Valve cover gaskets '90 F150 302. Suggestions?

yeah remover the 6 bolts holding down the upper intake plenum ,the middle right side bolt has a torx head ,not your reg 1/2 inch socket , can't remember what size it is , t 20 t 25 maybe t 30 use a flash light and look for it first and see if you have a tool to undo it , and you will need a new gasket for the upper intake ,they will break

Thanks!

-Dave

ok looked at work and the torx bit i use is a T40 ,

Thanks!

-Dave

right side bolt has a torx head ,not your reg 1/2 inch

flash light and look for it first and see if you have a tool

If you plan on keeping the truck for a few years get the gaskets from Ford. Get the steel ones with the rubber lip. They will never leak, the gaskets made out of cork, etc. will tend to leak again in time. The steel ones are also a lot easier to install. They run about $23 apiece. Bob

What about no-gasket and just use RTV?

That's what the ford shop told me to do to a pinto engine once. They didn't have one in stock and said it "would work better anyway". Worked out great! But that was a pinto engine, what about his 302 or my 360? And will RTV-only- work good on an oil pan gasket?

Alvin in AZ

Dunno, Alvin. I know I once used a cardboard gasket from a soda carton for a transmission gasket on an old LTD I once owned. Worked okay, but I sold the dern car soon afterwards.

Plasyd

I've used RTV to seal both valve covers and oil pans with good luck but I wouldn't recommend it for this application. The proper gaskets aren't that expensive and having to do it the second time is no fun. Bob

So, RTVing new seals down is the best bet?

Alvin in AZ

no. no rtv is required on vc gaskets especially on fords.

If you are talking about using those cheap cork gaskets and gluing them in place with RTV..... absolutely not! It will almost surely leak. Buy the metal gaskets from Ford, install them clean and dry and you will NEVER have to do the job again. I think VS50031C1 is the correct part number. Bob

Get yourself a set of torx bits, 3/8 drive. There's ONE frikken torxhead in between the intake runners that's a livin BITCH to get at (you'll probably have to grind the torx socket to make it fit) and has to be removed in order to split the upper and lower intakes. It's the only way to get clearance you'll need to replace the valve cover on the right bank. Oh, and be ready to replace the intake gaskets on the lower intake while you're in there. Might save ya some time later.

Randy

Alvin, For the oilpan gasket, I wouldn't use anything but the silicone gaskets with the steel sleeves. Peen the pan holes, clean all surfaces good with carb cleaner and use contact cement on the pan/gasket surface. The cement or weatherstriping adhesive will hold the gasket in place and the steel sleeves keep you from over-tightening the pan gasket bolts. MHO, of course.

Randy