Sealant or not?
 

I'm getting ready to install new beaded silicone lower valve cover gaskets and wanted to know if they should be installed with sealant or dry? If with sealant, what type? I have turbo valve covers that currently drip. 1974 S.

they are supposed to go in dry, but if you leak you have a warped cover or crap on the saeling surface ...

if you need to use rtv , but thats a fix not descerning to your problem just a cover upSmileWavy

If you use sealant, that's just one more thing you will have to clean off the next time you do a valve adjust. And if for some reason, you don't get it all, then you have another point of leakage...

Hello,

I think the most important thing to do is get the torque right. I've been doing my own valve adjustments for years and used the Turbo covers and recently the silicone gaskets, and before my last adjustment, happened to read in Wayne's book that the torque is 5 ftlbs YES 5! I believe that a ton of the leaks I had and others are because we tighten the bolts way too much and that warps the covers and squeezes out the gasket. My wrench only goes as low as 25 ftlbs, so I read somewhere that you should just tighten until the gasket starts to "peek" out. I followed this advice and I'm very dry now. When I read the 5 ftlb spec, it became apparent to me that the reason the nuts have the nylon inserts, isn't to stop leaks around the threads, but instead to keep them in place at such a low torque! To answer your original question, no install them dry!

Good luck, I hope you get the same dry covers I did.

Rutager

Yup, the torque is very low. No sealant, use a mini 1/4" driver and tighten the nuts to the proper torque. Or, if you don't have a small enough torque wrench, then use a *very* light touch when tightening them. You can always tighten them up later on. These have Nylocs on them because the torque is so low that they would simply rattle off after a few hundred miles...

-Wayne

Thanks to all

Those things are absolutely incredible. I don't know how many times I have had mine off and on now without any leaks. Low torque and no sealant are the key.

Because I don't have an inch-pound torque wrench to get an accurate 5 ft-lbs (60 in-lbs), I went with what someone else had indicated: half a wrench turn after it begins to tighten up. It kinda worked. The next day, I had some minor leakage on one side. I just went around and snugged them up a bit more. No oil coming out now.

BTW, I also used the silicone gaskets. All we need now are re-useable nuts.