| Re: Valve cover gaskets [message #371232 is a reply to message #371231] |
Sun, 26 March 2023 20:18   |
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Matt Colie
Messages: 8547
Registered: March 2007
Location: S.E. Michigan
Karma:
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Senior Member |
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Skip,
Do you think that you might be the first guy to miss the dish at the screws as an issue? Dream on......
I actually sat down at my lathe one day an made a tool to fix the cover screw dimples for the 455 and this is not the first tool I made to do this. Hammering them on a steel block is the next best bet. If you were in striking range, I would lend you that tool.
Cylinder Head (aka Valve Cover) have only been an issue as long as there have been overhead valve engines. They have to have oil up there and then they have to keep it up there.
I was afraid that you did mean "Gorilla Shot", and with the proximity to the exhaust ports, that stuff will be in trouble but just about anything can make those gaskets leak enough to be messy.
If you have been in this game as long as yours truly, you would have seen a lot of different tries to make cylinder cover gaskets work. The big thing with rubber or rubber/cork gaskets is to not over compress them.
Things that have been tried are:
gaskets supplied with steel insert to limit compression,
upset holes in the cover to stop the screws from crushing the gaskets,
fasteners with a shoulder to limit compression,
heavy stamped steel "birdies" to spread the fastener load,
and this is just to try to make rubber/cork work for the warranty....
It goes on (and on).
Before you set the next ones on, try to borrow a tiny torque wrench and calibrate your wrist to what the manufacturer says they want. You may be surprised. Really, it is closer to screwdriver than it is to socket wrench.
To be completely honest here, I have about a 70% success rate unless there is a built in compression limiter.
Matt
Matt & Mary Colie - Chaumière -'73 Glacier 23 - Members GMCMI, GMCGL, GMCES
Electronically Controlled Quiet Engine Cooling Fan with OE Rear Drum Brakes with Applied Control Arms
SE Michigan - Near DTW - Twixt A2 and Detroit
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