I finally disagree with the Capn!
There is ONE sealant that works and works well enough that it finds a home on every engine that leaves my shop. This sealant remains flexible and is very slick so upon install it decreases the chances of a seal being torn.
Here is a link to it on my store site.
SealantAlso ensure that NO BURRS are present in the pushrod tube bores and take a small rotary file to the pushrod tube bores of the head and bevel their edges. They generally have a sharp edge that will cut the tube upon install.
Another thing to remember is if the engine has blowby past the rings and valve guides no matter what- its gonna leak... That blowby turns into case pressure and FORCES oil out of any place that it can. If your exhaust valve guides are worn the pressure is pumped into the valve cover and that pressure is right on top of the pushrod tube seals and they will leak... Most of the time when leaks can't be solved its due to this.
The sealant works- my engine in the 912E has 89,000 miles on it and don't leak a drop- even when it sits for a week at a time and I run sytnthetic!