Valve Cover gasket sealant? Which if any | FerrariChat
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Valve Cover gasket sealant? Which if any

Discussion in '308/328' started by mixedgas, Feb 22, 2024.

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  1. mixedgas

    mixedgas Formula Junior
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    Apr 23, 2019
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    Mike
    #1 mixedgas, Feb 22, 2024
    Good morning, I apologize if this has been covered in the past, but I couldn't find a leading opinion on whether to put a sealant on the valve cover (cam cover) gaskets?

    Car is an 85 QV with the big o-ring seal carriers

    I have the green gaskets, have studied up on chamfering / filing the cam seal carriers with a round file, know about a dab of RTV at the corner of the oring (a "match head" amount is what was recommended), trimming the gasket.

    But - having just spent hours removing old gasket material from my head I'm hesitant to apply a lot of sealer to the green gasket. Any recommendations for a gasket dressing (if necessary)? I saw someone recommend Hylomar, and someone else recommend a thin coat of copper permatex. I was thinking of spraying the gaskets with KW Copper Coat before installing. I'm partial to old-school aviation form-a-gasket but it's kind of messy. Also not opposed to gluing the gasket to the cover with Gasgacinch or similar to minimize head cleanup next time.

    All that to say, this is my car, and I wont wet my pants if there is a little oil seeping out. I'm not going for perfection but on the other hand I'd like to not touch this again for several years.

    Thank you!
    Mike

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  2. waymar

    waymar Formula 3

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    #2 waymar, Feb 22, 2024
    With the green KlingerSil gaskets you do not use sealant. I’ve used this method for 29yrs with no leaks. Proper preparation is all that is required. Then proper torque method. All the holes for covers (cam, oil, trans) are blind holes. Just saying….
     
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  3. kcabpilot

    kcabpilot Formula 3

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    #3 kcabpilot, Feb 22, 2024
    I think any kind of sealant would just be an absolute nightmare to get cleaned off next time the cover has to come off for any reason.
     
  4. mixedgas

    mixedgas Formula Junior
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    #4 mixedgas, Feb 22, 2024
    I got the green gaskets from Superformance, but not sure if those are klinger sil material? Thanks for the opinions so far. I would prefer not to use anything w/r/t sealant.
     
  5. Rifledriver

    Rifledriver Three Time F1 World Champ

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    #5 Rifledriver, Feb 22, 2024
    Doesn't matter. No sealant required ever.
     
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  6. mixedgas

    mixedgas Formula Junior
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    #6 mixedgas, Feb 22, 2024
    That's good enough for me. Thank you!
     
  7. Rifledriver

    Rifledriver Three Time F1 World Champ

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    #7 Rifledriver, Feb 22, 2024
    To be clear. The corners yes. The rest of the gasket use none.
     
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  8. Ehamilton

    Ehamilton F1 Rookie
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    #8 Ehamilton, Feb 22, 2024
    Corners only, like Rifledriver says, there’s a leak possibility where the edge of the gasket meets the outer edge of the seal. When I did this job I was rummaging around for a suitable non-hardening sealant and my a Porsche-wrenching shopmate handed me a tube of Curil-T…. Worked fine.
     
  9. mixedgas

    mixedgas Formula Junior
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    #9 mixedgas, Feb 22, 2024
    I found this picture, and was planning to use a dab where the o-ring meets the head. (not planning to cover with Hylomar as pictured). Thank you - Mike

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  10. moysiuan

    moysiuan F1 Rookie
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    #10 moysiuan, Feb 23, 2024
    Last edited: Feb 23, 2024
    I did the gaskets mostly dry, but for the dab of silicone at the O ring to gasket junctions. I put the gasket in place, and then put a very small dab on the top of the gasket only at the O ring junction. The goal is to seal that little gap between the gasket and O ring, so not much is needed. Too much and it makes the gasket slippery which can be squeezed out from the cam cover being tightened down at that end.

    I say mostly as my green gaskets did not have the red sealer on the spark plug holes the way some of the green gaskets do. So I put a very sparing amount of Hylomar (actually I use Curil T which is similar).

    The torque on the valve cover is only about 6.5 ft bs, which does not feel like much. Too much pressure can squeeze the gasket out of place at the O ring end. I used a bit of Loctite blue on the cam cover nuts.u

    I used Permatex Red High temp sealer Product number 59403 for the dab to the O ring, good to 650F.
     

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