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Re: valve cover gasket install by rookie??? Posted by Justin VanAbrahams [Email]  (#32) [Profile/Gallery]
(more from Justin VanAbrahams) on Thu, 28 Jul 2011 09:58:33
In Reply to: Re: valve cover gasket install by rookie???, Hans, Thu, 28 Jul 2011 08:53:36 Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup |
What Hans said, and I'll toss out it's far less likely you'd crack the valve cover and far more likely you'll strip out the threads in the head by over tightening. Not only that, but the incorrect or an uneven amount of torque will result in a leaky valve cover gasket. You don't want either.
Harbor Freight carries a $15 good-enough 1/4" drive clicker-type in-lb rated torque wrench, or for this you can certainly go old-school and buy a similarly inexpensive pointer-type. They are useful tools to have around.
Mid '86 is the cutoff for old-style "thin" gasket versus new-style "thick" gasket, but 20 years later don't assume your valve cover hasn't been swapped around before. I've run into numerous cars with period-incorrect valve covers. It is frustrating. I don't know of any obvious outward signs of one versus the other, except that if you have two screws holding on the spark plug cover it's positively early-style. Four screws could be either. I always swap early style to late style as the thicker gasket seals much better, plus the following point:
I have not used RTV on a later-style valve cover gasket in a decade or more. My mechanic years ago advised it wasn't really necessary, and I've not had a single leak ever. Key is getting the right amount of torque on there and you'll be fine. I do think not using RTV shaves a couple years out of the useful life of the gasket, but not using RTV means it's a much nicer replacement job when it's time. Totally my opinion.
posted by 12.195.130...
, Thu, 28 Jul 2011 14:30:58, Thu, 28 Jul 2011 09:58:33 <-- Viewing This Message
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