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Best Way to seal valve covers on a 440?

dodge68charger

dodge68charger

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just wondering how you guys went about sealing yours so they dont leak. Bought the black gaskets and thinking about gasket sealing both sides.



How often did you tighten them After? Thanks
 
Drivers side firewall was difficult. Snugging a little after each time for about 3-4 heat cycles took care of it. Use a star shaped socket for good fit and don't over do it.
 
If the valve covers are used I clean them, and check the rails to make sure they are flat and straight. If they're not I work them so they are.
I do a final cleaning of the surface of the valve covers and the heads then apply Edlebrock's Gasgacinch to one side of the gasket and the valve cover. Let them dry for at least five minutes or so then apply the gasket to the valve cover then install the cover onto the head and snug the bolts down. Not tight, just snug.
Then maybe a day or two later I'll snug them down again as needed.
I don't use sealer between the gasket and the head because I like to be able to remove the valve covers if necessary.
( I use rubberized cork gaskets)
Sometimes a month or so later I'll check the bolts again to see if they need a slight tightening.
This method has worked well for me.
 
Just went through this on mine. Had cork which leaked, switched to Fel-Pro 1612 rubber coated fiber and they have been leak free. My valve covers are aluminum and I used High Tack on the gasket to cover to hold the gaskets in place and make it easy to pull so I can lash the valves.
 
I've always wondered why valve cover makers haven't made the sealing flanges stronger. Seems like a little thicker flange area and some tiny gussets along the edges would be warranted.
A good invention would be chrome plated flange plates with gussets running lengthwise between bolts for extra clamping force in the sections between bolts.
 
Say, a tungsten valve cover flange that wont bend/flex that has slight raised areas between bolts, that fits down over the covers flange? Would hardly notice it and you could tighten it good without ben
WP_20171229_06_45_49_Pro.jpg
ding the flange.
 
I had a issue on mine that the head itself had some casting flange still left on it. Took a bit to figure it out.
 
Checking both the heads and covers for a good flat, clean and smooth surface is #1. Me personally.. I don't like the stamped steel covers since they aren't rigid at all making them touchy to overtorquing. I bought the cast aluminum Mopars covers with machined gasket surfaces. I've had 1 set of cork gaskets on mine with no additional sealer for 12,000 miles without leaks and I pull them off every year for valve adjustments.
 
That's what I have on now older Edelbrock covers. No leaks any more.
 
fel-pro blue stripe cork gaskets rtv'ed to the valve cover. screw them down and retighten after a few warm up cycles.
 
This 915 SB head had a casting flaw. Appears the excess was knocked off with a disc grinder. The repair was not completely flat and surely didn't help the gasket to seal.
upload_2017-12-29_9-42-39.png
 
Independent of what heads and covers you are using there are two really good options. Either the Superperformance gaskets from Greg which are a thinner non-wicking composite, or the blue Silicone one's from Moroso. The only downside to the Moroso one's is that stamped covers will slice them over time if you remove them frequently for valve lash adjustments. Other than that I haven't seen a set leak yet. Same for Greg's, no leaks ever, but they hold up better with stamped covers than the Moroso's.
 
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