Valve cover gasket & sealer???

[vagt6]

Seems my 1275 has some kind of gasket sealer or sealant slightly protruding from the cover. I can barely see it around the circumference of the valve cover.

So, when I remove the valve cover to adjust the valves, what's the best valve cover gasket and gasket sealer to use?

What do youse guys use on your 1275??? :confuse:

 

[DrEntropy]

I'm the same with all A, B and C-series engines: standard cork gasket, RTV'd to the cover and weighted in a gasket down position on a bench overnight. Check for RTV intruding on the inside and trim it with a razor blade if so, then a schmear of Hylomar to the mating face and torque it on. Some use grease in lieu of Hylomar, "Aviation Form-a-Gasket" instead of RTV. But I make concession to technology here. No leaks and no "ooze".

 

[dklawson]

I agree with the DR. However, I do one step differently. Instead of weighting the cover and gasket down on the bench, I clean the cylinder head and put the cover and gasket on the engine with the valve cover nuts on extra finger-tight. The head should be flat and this makes sure the cork follows the profile where it's going to seat in use.

 

[Pythias]

I use a cork gasket, NO SEALER, just a thin coating of oil, both sides of the gasket. I use them twice, then replace.

 

[cl_miata]

I havent gotten around to anything in depth on my MG YET, but with my other vehicles, I have found permatex gasket maker works quite well either by itself or using it on both sides of a gasket, and its what I learned in my AYES classes

 

[nomad]

I currently like to use contact cement on the valve cover to cork gasket face and grease on the head to gasket face. Used to use Yamaha case bond but I'm out of it. I like to have the gasket stay in place. Also I keep spare gaskets streched over the outside of a old valve cover so that I know they won't have shrunk when I need them.
KA

 

[dklawson]

You can always try the gasket without sealer and use Permatex if you want.

My experience has been that previous owners were often ham-fisted and overtightened the rocker covers so they no longer have "flat" gasket sealing surfaces. The "RTV on the top" method that the DR and I mentioned allows the top surface of the gasket to conform to whatever shape the rocker cover is and seal to it. Regardless of whether you use the Dr's method or mine, the goal for the bottom surface is to put it against something "flat" so that when the RTV cures you have a seal to the rocker cover and a flat surface on the bottom that will seal to the head. To each is own though.

 

[jlaird]

Miss Agatha has no sealer and no leaks. No telling how many times I have had it off.

 

[2091351]

Another thought on the Cover/Gasket is to attach the gasket to the head. This provides a substantial 'dam' to retain oil.

Both work.

Steve

 

[Hap Waldrop]

I like Permatex ultrablack, and just glue the gasket to the valve cover not the heads, so you can pull the cover easy enough to do valve adjustments.

 

[vagt6]

Thanks to everyone for the great input.

Now, to check the valves . . .

 

[Nelson]

I used the RTV like Hap used but my gasket was not very cooperative. It bowed in along one of the long sides and didn't want to stay in place. I got around this by placing the cover on a piece of cardboard and then tracing a pencil line around the edge of the cover. By using a few small pieces of double sided sticky tape I was able to keep the gasket in place exactly on the edges of the cover. When the RTV was cured I was able to remove the tape and was ready to put the cover on the engine.