Valve Covers Leaking Oil?????

[Dans66Stevens]

Help... I have two BBC motors. They both have chrome Edelbrock covers. I have tried the gaskets that are the black stuff and also the cork. I just end up with oil leaking no matter what I try. Anyone have any good tricks. I have seen guys use silicone. I think it makes a big mess. HELP!!!!!!

[JLaughreySS24]

Try felpro valve cover gaskets. Then silicone them only on the valve cover side. So when you remove the valve cover they stick to the valve cover. It makes removing valve covers easy and they dont leak. Mine dont. Good Luck!!

[bajaruner]

Just get rid of those stupid, cheap, hong kong made, chromed sheetmetal valve covers, and buy yourself a pair of quality polished aluminum valve covers. Bolt them on, and forget about it! No offense man but got what you paid for.

[hack job]

Originally posted by bajaruner:
Just get rid of those stupid, cheap, hong kong made, chromed sheetmetal valve covers, and buy yourself a pair of quality polished aluminum valve covers. Bolt them on, and forget about it! No offense man but got what you paid for.
or you could do the less expensive thing and buy new gaskets and bolt spender sold at pepboys or track or your local speed shop and those should help the problem i have had many pairs of those crome (cheep as some would say) ones on my boats/ cars and with the spreders and had no leeks. oh and dont fro get the rtv blue the gasket to the valve cover.
Tyson www.plumbersassracing.com (http://www.plumbersassracing.com)

[MrHavasuCat]

I would agree with getting some good aluminum valve covers. I hav Rex valve covers and they have never leaked. I had some Edelbrock valve covers on a car when I was in high school, and they were always leaking.

[Boater Bill]

More suggestions. First make sure you vc's are "flat". Have seen many overtorqued and the flanges get warped. As hack job suggested, buy some vc tabs/spreaders, they help spread the load across the flanges. Make sure you tighten down the vc's from the inside out, going from top to bottom, kinda like tightening lug nuts, and don't over tighten! Last suggestion is to buy vc stud kit, this keeps the gasket lined up on the head and you just drop the vc down over the stud and gasket, tighten, and viola, no leaks!

[Racing Ray]

The easy fix is buy Fel-Pros thicker cork gaskets. They come in 2 thicknesses. Thats the only ones I buy any more.

[gnarley]

Originally posted by JLaughreySS24:
silicone them only on the valve cover side. So when you remove the valve cover they stick to the valve cover. It makes removing valve covers easy and they dont leak. Mine dont. Good Luck!!
Dan Don't listen to Jlaughrey. Never ever use Silicone on things that you want to stick. Silicone is a vehicle that will move things, it slides when wet doesn't it?
Use 3M high tack to set the gasket on the cover or if you can find it, Gasgasinch is even better to hold gaskets in place. Then put a little white grease on the head side of the gasket so it removes easily if and when you may need to check the valves.
Silicone is a good filler like for intakes to fill the gap on the bottom since no pressure is put on it and it won't slide out from under it like a vlave cover or pan gasket would.
Remember if you tighten a gasket and it has any vehicle like silcone it will let the gasket slide as you tighten it. If you don't want it to slide don't use slippery SHI_ on it!

[mister460]

Originally posted by gnarley:
If you don't want it to slide don't use slippery SHI_ on it!
Yeah!!! So no K-Y Jelly alright!!!!!

[gnarley]

Originally posted by mister460:
Yeah!!! So no K-Y Jelly alright!!!!!
H'mm ???, K-Y might make a good pre-lube for more than 1 thing, it kind of even looks like Silicone

[GM Killer]

Replace the Chevy with a Ford. Not only will the leaks stop but you will have more power and have the right to hang with us FORD guys.

[spectras only]

Use the more expensive neoprene gaskets,lasted over 13 years so far ,without leaks http://free.***boat.net/ubb/biggrin.gif

[wsm9808]

Check and make sure the valve covers are notched properly to clear the intake. My boat had aluminum valve covers and was leaking pretty bad when I bought it. The covers were hitting the boss for the intake outer bolt holes and was not pulling down all the way to clamp the gasket. If that is not it, then cut you serveral strips of paper or very thin plastic and lay them all around the gasket with some hanging over. As you slowly tighten the valve covers back down, pull the strips out as they start to get clamped between the gasket and the valve cover. Any that are still loose and will slip out after the covers are tight, thats were your leak is.

[gnarley]

Originally posted by GM Killer:
Replace the Chevy with a Ford. Not only will the leaks stop but you will have more power and have the right to hang with us FORD guys.
More power from a Ford??? GMkiller, get serious, Puleeze. Have more power than what? If Fords were the best platform for building power from don't you think that ALL major boat builders and engine suppliers would be installing Fords? Well they don't do they, they install mostly GM power.
Maybe your Ford is fast and doesn't leak but the topic of this thread didn't seem to be the Ford's or Chevy's, it was about helping out someone and giving some good solid advise not slamin the guy's motor.
My opinion, Fords are Ok to, but not my choice and you GMKiller seem to have a case of cranial rectosis.

[Dans66Stevens]

uuuummm As far as a Shit I can't even say it FFOORRDD There ain't a chance in Hell of that happening!!!!!! I hate fords. I would put a Mopar in first....LOL

[Dans66Stevens]

This oil leak thing drives me crazy. I bought a set of the hold down things. They are Edelbrock but only fit half of the bolts. Very nice design .....I think the stud thing is a good idea.

[Sigus]

What kind of heads are you using? Sometimes after market heads have thinner sealing rails for the gasket to land on. When using cork make sure and cut the tabs on the gaskets to insure they fit up correctly in the valve cover. This added with some of the other tips should nail it. Also always use the thicker style gasket I think Moroso makes a set.

[Costello]

Question for my buddy GM Killer. How many FORDS are in NHRA Pro Stock? 2 that I can think of off hand. Hurley Blankney qualified for what 2 races or so last year and that was a big accomplishemnt. Instead Ford decides to put all of their drag racing $$$ behind John Force who is running a CHRYSLER in his Ford, as they know that they stand a snowballs chance in hell of running with either the Dodge boys or GM DRCE contingent. http://free.***boat.net/ubb/smile.gif
Sorry to pollute the valve cover thread, but one must know when to say when with the F--- word.

[058]

Originally posted by Costello:
Question for my buddy GM Killer. How many FORDS are in NHRA Pro Stock? 2 that I can think of off hand. Hurley Blankney qualified for what 2 races or so last year and that was a big accomplishemnt. Instead Ford decides to put all of their drag racing $$$ behind John Force who is running a CHRYSLER in his Ford, as they know that they stand a snowballs chance in hell of running with either the Dodge boys or GM DRCE contingent. http://free.***boat.net/ubb/smile.gif
Sorry to pollute the valve cover thread, but one must know when to say when with the F--- word.
Ford's drag racing budget is pennies compared to GM's and Mopar's budgets. We all know these cars are powered by cubic dollars, bad analogy. As far as John Force running a "Chrysler" thats bogus too, about the only thing they have in common now is they both have 8 cylinders. There isn't any parts that will interchange with the orig. hemi. except maybe the ignition. I bet you can't remember the last time a real Chrysler went down a drag strip as a Top Fuel competetor.

[GM Killer]

If you notice, "GM" is used when mentioning Pro Stock, not Chevy. Thats because the Pontiac and Olds heads are the way to go, not Chevy. Dont say they are the same, because Im sure the Poncho, and if there are any, Olds guys would take offend to it. In short you cant say Chevy reigns, cus they DONT
058 is right, Ford stopped financing Pro Stocks before Glidden retired. So the boys running now are privateers. I dont follow NASCAR anymore, but that is where Ford has been spending their cash. (I stopped watching NASCAR when Jeff Gordon started racing. I wouldnt watch him if he ran a Ford. He gives me sugar shock. Maybe he is gay or something.)

[Dans66Stevens]

Well so much for the valve covers!!!!

[058]

NASCAR= National Association Supporting Chevrolet Above the Rest......'nuff said?

[058]

Robert Patrick's Ford P/S has run high 6.80s on a $300K annual budget...damn close to WJ and his $3.5 million GM supported effort, I'd say pretty good bang for the buck. If Ford ever got back into P/S NHRA would change the rules to factor out the Ford, they have done it before and they would do it again. NHRA can't afford to have another Bob Glidden type domination.

[superdave013]

Originally posted by 058:
NASCAR= National Association Supporting Chevrolet Above the Rest......'nuff said?
Sorry Bob, F--d's are the ones that have the bigger sopilers. I guess they need a lil more downforce then the rest.
I would say at this point NASCAR is giving the F--d's the break now.
[This message has been edited by superdave013 (edited April 27, 2002).]

[Costello]

The last time a TOP FUEL Chrysler went down the dragstrip, or an AA/FC? It doesn't behoove Daimler Chrysler to back a Fuel dragster, but SKUZA'S bullets are all Chrysler, and I believe they wen't down the dragstrip at Bristol not too awful long ago, like 6 hours ago. http://free.***boat.net/ubb/biggrin.gif

[058]

Costello, Don't confuse a Chrysler with a KB or a JP1 engine with B/A or Veney heads. The last time an orig. hemi went down a track was about 1972........Oh yeah, we were here to talk about a leaking valve cover, weren't we?

[058]

Originally posted by superdave013:
Sorry Bob, F--d's are the ones that have the bigger sopilers. I guess they need a lil more downforce then the rest.
I would say at this point NASCAR is giving the F--d's the break now.
[This message has been edited by superdave013 (edited April 27, 2002).]SuperDave, NASCAR ordered the Fords to add spoiler to slow the cars down at GM's request. They had to add .25" in height and 1" in width on the rear and add .25" to the front. At this time [and it changes all the time] the Fords have the advantage IF the spoilers are equal, this is due to the smaller frontal area of the Ford. I will say that even when Jeffie Gordon wins or any other GM or Dodge] so does Ford, afterall they all run Ford 9" rear ends, Liberty or Jerico transmissions [based on a Ford top-loader] and the front suspension is a Ford design from the 1965 Galaxie. There is more "Ford" in the racecars than anything else regardless of the engine and the sheetmetal. I'm still wondering why you GM guys have such a hard-on for Fords. As far as I'm concerned they all have their good points and have a great respect for the other brands....can't we all just get along??

[Costello]

058, Have you not been to a NHRA National and seen the display of fuel parts out of the Mopar catalog? Have you not seen the commercials by Mopar "Parts for Top Fuel and your car too". Mopar in fact makes a full line of Top Fuel components. That's the very reason they put money behind a AA/FC is the fact that they have parts for them to market. Sure most guys are running Alan Johnson, TFX, KB, or BAE setups, but Chrysler makes the stuff as well to run fuel TODAY. Yes we were talking about valve covers, which goes back to the original point of GM Killer bringing up the Fords again. He's starting to sound like 77 Charger and the NOS http://free.***boat.net/ubb/biggrin.gif!!

[058]

Well, damn Cost, thats good to know. The next time I'm in the market to do a T/F engine I'll add MOPAR to my list of suppliers. But seriously I don't understand all the ripping being done on one particular brand. Especially the GM guys who bag on Fords so much, is it because they may have some sort of inferioriorty complex or some thing? Life wouldn't be at all interesting if we all ran the same thing, now would it? Thats just my opinion but I could be wrong.

[sgdiv7]

Try these felpro VS50090R I use them because of the solid lifter cam and always adjusting valves. They are rubber over metal, no fighting with them at all. aluminum valve covers are the only way to go because they don't loose their shape.
Bill

[gnarley]

Hey Dan I can stick to your topic.
I've built a few hundred engines in 25 years and learned a lot and am willing to share my secrets. I have rarely had Valve covers leak and when they did it was usually an oversight on my behalf.
1st make sure the head is clean, use studs in the head, use cast valve covers that have been cleaned & deburred and have clearance for anything underneath of them as well as the intake manifold, use the good Felpro cork double thickness gaskets if necessary & make sure you trim them to fit inside of the valve cover first then glue them with 3M or Gaskasynch to the bottom side of the valve cover and let them set up with the pressure from the cover to hold them in place for 5 to 10 minutes. When ready place a very thin coating of white grease on the head side of the gasket, which will allow for removal without destroying the gasket, and recoat with white grease every time you have them off. Now finely place them on the head and snug them first then torque them to about 10 -15 lbs foot of torque or your best feel and by hand.
They should NEVER leak!
Email me if you have any questions
LOL
[This message has been edited by gnarley (edited April 29, 2002).]

[Costello]

Originally posted by 058:
But seriously I don't understand all the ripping being done on one particular brand.
I'm confused also as to why GM Killer is always ripping on Chevys. I'm glad he does though, cuz that is what spurred on the race between he and the Guru. http://free.***boat.net/ubb/smile.gif

[GM Killer]

The question is 'why'? Its simple, because it gets you guys all stirred up and its fun. To tell ya the truth, I respect all the manufacturers when they are making power. For example, dont come to me with a BBC, running a cam, intake, pipes, and think you are gonna spank me, cus it just aint gonna happen. Just because it has GM, Ford, or Mopar stamped on it somewhere doesnt make it run hard. I run a Ford simply because I choose to do so. For the most part I always have and always will. Currently I have a flat with a BBC (that I built) and it runs hard.
Sure one could say that there is more available for Chevy, but what is it that is out there, a lot of junk. Some works, some doesnt. What I have seen with Ford, and Mopar, is that there is not as much available, but what is works. When Ford builds a superior product, they then delete the inferior one. Plus, they do not have endless companies attempting to produce "clone" items to what is already available.
Sure I might continually put you Chevy guys down, but I enjoy doing it as much as you guys like to think of come-backs.
When my CP hits the water this, I believe a few Chevy guys might convert, and a few Ford guys might cry in happiness. Lets be honest with ourselves, does nothing sound better then a BBF screaming past a BBC!!!
Lets have fun! and see ya at the river!!!!