• Hey Guest!
    British Car Forum has been supporting enthusiasts for over 25 years by providing a great place to share our love for British cars. You can support our efforts by upgrading your membership for less than the dues of most car clubs. There are some perks with a member upgrade!
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Upgraded members don't see this banner, nor will you see the Google ads that appear on the site.)
Tips
Tips

I hate leaks!

Share this page

kodanja

kodanja

Obi Wan
Country flag
Offline
Any suggestions for the best way to seal valve cover.

I tryed form-a-gasket NG!, silicone NG!, I tryed Indian head shellac NG! /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/nopity.gif

I'm using cork gaskets presently, should I change to a butyl gasket.

I hate having this thing constanly leak oil all over my engine!
 
Wahtever you do to as far as a gasket goes do be sure that the cover is flat...you may have to straighten it with a wooden block or some similar piece. That is usually enough to prevent a leak regardless of the type of gasket.

Also check your PCV valve for proper operation to prevent crankcase prsessure from pushing oil out...
 
Welcome to our world,

won't you come on in?

Wasn't that an Eddie Arnold song from years ago?
 
Well Kod-

You know I have almost zilch auto knowledge so I defer
to those more knowledgeable and expert than I.

Rememeber back when I screwed up the dizzy and the timing
and had to pull the valve cover and find TDC and then set
the valves?

I was clueless how to re-install the cover. TRBill, being
the expert he is- instructed me to purchase two(2) cork
gaskets, a can of permatex and a bag of wire spring clothes
washline clips. (The extra Gasket was for a screw up on my
part. )

As per Bill, I pre-installed the cork gasket onto the valve
cover itself with heavy coating of Permatex. I held the
cork gasket in place with clothes pins set 3" O.C. I let
it dry 24 hours.

The next day, a decent coating of Permatex on a very clean,
shiny prepared head surface, I set the valve cover and
tighten the securement nuts. But not TOO tight or you will
warp the cover shape and have oil leaks.

The Crypt Car has a gazillion things wrong with it. A
leaking valve cover gasket in NOT on the list.

Try it Bill's method- worked for me.

d /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/thumbsup.gif
 
Brosky said:
Welcome to our world,

won't you come on in?

Wasn't that an Eddie Arnold song from years ago?
Click to expand...

Seems like I've been in your world for some time now.


STOP THE WORLD I WANNA GET OFF!

Seems like Ive tryed everything people have suggested, with only bad results.

Has anyone tryed Hylomar?

Ok I'm gunna break down a try a Wagner silicon gasket, a bit pricey but if it works it may be worth it!
 
Here is a tip for using cork gaskets.
Soak em in very hot water {you will have to weight em down to get em to stay submerged}. Instal em wet {NO glues } Don`t overtighten em. Use the specified torque.
This is a trick my Dad taught me years ago. {before they made any kind of rubber gaskets} He was a career diesel mechanic, and it is said by many "One of the best".
Note:
As I remember the "soaking" time was, Until you could submerge your hand and hold it in the water without discomfort.
We used to use the bathtub and draw strictly hot water {Hot enough it would burn you if you stuck your hands in it}

I knew him well enough to know what a prefectionist he was.
THERE WERE NO LEAKING GASKETS ON ANY ENGINE HE EVER WORKED ON!
 
The Wagner silicone gasket is working fine for me. Had one on my TR250 for about 3 years now. No leaks. And the beauty of the silicone gasket is that you can reuse it. The tappet cover just pops off when you need it to, and you don't have to spend half an hour scraping all the bits of cork gasket off the head and cover. Briliant!

Rob.
 
Is your valve cover warped at all?
 
A couple of the replies mention the proper torque. I don't have my manuals here, but I can tell you the correct torque value is quite low. Too much torque will quickly distort the valve cover making it difficult to get a proper seal. If the top of your cover is pushed in from over torquing you may want to take a little time to straighten the cover. Some light tapping with a hammer and dolly will do the job. I didn't have any official body hammers and dollies when I straighten mine. You probably have something in your toolbox that will do the job. Don't try to bang it out with one hit. Numerous small taps will do the job without stretching the metal.
After doing this I painted the cover, reinstalled using the old cork gasket and have not had any leaks. Even though I was trying to be careful I still tightened the back nut a little too tight. But not enough to cause a leak.
 
How would you know it was a LBC if it did not leak? How would you find where you park it regularly? I have concerns if you fix all the leaks that it may be confused with a Japanese car or you may incur the wrath of Lucas and something big may break...
 
Kodanja- The sili gasket only works on stock cover. Do you still run the stock?
 
kodanja said:
Do you use any sealant with the silicone gasket?
Click to expand...

Yes. It comes supplied with a tube of black silicone sealant, that you use only between the gasket and the cover. This then holds the gasket in place on the cover so you can reuse it. There is no sealant between the gasket and the head.

Rob.
 
If you do not use the silicone. I recommend you find someone who sells Fel-Pro gaskets. They may have to order them from their parts jobber/warehouse.

The fel-pro is thicker, better made and lasts longer.
 
I guess the Wagner silicon gasket wont work for me since I'm running an aftermarket aluminum cover.

aaa3.jpg
 
Ditto the comments about Justin's gasket.

For cork gaskets, I like to 'glue' the gasket to the valve cover with RTV or gasket shellac, then use Hylomar between the gasket & the cylinder head.

Of course, as mentioned, make sure beforehand that both surfaces are clean, flat and smooth. Don't be tempted to overtorque the cover either, as it will only distort and make the problem worse.

And make sure your crankcase vent system is open, without so much as a kinked hose. The Triumph "PCV" systems were marginal anyway, especially if your rings are a bit tired. On one friend's TR6, we reduced the leaks significantly by converting back to a "road draft" system, with just a length of heater hose from the rocker cover fitting down to the road.
 
Ed, thanks for posting roadstergasket link. Their price seems much more reasonable than the other silicone gasket...hope they make one for the tr6 soon!
 
Back
Top