Hey all,

Is there a good way to tighten down my centerbolt valve covers? Mine leak around the rear lip and I've loosened and re-tightened them several times to try and get them to re-seat but nothing seems to work.

Does anyone have any idea on how to get them to seal better?

 

I've only had factory ones leak that I intended on replacing. The felpro gaskets on my 92 have been on and off probably a couple dozen times and they still seal well. I normally start the threads on all 4 and tighten the inner two first. I'm sure I didn't do that in that order every time and still never had a leak. Did you check the surface of the cover and the head ridge?

 

I'll check the surface. I put them on when I put the new heads on so originally, the surface was perfect.

 

Good quality gaskets and check that the valve cover lip isn't bent upward. Sometimes they get bent, easy to do. Also make sure gasket is staying in the correct location and not slipping out when being installed.

 

i've had centerbolt valve covers that had the gasket totally burnt out that didn't leak- i was absolutely shocked when i pulled the rusted driver's side valve cover off the 87 Caprice cop car i had way back when and found no gasket at all on the side by the exhaust manifold.... you must have a bent valve cover flange easy enough to check, and easy enough to fix.

 

Thanks all for the ideas. Any recommendations on Gaskets? Email links are helpful.

 

My center-bolt valve covers were sealed with black RTV from the factory.

since the oil in the valve train is not under pressure per say and you have a PCV system you don't need to over-tighten the valve cover bolts, just snug them.

Odds are you over-did it and bent the flanges on the valve cover causing the leak.

 

I never thought about that. I'll check and straighten. My next question will be where do I get new grommets that go around the bolts that seal them to the valve cover?

 

There should be tubes that the bolts run through in the valve cover that prevent both over tightening and oil getting up to the bolt heads. At least all GM centerbolts I've had were that way. None of mine have grommets, just washers or large faced bolt heads.

 

I have aftermarket aluminum covers. The black with red lettering "Cheverolet" on them. they don't have the tubes that run down as you describe.

 

These should seal easily. So if they aren't sealing, one of the following applies.

• You aren't tightening them down
• The rubber gasket is shot and should be replaced
• The valve cover is bent in a way thats preventing it from sealing.

 

Sounds like those aftermarket covers are the problem to me. I bet you can get them to seal but will be more troublesome than factory GM.

 

aftermarket valve covers look cool while the hood is open, but unless you've got some valvetrain stuff going on that requires extra clearance you are better off with factory parts every time. hell, you have been able to get full roller rocker arms that fit under the stock covers for 20 years now since GM had Crane develop 1.6 roller rockers for the LT4 Corvettes that came out in 1995 as 1996 model year cars..

 

hmm, maybe I should get a set of clearanced vett covers I saw for sale. I did notice that my aluminum covers are a bit flimsy, though I don't know if that's really the appropriate word for it.

 

I'm using stock GM lt1 covers over my scorpion narrow body aluminum rockers on afr 195cc heads. No clearancing needed.

 

I'm running comp Pro Magnum Roller rockers and World Sportsman II heads, so other than tall valve covers, I don't really know which ones would fit without being clearanced.