valve cover gaskets and RTV
02-11-2009, 01:18 AM
#1
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valve cover gaskets and RTV
gona replace my cover gaskets tommorow, and i was wondering if any one has noticed a difference in reliablitly between apllying the silicone as a bead around the valve cover and on the head, or rubbing a thin layer of silicone over the gasket then installing.
02-11-2009, 05:43 AM
#3
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Location: Cork, Ireland
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all dry no matter if you use cork gaskets or rubber.
the rubber with metal inserts as rmodel suggests is great for preventing overtorqueing but if you have a rubber gasket and feeling in your fingers you'll have no problem. all parts clean and dry is the trick
the rubber with metal inserts as rmodel suggests is great for preventing overtorqueing but if you have a rubber gasket and feeling in your fingers you'll have no problem. all parts clean and dry is the trick
02-12-2009, 11:27 AM
#6
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02-12-2009, 04:34 PM
#7
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I would disagree with the advice here on not using anything on the gaskets. As a former auto tech the last thing you want to do is the same job twice (once for pay and once for free). A small amout of silicone (dabs) or 3M weatherstrip adhesive (dabs) helps keep the gasket in place when you turn that cover over. Thus, no slippage means a oil tight junction. I also lightly grease the gasket face so it slides on the head as you put the cover down.
02-12-2009, 05:10 PM
#8
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hmm the only time ever i neeed anything on valve cover gaskets was when i worked at opel. the e-kadetts would all seep without "helper". until someone figured the studs they were sitting on were a tad too long and filing them down did the job.
it won't hurt putting a tad of rtv on it, but i'm not coming over to clean it up for you if you ever have to do it again. i have my cars 3 years now and I've taken the valve covers off plenty of times (headgasket change, adjusting valves ... etc). i even kept the same cork gasket and it's still not weeping. never put anything on them. just made sure all is dry and not to evertighten them
it won't hurt putting a tad of rtv on it, but i'm not coming over to clean it up for you if you ever have to do it again. i have my cars 3 years now and I've taken the valve covers off plenty of times (headgasket change, adjusting valves ... etc). i even kept the same cork gasket and it's still not weeping. never put anything on them. just made sure all is dry and not to evertighten them
02-12-2009, 05:42 PM
#9
Yukon Cornelius
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: deep in the heart of dixie GEORGIA
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well as a current auto tech :P
everyone does it different ways, i look at it this way you want a seal of the gasket to the vc and the head extra stuff is not a seal to the vc or head
everyone does it different ways, i look at it this way you want a seal of the gasket to the vc and the head extra stuff is not a seal to the vc or head
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