Damn people and their excess RTV rant - Hemi valve covers

[AR67GTX]

Looks like PO probably glued the crap out of my Hemi valve covers just like he did with the oil pan. I had to drive a scraper 3/4 of the way around the oil pan before it finally turned loose. Add to that, that I have a plug tube that I can’t seem to dislodge. It appears to be stuck in the head and not stuck at the valve cover.

Anyone have any tricks of the trade to get one of the stuck tubes out. I have a new set anyway so not concerned about destroying it in the process. But sure hoped to get the valve covers loose without destroying them, especially sine the reproductions seem pretty scarce now.

 

[Michael_]

I'm sorry to hear that. I also had to remove this kind of crap from my valve cover and head when i was replacing the driver side gasket.
After that i put a new fel pro cork gasket on without any additional sealer and it works perfectly fine, no leak.

I can't help with your issue of getting the plug out because i don't have a hemi, it's a 440 engine.
I just wanted to encourage people not to use a sealer if they don't have to.
If you got a straight surface on both the head and valve cover you should be fine using a conventional cork gasket without any type of additional sealer.
I'm using conventional (non synthetic) 10w30 with high zddp.
Might doesn't work if you're using synthetic oil. In this case you might need gaskets made of another material.

 

[Runcharger]

Thin (not needle nose) pliers, just grip the outer ridge (it will flatten it a bit but you can bump it back into shape) and pull straight up.

 

[Photon440]

 

[AR67GTX]

After a lunch break I tried the other side and the tubes pulled right out and the VC popped off - it wasn’t glued to the head as I thought, just to the VC. I clamped on to the tube on the other side with a pair of vice grips and after a few hard tugs it finally gave way and the VC popped free with a bit of prying. Every linear inch of gasket is going to have to be scraped off the VCs but I can handle that. Not nearly as bad as the oil pan.

So minus one stuck plug wire boot and destroyed insulator that would not give way (dielectric grease just isn’t cutting it) I’m not hurt - just got frustrated. Good thing is I was finally able to verify it is a solid lifter cam (stock I assume) and my plugs all looked great with a dry, light brown porcelain following my rebuilding the carbs and correcting the jetting in them last winter.

Thanks for the responses and tips.

 

[slimt]

Try a good heat gun. To release the rtv. One that goes beyond the rtv heat temp.

 

[R413]

how much sealer is needed on valve covers?

NONE!

 

[Bighouse]

View attachment 1317942

I didn’t know the made such a product!!! I’ve got to clean all the RTV off my rear window trim… LOL

Thanks!!!

 

[AR67GTX]

how much sealer is needed on valve covers?

NONE!

After the oil pan I was seriously concerned the PO had RTV’d both sides of them. I bought Fel-Pro cork/rubber gaskets with the metal inserts to go back and plan to install dry. They are a bit thick though and i’ll have to go to a slightly longer stud for them.

Still fighting getting plug wires loose on this thing. Liberal dielectric grease seems to have no effect. The insulator does not stick out enough to grip tight with fingers and to try and twist the boot. If I even touch the plastic insulator with any type of plier, even with padded jaws they break (1 down yesterday). I basically just have to pull on the wire to get them off the plug and of course I pulled one wire out of the terminal. I may try high temperature chassis grease on the boots but probably not good for rubber. While I have it all sitting on my work bench I may see if I can figure out some tool I can slip between the ring on the insulator and the plug barrel and try to hook under it to pull on. I may also try putting 3 or 4 wraps of masking tape around the insulator near the top in hopes I can get a better grip on that.