A pox on anyone who puts sealer on valve cover gaskets!

john walker's workshop · 10-06-2015, 03:28 PM

GRRRRR! That is all.

Bob Kontak · Bob Kontak's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by john walker's workshop

GRRRRR! That is all.

I do recall you have a special love for copious volumes of RTV.

rothaus · 10-06-2015, 04:00 PM

I agree, Sealer on the valve cover gaskets, and black undercoat on the car.......

Cheers
Engelbert

KNS · 10-06-2015, 04:11 PM

When I picked up my '84 I noticed in the receipts that the previous owner had taken it to a Mercedes garage for a "re-seal" to address leaks. The valve covers had black RTV slathered all over them. For my first valve adjustment on the car I found them literally cemented on. I had a hell of time prying them off. I wanted to firebomb that shop (who should have known better).

DRACO A5OG · DRACO A5OG's Garage

It just amazing. Nice vent JW.

T77911S · 10-07-2015, 02:42 AM

get the re-usable gaskets. they are WELL worth the money. very very light on the bolts when tightening. use a die on the studs to clean them up to get a better feel. if the gasket squeezes out its too tight.

(not advising JW, he knows).

john walker's workshop · 10-07-2015, 07:30 AM

The rubber ones are off-topic, but I have an issue with anything I can't tighten the nuts on. Bittch, bittch, bittch.

theiceman · 10-07-2015, 08:23 AM

I think running the die over the studs is a great idea often missed .. the torque value on these is really low . it is entirely possible most of the torque is taken up by that nylock on the dirty messed up threads so the pressure holding the cover can be lower than you think or inconsistent.

Dr DIY · Dr DIY's Garage

Agree on the pox. Spent an hour or more just cleaning surfaces when I did my first valve adjust. People use sealant here to cover up poor workmanship. But I have gotten good at scraping sealing surfaces.

scarceller · scarceller's Garage

I've heard about some reusable air craft style valve cover seals. Has anyone ever used these? I don't recall who was offering them but I think they were silicone seals that could actually be reused many times.

theiceman · 10-07-2015, 12:33 PM

yeah as John points out that is another thread and they work. John was just venting what many of us have seen .. almost epoxied on covers . grrrr...

T77911S · 10-07-2015, 04:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by john walker's workshop

The rubber ones are off-topic, but I have an issue with anything I can't tighten the nuts on. Bittch, bittch, bittch.

sorry.

i went thru the same thing, had to clean all that crap off. even on the studs.

john walker's workshop · 05:24 PM

What I meant is with the rubber ones, the nuts can't be tightened all the way or the gasket pooches out. Just seems wrong to me. The rubber ones get returned in a ziplock no matter how awesome they are. Now if someone were to make HARD rubber gaskets....

chris_seven · 10-07-2015, 06:23 PM

I have been looking at AMS Grades of Silicone Rubber and the hardest Grade is about 80 Shore A which may be OK but is about the same as the gaskets supplied on the lower cases of the 2.0litre engines and is much softer than the graphite style upper gaskets.

Ford make a Viton gasket for some of their UKL engines and they bond in a small sequence of steel bobbins as anti-crush devices but these wouldn't bond into silicone.

I have recently seen gaskets with a silicone bead and will give them a go.

rfloz · 10-12-2015, 01:57 PM

We used to put some light valve grinding compound on a thickish sheet of plate glass and rub the covers (valve and other) around to get a truly flat surface.

Hey, it worked on small block chevys.

ClickClickBoom · ClickClickBoom's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by john walker's workshop

What I meant is with the rubber ones, the nuts can't be tightened all the way or the gasket pooches out. Just seems wrong to me. The rubber ones get returned in a ziplock no matter how awesome they are. Now if someone were to make HARD rubber gaskets....

If you follow the torque specs, insanely low, like 10 inlbs or something like that, use a cross pattern for tightening, and go through the process at least 3 times or until the torque wrench gets no movement, they are bullet proof. I have done 3 adjustments and there are no leaks, not even a weep, they work great on Lycomings and Porsches too. I also clean the mating surfaces, as well as the gasket with acetone, prior to install. New valve cover nuts too!
I wouldn't use anything else.