hey guys, i pulled the valve covers after trying to diagnose a ticking sound and now I cant get them to stop leaking oil onto the exhaust manifold. I've tried every type of gasket, with permatex and without permatex, and put brand new edelbrock valve covers on it. I tightened them firmly without over tightening and slowly added a quarter turn and the damn thing still leaks oil and smokes on the exhuast manifold. I know it doesnt get any simpler than valve covers but something else has to be wrong, both mating surfaces were cleaned and smooth and i put the valve covers on with care so I wouldn't bend them. each and every time i see a good amount of smoke and the smell of burning oil. any ideas on what to do would be greatly appreciated

 

Are these steel covers?

i.e stamped steel, as opposed to cast Al?

 

If they're sheet metal, they're bent, from past over-tightening.

Take em off, remove the gaskets, bend the area around the bolt holes UPWARDS, opposite to the way the bolt holes are sorts punched out DOWNWARDS now.

Use these gaskets. http://www.summitracing.com/parts/fel-vs12869r Note carefully, they end in R. R. DO NOT get the regular cork ones, they will dry up and turn to dust and fail just like cork gaskets on engines have been doing since the 1800s. When you put em back on, use these http://www.summitracing.com/search?S...20down%20valve or something like them on the bolts on the exh side. You'll need longer screws on that side. I'd suggest stainless steel Phillips head screws, rather than hex head, to avoid over-tightening in the future. Get em at Lowe's. The ones that go through the load spreaders will need to be ¼" longer than the stock ones.

Lay a bead of gorilla snot on the VC after straightening the flange and then cleaning it with lacquer thinner. Lay a matching bead on the gasket. Wait about 20 - 30 min, then lay the gasket on the cover, making sure the extra holes for the early-model setup are on the intake side. Smear a coat of wheel bearing grease on the exposed gasket surface, where it meets the head. Tighten with nothing more than a #3 (NOT a #2) Phillips screwdriver.

 

Now ya ya know I was gonna tell him similar, but wanted to make sure

One thing extra I'll add, is use the funny looking load spread washers as well...probably come in chrome these days too.

Edit:

N/M...see ya got the spreaders covered for him my man.

 

Yup, I kinda figured that was the direction you were headed too...

Sperience.

 

Ahhh!!!!!

I'd been calling it old age

 

Wow thanks for all the information, they are steel covers and I haven't really tightened them too much so I don't think they're bent, I am using the fel pro gaskets you recomended but I think my problem is that I put the side with the extra holes facing the exhaust instead of the intake, later on in the week I'll pick up some new Fel pro gaskets and gorilla snot and copy your advice word for word, it's just a real pain in the *** getting them on the passenger side head

 

I also tried both styles of load spreaders, at first I was using the stock bar ones put on correctly but then I switched to these smaller round ones that I'm not too impressed with

 

So i couldn't find gorilla snot anywhere (checked every auto and home improvement store in the area) but I picked up the brush on permatex gasket sealant and the tube kind, I think I'm gonna try the brush on kind first. I picked up the permadry plus gaskets and am impressed with the quality and they came with a set of load spreaders. I also couldn't find any philips screws that would work but I found bolts that are similar, I'm gonna use a palm ratchet and be really cautious when snugging them down. also going to use the 2nd valve cover that hasn't been used yet in case I did damage the other one. I also got lacquer thinner and wheel bearing grease and am feeling pretty confident. do you think ill be fine with using the brush on sealant as a substitute for gorilla snot?

 

GM has a kit that works wonders for this issue. its a stud and nut kit with the load spreaders that are about 4 in long. I ,like others, only use the rubber VC gaskets .and the addition of the kit with proper gaskets solves the issue once and for all.

 

You don't have to tighten these down much. I always use a torque wrench when tightening these because I had a problem with them leaking too. Torque specs is 22 in. lbs. I believe. It's not even tight but it's what keeps them from leaking.

 

Did you go to the local zoo and ask the guy in charge of the primate area?
He didn't mean a name brand. It's just Sofa's way of saying gasket sealant. Permatex is fine, I prefer black. I bet the guys at the parts stores looked at you like you had a pecker growing out of your forehead when you asked them.

 

Joe..Iam LMAO right now! Thanks for the mid day humor!

 

hah actually I didnt ask I just looked on the shelf and then once I got home I looked it up and found out what it was, thanks for the humor though

 

I originally had the stud and bolt kit but dropped one and couldn't find it,

 

Awesome thanks, I was gonna ask what inch pounds sounds right for the bolts

 

That was funny Joe!

Good on Tyler for taking it well!

 

Lol I could only be mad at myself for being a dumb ***

 

I meant no harm, just having a lil fun. Take things too seriously and life is boring. Figured I'd spare the eventual ragging he would get with a little levity.

 

Actually, gorilla snot is a highly specific thing:



3M 08001. Just get some and start using it, you'll INSTANTLY know how it got that nickname.

If you want black gorilla snot instead (that's, black snot, not, snot from black gorillas... is there any other color? iunno.....) you can get 08008 instead of 08001.

The part about un-bending the valve covers is CRITICAL; by far, the most important thing about doing this. You can ignore EVERY OTHER DETAIL in my post, but if you don't do that one, you're doomed; you'll be right back where you are now again in a very short time.

The 2nd most important thing is using the LONG load spreaders, not the little triangle washers, which don't really accomplish much. The 3rd most important thing is NOT overtightening them ever again.

 

I put a brand new never used valve cover on this time and lightly tightened the covers with a nut driver, I see smoke but i think it's the wheel bearing grease on the manifold because it doesn't smell like burning oil, I'm gonna try to burn all the grease off and see what it's doing after that