Valve Cover Gasket

[podracer169]

Has anyone seen/heard/used an alternative and improved valve cover gasket? I currently have the aluminum valve cover using the standard cork gasket on my BT7. No matter how I position the gasket and torque the nuts using the OE settings I get a little oil seepage here and there. It’s not a huge deal, just like to keep the engine clean and free of oil.

Steve

 

[Dave Russell]

I prefer to permanently glue the gasket to the head surface with something like Permatex #2, & use a non hardening sealer such as Hylomar HPF on the gasket to cover surface. The gasket sealed to the head provides a dam to prevent oil from running out when the cover is removed. The gasket can be reused indefinitely.

Check the cover for flat & full contact with the cylinder head. If this surface is not reasonably flat, it can be corrected by carefully flat filing the surface.
D

 

[bighly]

PR,

I use the same method as Dave with the following differences. I do "glue" the cork gasket to the valve cover but I do this off the car by letting it set, cork down on a very flat surface overnight using blue dry setting permatex. I used to use Hylomar for the final bottom seal but now use Permatex selemar? which is black and permatex's replacement for the discontinued hylomar line. I think it is called selemar. It is very much like hylamar but is more resistant to fuel. Works great since you can reuse the gaskets over and over as long as you don't bugger em up. Works great on fuel sending units by the way


Hope this helps.

 

[Keoke]

Yes BH, I would advise using that same scheme particularly with an aluminum valve cover.---Keoke

 

[burgundyben]

You answered my question before I asked it!

Spendid!

 

[podracer169]

Perfect - I'll give it a shot. Thanks for the advice.