Valve cover gasket sealing methods Options

[AE354803]

I have a valve cover gasket leak that I can't seem to take care of. The motor is a GC type IV case with NOS 2.0 GA heads and Weber 40 IDF carbs. The PO installed a Web-grind cam with haydraulic lifters.

I recently took off the valve covers to inspect the valve train and fix a leak and when I put them back on I replaced the gaskets and used RTV on both sides of the gaskets. Now they leak more than before. It appears to come from the one lower corner of cover.

Is there a specific method or material that people have found works best to seal the valve covers? I imagine I'm not the first to deal with this.

Any help would be great! Thanks

[timothy_nd28]

I personally use Permatex for the valve cover gaskets, and never had that problem. It sounds like your valve covers are warped.

by the way

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[stugray]

1st - on these engines you are not to use RTV except in very rare cases and you need to be very careful.
If any loose RTV gets into the oil passages it can ruin a motor.

Those head gaskets CAN be glued in with very careful application of RTV.
Years ago I did the following:
Glue dry gasket into valve cover (valve cover side ONLY) and put back on the car very softly - do NOT clip the holddown all the way. This is only to hold the gasket flat while the first layer cures.
Remove cover, clean off ANY dingle-berries and then put a paper thin layer of silicone over the side of the gasket that touches the head.

Let this dry without placing it against the head again.

Clean up any silicone that has any remote chance of getting into the engine.

Put the covers back on.

I used that method and never had any leaks for the covers again, but it is a risk using RTV anywhere on these engines.

The after market valve covers also has little tabs welded to the covers that keep the gaskets from "squirting" out when clamped. Maybe you dont have the tab.

Stu

[zymurgist]

Dumb question time.

On SBC's you can get reusable silicone gaskets. Is this an option for VW engines?

[Cap'n Krusty]

Ya know, I've been installing 914 and other T4 valve cover gaskets since 1973. A LOT of 'em. I learned at the dealership to use Gasgacinch on the cover and the side of the gasket facing the cover. NOTHING else. I've done that ever since. Sure, I've had a few leaks, all from getting rough with the cover when snaking it in there, or not getting it seated properly before installing the wire bail. NEVER apply sealant to the head side of the gasket! NO RTV! EVER!

The Cap'n

[Rand]

If your gaskets are gooped with rtv, replace them and try try again.

Clean up all the mating surfaces. Use your finger tip to rub a little engine oil along the way as you feel for any surface trouble. Put the cover on right side up. (Any chance you got that wrong????) Done. Unless something is bent.

Gasgasinch in handy as a third hand to help hold the gasket in place while you work. But any other goop is only going to cause trouble.

[AE354803]

Put the cover on right side up. (Any chance you got that wrong????)

I put the covers on the same side they came off. How do I determine which side is up?

[Rand]

Maybe the Cap'n can confirm. I have to look at it to tell. If I recall, there's a tab that goes on the bottom and that position gives you more clearance around the top of the cover. Also look at the way the bail goes on. If it's backwards the bail is more difficult to pull on, so look at the way the bail is closer to the indents. It is subtle, but different. And to make things more interesting, maybe someone will tell us the VW goes upside down? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif)

[RoadGlue]

I've been putting them on dry, without the Permatex gasgacinch or anything else, for years without leaks. I always use new gaskets (they're cheap!) and make sure the mating surfaces are clean before installation.

If I were to use something, it would be just a very thin layer of gasgacinch applied directly to the gasket on just the valve cover side.

[Cevan]

I use a little Permatex between the cover and gasket (which I never reuse). Once the bail is back in place, I pull the cover downward. I read that somewhere on this forum. No leaks so far.

[Dave_Darling]

I use a VERY THIN smear of RTV in the corners to tack the gasket to the cover. Nowhere else. A different sealer (e.g. the Gaskacinch mentioned above) could substitute for that.

The "VW" logo goes upside down.

Cork gaskets. They don't have to be new every time, but they should be replaced on a fairly regular basis.

Make sure the valve cover sealing surface is flat. They can get tweaked, and it is tough to flatten them after that happens. Also make sure that the surface on the head is flat.

--DD

[mrbubblehead]

i use gasgacinch between the gasket and valve cover. dry between the gasket and head.

[cary]

I've done this mod to all my valve covers.
http://www.pelicanparts.com/techarticles/9...alve_covers.htm
Don't have to use any goo.
Just take your time putting them back in.

[john rogers]

Hey, my article is still alive......A couple things have not been mentioned so far.

- What do the old gaskets look like, I.E. can you see if they have moved or gotten sucked into the rocker area? In this case the fix in the article may help?

- Are the covers warped/bent/etc? Lay them on a know flat surface and smooth out as necessary with hardwood and a small hammer.

- How is the bale tension? It will bend over time and if you can pull it off with your fingers then it needs to be bent so it applies more force. Retry as necessary.

- Make sure there is NO oil weeping over the area where the gasket seats. I used to have to do a wipe with cleaner just before I put on the valve cover and they held okay.

Note the fix in the article was because the gaskets would get sucked in because of the multi stage dry sump oil pump would create a high vacuum in the crank case.

[cary]

The rim also helps you keep the gasket in place as you slide it across the rocker arms. Especially on the right side.
My .02c.
I just went to the local metal supply house and had them shear me 5 sets at one time. I don't remember it costing too much.

Lessons learned since. I don't know if John's article mentions it. But make one tack weld. Wait a couple minutes. Make the next. This should keep the valve cover from twisting due the heat transfer.

[AE354803]

I'm digging into it this weekend. I think my surfaces are flat but I will check and fix as necessary, I have a feeling that it's my bales because I was able to take them off and put them on by hand without too much force.

Do you just tighten your bale wire by bending each of the ends inward and then making bends at the center to make the ends straight/parallel again by basically bending it into a "v"?

Basically going from a |''''''| shape to a \''''''/ shape to |''-''|
------------------------(original)------ (ends in)-- (center bent to bring ends out)

[stugray]

because I was able to take them off and put them on by hand without too much force.

If you did not grunt, fart, cuss and try three different tools before finding one that works then they are not tight enough.

I read a trick (might have been on this thread): Wrap a shop towel around the wire and then pull on that with various prying tools.

Stu

[rstover]

I have a valve cover gasket leak that I can't seem to take care of. The motor is a GC type IV case with NOS 2.0 GA heads and Weber 40 IDF carbs. The PO installed a Web-grind cam with haydraulic lifters.

I recently took off the valve covers to inspect the valve train and fix a leak and when I put them back on I replaced the gaskets and used RTV on both sides of the gaskets. Now they leak more than before. It appears to come from the one lower corner of cover.

Is there a specific method or material that people have found works best to seal the valve covers? I imagine I'm not the first to deal with this.

Any help would be great! Thanks

I appreciate the reponses to these from people who know what they are doing. I just got my new engine running in the Bumblebee last night and I had a oil leak on the left side. This afternoon I pulled the valve cover off and could see that the old gasket had slipped. I went to the parts store and ask what they recomented to hold the gasket in place and it was RTV. I used just a small amount on the cover side only and wiped any excess away. I hope this is OK. I just went to the garage and threw away the rest of the RTV. I did use a new gasket and it seems to have fixed the problem.

[cary]

[quote name='stugray' date='Sep 19 2012, 02:04 PM' post='1741476']
[quote]

If you did not grunt, fart, cuss and try three different tools before finding one that works then they are not tight enough.

Stu
[/quote]

I use a pry bar to get them off and on.
I'm fortunate enough to have a lift. It gives me a better angle of attack.
But they are still a bitch. But I'm approaching 3500 miles on my rebuild with no leaks.

RTV is scary. I did have some kind of adhesive on my oil strainer at my 500 mile oil change. It still kind of haunts me.

[Rand]

I went to the parts store and ask what they recomented to hold the gasket in place and it was RTV. I used just a small amount on the cover side only and wiped any excess away. I hope this is OK.

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Seems odd to ask that question here, after all of the above posts that say what to do and what NOT to do.