise surprise but that cap also fits directly into the valve cover ! At least it did on my 2001.

Hmmm......interesting.

 

[89Suburban]

The newer filler neck looks like you could grind away the vertical part of the casting with a Dremel where it stops on the locking tab of the cover, such that you could just keep clocking it around until it stopped in the vertical position, 180 degrees around.

If I do that what locks it into place and holds it secure then? I am also contemplating grinding that tab off the casting, installing the good one with the locking cap in the right position, and riveting the base in place somehow.

 

[Jason in DLH]

I absolutely know how upsetting things like this can be!

So is this the part that you already have that only fits upside down?

https://www.gmpartsdirect.com/oem-parts/gm-filler-tube-12574386

 

[wsteele]

If I do that what locks it into place and holds it secure then? I am also contemplating grinding that tab off the casting, installing the good one with the locking cap in the right position, and riveting the base in place somehow.

It looked like there was a vertical bar on both sides. If not, never mind...

You can always clean everything up with brake clean, grind away any casting material getting in the way of a vertical orientation and then JBweld it in place. It won't be going anywhere after that.

 

[George B]

Time to visit the pick n pull yard.

 

[Jason in DLH]

By the way...I dig the home made cap. I’m curious how you made it...

 

[89Suburban]

By the way...I dig the home made cap. I’m curious how you made it...

Carved it out of a rubber hole plug.

 

[OR VietVet]

Carved it out of a rubber hole plug.

Like for a freeze plug or what else?

 

[donjetman]

Like wsteel said, JB Weld is your friend