Valve cover gasket choices ?

[Ed_K]

I took my aluminum valve cover off today to check rocker arm clearances and the old cork gasket is no longer any good.
... Is a cork gasket the only choice available ?
Ed

 

[Randy Forbes]

I've never seen anything else available for a Healey, like neoprene(sp?).

I get a pretty long service life out of my rocker cover gasket; I only adhere it to the (aluminum) cover, and don't have any trouble with it sticking to the clean and dry head flange.

I think the secret is that the head flange is scraped of paint and wiped of oil prior to assembly. Just a thin smear of silicone to stick the cork gasket to the aluminum or steel cover.

 

[Ed_K]

Thanks Randy,
The old one has been through several off/on cycles and got deformed and then cracked apart. Neoprene (sp) is what I hoped might be available but apparently it isn't for our cars. A new cork one is on the way along with some stainless steel cap nuts and SS cup washers from V.B.
So you fasten the gasket to the cover, not the head as Dave R. had suggested in old posts ( makes a dam to contain the oil when the engine is running with the valve cover removed to check on rocker arms leaking excessive oil ) ?
Ed

 

[GregW]

So you fasten the gasket to the cover, not the head as Dave R. had suggested in old posts ( makes a dam to contain the oil when the engine is running with the valve cover removed to check on rocker arms leaking excessive oil ) ?
Ed

I think this just boils down to taste. I'm with Randy though, I'd rather clean up gushed oil than have cork fall inna' engine while I was scraping.

 

[Patrick67BJ8]

I've never seen anything else available for a Healey, like neoprene(sp?).

I get a pretty long service life out of my rocker cover gasket; I only adhere it to the (aluminum) cover, and don't have any trouble with it sticking to the clean and dry head flange.

I think the secret is that the head flange is scraped of paint and wiped of oil prior to assembly. Just a thin smear of silicone to stick the cork gasket to the aluminum or steel cover.

Once upon a time(mid 1970's) in a far away place called Jacksonville, Florida, I found a parts supplier(and a old one at that), who had about 6 "rubber" gaskets. I bought them all and sold them at a nice price.

 

[steveg]

It's usually considered good practice to glue the gasket to the removable part.

I've had good results gluing the rocker gasket to the rocker cover with Permatex, then placing the assembly on a piece of wax paper on a plate glass tabletop with a couple of books to weight it in place. Leave overnight--this allows the surface of the gasket to be perfectly flat.