...the question.

Do you guys use RTV or similar, or spray gasket adhesive on Y block VC gaskets? Replacing mine and the prior guy used a blue RTV and they leaked bad. Just curious. Thanks!

1956 F600 272
2005 F250 5.4

I lay down a very thin bead of ‘black’ 3M trim cement on both the valve cover and the valve cover side of the gasket.  Don’t get too wild on the 3M cement as it doesn’t take much.  After letting the two beads tack up for about five minutes, I will then attach the gasket to the cover.  Some white grease on the head side of the gaskets and the valve covers are ready to be installed.
 
Other options or methods welcome here.

Lorena, Texas (South of Waco)

I have. I clean all gasket surfaces with lacquer thinner to be sure there is no oil left and no paint on them. Then I spread a thin amount of Blue RTV with my finger to it and the gasket getting complete coverage on both sides of the gasket. Works well for several seasons.

But I wanted to remove the covers to check lash and oil flow etc. So I bought the synthetic rubber (Neoprene) ones. No rtv required. No leaks.
I see now Fel-Pro nor Mummert does not have that one now. I guess they changed the cork ones ? The rubber ones eventually expand and get difficult to fit (years later) so I will change them on my next build this summer to the cork ones and leave the head side without rtv.


1936 Ford 3W Coupe : 56 T-Bird 312, 47 Packard 3 speed, 40 juice brakes.
1968 Merc Cyclone FB GT 390, Getting a better front clip!
1977 Ford F-250 Supercab RWD Explorer Long box.
1976 Chev Camaro RS LT
Future rebuild : 1949 Ford F-1

What works for me, are a couple practices or techniques gleaned from reading different forums. These are for cork gaskets. The gaskets on my pickup are at least 20+ years old, possibly or probably much older than that. Good quality cork today is in short supply, so maybe things are different now with replacements.

Since valve cover removal is necessary for lash adjustment I only use adhesive on the valve cover side. If they have been installed a very long time a rubber mallet may be necessary to coax the covers off. Upon removal I coat the cork gaskets liberally with clean engine oil and let them "relax".

So long as the mating surfaces between the cover and head are reasonably straight and true, and they are not overtightened they will not leak, and can be removed and replaced practically indefinitely. I believe the torque specification is something like 3 to 5 pounds. Not a whole lot, but it takes a couple iterations or engine heat cycles and cool downs. Kind of want to kind of sneak up on it, incrementally, back and forth.

The cork type gasket should seal (at least in part) simply by absorption of the engine oil and heat, not by the valve covers being reefed down to 180 yard/tons. This is why some people swear off (or swear at) cork gaskets, in my opinion, because they don't understand how they work.

When I bought my car 8 years ago it had a rebuilt engine with only a few hundred miles. I’ve had the rocker covers off countless times and they have never leaked. They are the original cast T-Birds with the gasket only glued on the cover side. The residue looks like Permatex #2. I keep a light coat of chassis grease on them.

56 Vic, B'Ville 200 MPH Club Member, So Cal.

Yard/tons! Haha Haha

Thanks guys. Seems like adhesive on the cover side and some lube or grease on the head side. As always, thanks a ton!

1956 F600 272
2005 F250 5.4

Ted,
I understand why you prefer white grease on intake gaskets, but couldn’t it likely get washed into the crankcase circulation?  Am I wrong, or isn’t ‘white grease’ rather contraindicated as an oil component (?).  Wouldn’t plain old chassis/wheel bearing grease work just as well for valve covers, or is that soap base no safer?

6 VOLTS/POS. GRD. NW INDIANA

White grease is applied only as a thin film, not as a heavy coating or gobbed in place.  The white grease I use has a lower melting point than your typical axle grease and thus dissolves much easier in those cases where it might mingle with the oil.  I feel that the use of grease at that location actually helps to provide some additional sealing in lieu of using engine oil or nothing at all while also helps to facilitate the removal of the valve covers at a later date without having to replace the gaskets again.

Lorena, Texas (South of Waco)