Depends where on the valve cover it's leaking .
They are after all a fairly large , rectangular gasket .
Carefully cover all electronics/electrical in plastic. Spray engine down with degreaser and agitate with soft bristle brush. Reapply degreaser and agitate some more, wash off with light stream of water and wipe down with shop towels.
Once dry, remove plastic covering electronics/connections.
Now, with a clean engine, run the car and look for the leak.
Like a river, it will flow downhill. Wash it down really good at the car wash and be vigilant of where the leak comes from.
Add; I notice in this pic of that engine, that there is oil leakage by the cam driven ignition distributor and it appears that the crankcase breather tube is by the oil fill cap, those aluminum head covers rarely leak to the extent you describe. Gushing oil is usually a cracked oil pressure sensor, another place to look. A plugged PCV valve could cause it to blow oil out that breather tube by the fill cap.
http://www.vandsautodismantlers.com/new_...
Nasty valve cover leaks will drop oil on the ground. Make sure your entire PVC system is clean. If it is plugged or dirty *internal crankcase blow-by pressure will make every gasket on the engine leak! The spark plug internal protection sleeves more than likely have bad O-rings.
I have a 1997 Volvo 850 with an oil leak dripping below onto the ground and more oil sitting on top of the engine. I have not yet checked the gasket of the valve cover, but it seems as though this gasket would be the reason for the leaking of only the oil below, not the oil sitting on top. Do I have two leaks? Thanks.
