Valve Cover Gaskets
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 5,107
Likes: 171
From: Dublin CA
No... 
You may have to scrape off parts of the old gasket, be careful when you remove the old gasket to keep it out of the valve train. You can put down rags to catch the gasket material. Also be sure to wipe down the area where the new gasket will sit. After I wipe it with a rag to get off the oil, I usually go back and wipe it down with lacquer thinner to remove all oil traces.
Suggest you use Permatex "THE RIGHT STUFF".
You may have to scrape off parts of the old gasket, be careful when you remove the old gasket to keep it out of the valve train. You can put down rags to catch the gasket material. Also be sure to wipe down the area where the new gasket will sit. After I wipe it with a rag to get off the oil, I usually go back and wipe it down with lacquer thinner to remove all oil traces.
Suggest you use Permatex "THE RIGHT STUFF".
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 2,730
Likes: 1
From: Atoka Oklahoma
St. Jude Donor 06
i pulled my lt1 valve covers that were leaking because the clown that owned it before me used rtv stuff. my opinion is that if one can't do it right then leave it alone and let someone that knows do it.
my 93 lt1 uses a seal and not any gasket material.
it took me over three hrs to get the damn black rtv out of the grooves on the valve covers and off of the tops of the rockers. i would bet that some of it made it to the pan, so who knows what the pick up screen looks like.
after i finally got the crap off of the valve covers i did what john (above did) and use some thinner to do the final clean and i paid extra attention to the mating surface on the heads. perfectly clean. use extreme care not to gouge the mating surface.
i use oem gaskets/seals from the chevy dealer. they cost me around 15 ea. i put the seals in the valve covers and they stayed put. they didn't fall out of shift. so i didn't have to use any rtv. re-installed the covers, torqued the center bolts according to the book. no leaks. i have alittle over a 1000 miles on the new seals and they don't leak.
my 93 lt1 uses a seal and not any gasket material.
it took me over three hrs to get the damn black rtv out of the grooves on the valve covers and off of the tops of the rockers. i would bet that some of it made it to the pan, so who knows what the pick up screen looks like.
after i finally got the crap off of the valve covers i did what john (above did) and use some thinner to do the final clean and i paid extra attention to the mating surface on the heads. perfectly clean. use extreme care not to gouge the mating surface.
i use oem gaskets/seals from the chevy dealer. they cost me around 15 ea. i put the seals in the valve covers and they stayed put. they didn't fall out of shift. so i didn't have to use any rtv. re-installed the covers, torqued the center bolts according to the book. no leaks. i have alittle over a 1000 miles on the new seals and they don't leak.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 783
Likes: 2
From: Wake Forest, NC
St. Jude Donor '05
Sounds like you got a good tight seal and thats great. I believe the new gaskets are rubberized cork as opposed to the old gasket being cork. (At least thats true for earlier model C4's - not sure about the cetner bolts)
I've always been one to recommmend using RTV on the valve covers, but I agree with you, there is a right way and a wrong way. If you do it the wrong way it's going to leak - and likley be a big mess if you have to go and change them again.
For different parts I tend to use different types of RTV, however. Black, although it has it's uses, is my least favorite becasue in my experience, it has been the worst when your trying to remove it. For valve cover gaskets, I generally use blue. I know a lot of guys that hate blue... but it's always given me good seals a tthe rocker covers and at times that I've had to pull them back off (usually because of a collapsed lifter or adjusting valves - not from leaks) the blue is very coopertive and comes off without too much hassle...
Just my opinions and experiences...
I've always been one to recommmend using RTV on the valve covers, but I agree with you, there is a right way and a wrong way. If you do it the wrong way it's going to leak - and likley be a big mess if you have to go and change them again.
For different parts I tend to use different types of RTV, however. Black, although it has it's uses, is my least favorite becasue in my experience, it has been the worst when your trying to remove it. For valve cover gaskets, I generally use blue. I know a lot of guys that hate blue... but it's always given me good seals a tthe rocker covers and at times that I've had to pull them back off (usually because of a collapsed lifter or adjusting valves - not from leaks) the blue is very coopertive and comes off without too much hassle...
Just my opinions and experiences...
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 50
Likes: 0
done!!!
Any idea what the torque is supposed to be on the bolts for the valve covers? The guy at Autozone thought it was about 8 ft/lbs, but that sounds kind of low to me. I just hand tightened it. The dealer told me I needed new seals, but when I pulled off the covers, the bolts were pretty loose...I could have removed them with my bare hands...ie they were definitely not 8 ft/lbs tight.
For removing the old seal, I used carborator cleaner, then I used a putty knife, and it came right off. I used a black silicone seal between the cover and the gasket...this was first time replacing a valve cover seal...so hopefully I won't need to redo it next week. That would suck. I had a really hard time with the passenger side cover. I may have gotten some of the carborator cleaner in by the valves where the oil pools just under the valve cover, but I figure an oil change will probably do the trick...correct if I am wrong please...I would rather not kill the engine.
Do I need to wait 24 hours for the silicone to "cure" before driving again?
For removing the old seal, I used carborator cleaner, then I used a putty knife, and it came right off. I used a black silicone seal between the cover and the gasket...this was first time replacing a valve cover seal...so hopefully I won't need to redo it next week. That would suck. I had a really hard time with the passenger side cover. I may have gotten some of the carborator cleaner in by the valves where the oil pools just under the valve cover, but I figure an oil change will probably do the trick...correct if I am wrong please...I would rather not kill the engine.
Do I need to wait 24 hours for the silicone to "cure" before driving again?
Last edited by ddorlando; Jun 5, 2005 at 10:33 AM.
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