I have a chrome timing cover on my motor. I have replaced the cover to oil pan gasket 2 times now and it still leaking. It leaks between the cover and the rubber gasket, not the pan and the gasket. I am having the same problem with chrome valve covers. The last gasket I put on them was a thick FelPro cork. Gasket sealer on the valve cover, no sealant on the head side. I put a thin coat of grease on the head side. This was a brand new set of covers. I also used 4" load spreaders and it STILL leaks. Can anyone recommend a sealant to use? Also, I am considering going with aluminum products. By your experience, how do they seal? I am considering the 2 piece cover for the front and Heartbeat design valve covers.
Any help identifying products that work as well as techniques you use to seal these things is GREATLY appreciated.


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There is nothing like doing it yourself.

68 Camaro
69 Chevy C/10 swb truck

Buy yourself a set of "EARLS" valve cover gaskets from Summit. They are $40.00 but I never had a pair leak. They are special material that compresses to make a great seal. Don't know what to tell you on the timong cover except maybe RTV silicone

I personally prefer aluminum products over stamped steel chrome stuff. The over seas chrome stuff can really be hard to seal. Aluminum will not warp or bend like the chrome stuff. The aluminum parts have machined surfaces, which seal much better. On the timing cover I would suggest glueing the seal in place (I like high tack or permatex 300 gasket maker). On the valve covers you need to take a straight edge and make sure the flange isn't warped, if it is then you need to fix that. Once that is done you can attach the gasket to the cover and then try it again DO NOT OVER TIGHTEN or you will have the same problem. I think if you go ahead and buy the aluminum parts you are thinking about, you will be happy you did.

Royce

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70 Camaro 383ci
69 Camaro 385ci
2000 GMC Z71
Link to my 70

http://profiles.yahoo.com/camaroman7d

What type of sealant to hold the gasket to the valve cover?

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There is nothing like doing it yourself.

68 Camaro
69 Chevy C/10 swb truck

Gorilla snot works well, 3M weatherstrip adhesive, but you have to make sure there is no oil on the surface (clean them with laquer thinner or acetone).

Royce

This is just a thought. You may be building too much crank case pressure and forcing oil out where it would not normally leak. What type of crank case ventilation are you using. If one valve cover has a vent cap, is oil coming out of it? I use chrome valve covers with no leakage at all. I have had problems in the past with 12 to 1 compression causing high crank case pressure that the PCV system could not handle. Oil came out of every location it could find.

Using a vented oil fill on dr side, and PCV on pass side running to the main vac port right in the middle of the carb. Edelbrock 600

------------------
There is nothing like doing it yourself.

68 Camaro
69 Chevy C/10 swb truck