virtue4u

I am using cork gaskets. Is there a known torque rating on the valver cover hold down bolts? Or is it torqued by feel? What about gasket sealant? What kind? And is it true to only apply the sealant only on the valve cover side of the gasket? Other tips will be appreciated.

Tom73

45in. lb.

tom...

apple76

45 inlb for the torque (that's not really tight) and if u want to use sealant, use a small amount on the cover side just to hold the gasket in place. I just replaced mine last summer. Not to bad of a job but you will need some patience :yesnod:

gerry72

O.K., now every one is going to want to give some redass on this, but here's the deal accoring to Gerry:

Cork gaskets are my first choice when it comes to gaskets and I find them vastly superior to the rubber composites. Most people screw up using cork gaskets by over-tightening them. Here's how it's done: 1) Use a very light coat of Permatex high-tac (or any other gasket glue) on the valve cover. Place the gasket on the cover and put a very thin coating of Permatex non-hardning sealer on the head side of the gasket and install the assembled cover it on the head. Put the cover bolts in and tighten until you feel the bolt starting to resist. Give the bolt about another half-turn. This torque method is hard to describe, but for the most part, you are trying to avoid bending the valve cover sealing flange and over-compressing the gasket. You absolutely do not tighten the bolts until they stop turning. If you do, you've damaged both the valve cover and the gasket.

The beauty of cork gaskets is that they swell when oil hits them and provide an exceptional seal. Most folks have problems with cork because the thin metal flange of the valve covers are easily distorted because of previous over-tightening. It makes them seem leak prone, but a properly installed cork gasket has an almost indefinite life span.

By the way, never use RTV sealers on gaskets. Use one or the other, but not both.

paso

I agree with Gerry73 also one tip especially if not using the glue and with obstacle ridden valve covers is, Tie them on with thin thread when it's in place and you have the bolt in cut the thread and pull out. You not only have the superior sealing cork gasket you have it on the valve cover without it glued which is a bonus when you change them no clean up (scrape up )

FeedVaal

I never use sealant on the head side of gaskets as the cork will work nicely as long as the covers aren't warped.
Pretend you are your baby sister when torquing bolts and use a 1/4" ratchet.

ZD75blue

i'm using felpro reusables that are great... i have pulled them off and put em back on dozens of times and they still arent falling apart, thats the problem i have with cork, they never last very long unless you never pop the valve cover

ZD

Corellian Corvette

Have to respectfully disagree and give some alternative advice. As always, my opinion is just that -- opinion. :)

Here's the tip I've used for years (thanks to my dad), and was confirmed by my trusty old-school Vette mechanic. If you do this, you won't have leaks, and you can remove/replace your valve covers with the *same* gasket multiple times.

1. Never put sealant on your heads. They can burn on, or squeeze out into your head, and you risk particles getting inside your engine when you have to scrape it off. Also, it's unnecessary as the surface of the head is rarely warped enough to be the problem.
2. Cork gaskets work great if used properly. And can be re-used if applied properly.

Here's the best procedure I've found. No hocus-pocus and it's really straightforward.

1. Apply a decent bead of gasket maker to the underside of the *valve cover*, making a ring around the bolt holes. *Surround* the holes, but don't fill them. Let it set for a minute or two, then apply the cork gasket.
2. Turn the Valve cover upside down, and place on a level surface (floor, workbench, etc). Let it dry here for 20min or so. Assuming you have steel covers, it's generally the imperfections in the steel cover that cause an uneven mating surface with the head and generate oil leaks. What you are doing here is allowing the bottom of the cork gasket to remain flat, while the sealant fills in any bends or waves in the Valve cover.
3. After about 20min, apply a thin coat of motor oil to the bottom of the cork gasket (just use your finger to get it moist, don't coat it). What this does is soften the gasket, and prevents the cork from burning onto the head. This will also make it much easier when you have to remove the valve covers again.
4. Snug the bolts down but DON'T over tighten. You don't want to un-do what you've done by wrenching down and bending anything. Let the whole thing sit overnight if you can. Torque the bolts down the next day and take her for a spin.

Voila! That's it! I've used this procedure on the most bent up valve covers and got them to seal bone dry. The local vette guy who used to race does this and said that he could use remove/replace the covers for a whole *season* without replacing the gaskets.

Good luck!
:cool:

BSeery

In the Jm Pace (www.paceparts.com) catalog I noticed some valve cover hold down tabs that were a little different.

These were not tabs, but an aluminum piece that went around the entire base of the vavle cover. You bolted the cover down through this piece and it pushed the entire cover down makeing it seal over the whole surface, not just around the bolts them selves -- looked pretty cool too.....

Here is a link to them -- http://www.proformparts.com/parts/66291CC.html

They also come in chrome, red, black and blue, and have can have built in wire looms.



These should work !!

MARKUS_P

This method sounds really good to me,
Thanks for sharing, Corellian

virtue4u

Thanks for all the tips. I installed the valve covers last night and used almost all of your tips. Some of the tips came a little too late, but I think I did everything satisfactory. No leaks. I installed chrome valve covers. I did keep the original L48 valve covers in case someone in the future wants to take this matching number car the NCRS route. (I just couldn't live with the original painted valved covers.) I have worked very slowly and very meticulously. I now have one of those engines that it looks like a person could eat off of. Someday I'll learn how to post pictures.

Rockn-Roll

I agree with using cork on the valve covers. Tom73 is good at looking up specs in the ACM or other reliable source, but 45inlb is about 4ftlbs which is less than finger tight, and I think it should be something more like 180inlb = 15ftlbs which is a little more than finger tight, to about 22ftlbs. Heck, I don't think my 3/8" micrometer adjustible torque wrench goes down to 45inlbs...it starts at 120.

Well, of course not everyone, but I'll give it a shot!

OK, so I guess you will flip when I explain my method:

I apply a thin coat of permatex part B non-hardening to the entire mating surface of the valve cover, then press the gasket onto it and stick the bolts through it to hold the gasket in place. I like Corellian Corvette's method of laying the valve covers down on a flat surface to cure...I think he's right about the warped covers being a problem and laying them flat sounds like a good fix. I like gluing the gaskets to the covers cause when I remove the covers I don't want any gasket sticking to the heads. I usually apply a thin layer of silicon sealer/gasket maker to the gasket (if you use the orange color then it will be less noticeable with the orange engine) where it will mate with the head, just to make sure any pits or scratches in the head surface is filled, but I allow it to dry completely before installing the covers so the gasket won't get glued to the head; but, if you have new heads then you won't need to use any RTV, and a little oil coating the gasket won't hurt either.

However, it's important to glue the gasket to the cover or the gasket will squish out when it expands...well, you could glue the gasket to the head, but it's a whole lot harder to scrap it off if you need to remove it.

daily_driver

u know whats really cool?

force spreaders!!

they are little bars that spread the force that the bolt puts on the valve cover so you dont bend em, and it means you can torque em down a bit more and get a better seal..

ive been using these with cork gaskets and mine dont leak ever....

they cost about 5 bux at any autoparts store.

USE THE FORCE LUKE!

:cheers: