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Installing valve covers

deltabronco

Bronco Guru
Joined
Dec 27, 2005
Messages
1,100
I’m putting my original valve covers on. Got a new cork gasket secured to the covers. Question is, do I need a bead of rtv between the cork and the engine?
 

bax

Contributor
Old Member
Joined
Aug 22, 2005
Messages
14,491
No. No. No. I had to say no that many times to be able to post it. But now that I explained it I could of got away with only one no.
 

blubuckaroo

Grease Monkey
Joined
Jun 11, 2007
Messages
11,795
Loc.
Ridgefield WA
Most won't follow this advice, and will goop the gaskets with RTV. This is my method, and mine has "NEVER" had a leaky valve cover.
Clean the valve covers really well, attach cork gaskets to the valve covers with contact cement or 3M weather strip adhesive.
Apply a light coat of motor oil to the head side of the gasket. Since the head has a machined surface, it's perfectly flat, and needs no sealant.
Done like this and you won't have leaks and you can also reuse the gasket.
 
OP
OP
deltabronco

deltabronco

Bronco Guru
Joined
Dec 27, 2005
Messages
1,100
Most won't follow this advice, and will goop the gaskets with RTV. This is my method, and mine has "NEVER" had a leaky valve cover.
Clean the valve covers really well, attach cork gaskets to the valve covers with contact cement or 3M weather strip adhesive.
Apply a light coat of motor oil to the head side of the gasket. Since the head has a machined surface, it's perfectly flat, and needs no sealant.
Done like this and you won't have leaks and you can also reuse the gasket.

Will do!
 

DirtDonk

Contributor
Bronco Guru
Joined
Nov 3, 2003
Messages
47,355
I did mostly the same, where I glued the gasket to the cover (don't remember what I used, but pretty sure it was not just regular RTV) but did nothing on the head side other than clean it.

Never leaked a drop, but... I never took it off again either!
Just under 100k miles after the gasket change and never looked back. Hopefully the next guy didn't have to fight too much. I like the idea of oil or grease, but did not feel the need since I was certain I'd be removing them again sometime soon for one reason or another.%)

Paul
 

Justafordguy

Contributor
Bronco Guru
Joined
Sep 26, 2009
Messages
6,253
Most won't follow this advice, and will goop the gaskets with RTV. This is my method, and mine has "NEVER" had a leaky valve cover.
Clean the valve covers really well, attach cork gaskets to the valve covers with contact cement or 3M weather strip adhesive.
Apply a light coat of motor oil to the head side of the gasket. Since the head has a machined surface, it's perfectly flat, and needs no sealant.
Done like this and you won't have leaks and you can also reuse the gasket.

I agree 100%, I've been doing it this way for over 40 years and never had a valve cover leak issue.
 

House

Minutia Militia
Joined
Aug 12, 2004
Messages
2,394
Gasgacinch works good as a thin adhesive for the gasket to valve cover.
That is the preferred product for the cork gaskets on aircooled VW's.

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