qws

What your take on the PermaDry Gaskets from Felpro?
Been using them for a while now.. and after a while i always develop a leak near the bolt overtop of cyl's 5,7.

All prep work is fully dry, cleaned with Acetone. Bolts are put in with liquid teflon, then a small bead of Red RTV sealent around the bolt. Its allowed to dry for a few hours before installation of the valve cover.

Cliff Harris

I'm dealing with this right now. I have the fancy Fel-Pro valve cover gaskets with the METAL reinforcement (NOT the plastic one). I have an early '86 with cast iron heads and I have an oil leak between #1 and #3. The oil is coming up around the valve cover stud, running down the spark plug wires and dripping on the exhaust manifold heat shield. My valve covers have studs and nuts, NOT bolts -- I think '86 was the only year they did this. Very irritating.

I used to have the Fel-Pro gaskets with the plastic reinforcement and had a leak around a stud with those too. That's why I used the metal reinforced gaskets this time.

I haven't figured out a solution to this problem. i was thinking RTV around the stud, but I haven't tried that yet.

qws

86 is not the only year that the studs are used. Mine an 84 has the same thing.
I've removed the studs,cleaned,thread sealed them and reinstalled till they bottom out. Let sit.... then put a bead of RTV around the stud and let sit till it tacks put then place the Felpro gasket on. For the most part it usually works fine.
The PermaDry Plus gaskets are the rubber with the reinforced steel core.
I've lost most faith in the Felpro gaskets these days.

Cliff Harris

I used to use neoprene gaskets. Never had a leak with those, but I can't find them any more. I think they were Fel-Pro. If so, they don't appear to make those now.