Valve cover gasket

Mine is plastic with only two rocker bridge bolts holding it on and the seal lasted me 8 years. I have done YJ aluminum ones the same.

I use cork and get everything super clean with a wipe of brake cleaner to be sure, then I put a skim of RTV on the cork gasket, set it immediately like the directions on my Permatex RTV says to, then I put a skim on the top of the cork and place the cover. After I torque it down, I walk away for the 24 hour cure Permatex needs.

I tried those POS rubber ones, sucker just poured oil.

I believe your bolts need to be 4 ft lb or something like that. I use my baby finger pushing on a 1/4" drive ratchet while holding it with my forefinger and thumb at the pivot. Just nice and snug.

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail > So after an hour on google, what is everyones recomendation on doing the

What Mike says but I do them without the cork.

I'll add a couple of reminders. When Mike says clean, that means REALLY clean. The RTV is not compatible with any sort of grease film. I clean my valve covers in a 5 gallon bucket full of extremely hot water and laundry soap. Top of the engine needs to be scraped, wiped with solvent, then hit with brake cleaner, wipe with paper towel. If the paper has any discoloration, clean it some more.

Apply Permatex Black with or without the gasket (your choice), set the cover > So after an hour on google, what is everyones recomendation on doing the

I ordered a cork gasket today, had choice of cork or rubber, thought I read cork was better somewhere. I wont have to worry about walking away for

24 hours, it will probably be a month after gasket that I start her up, so should be well cured.

I don't understand why folks would go and break the seal the RTV made by 're-torquing' the bolts after it has set.

When the oil hits the gasket after the RTV has set, it expands the cork. This has the effect of 're-torquing' the bolts.

On plain cork gaskets, a re-torque can be needed sometimes, but if you have to do this on a RTV seal, the seal has failed and you are trying to do a compression seal.

Now I 'do' do a second torque pattern tighten after the first one because the center spiral set usually loosens when the ends get torqued. This is immediately though.

Mike

RoyJ wrote:

I've swapped to Clifford Aluminum years ago ............ head must be tapped (existing holes) ........... no rocker assy. attachment .......... cork gasket - best after_market change I ever made ............. oil now lubricates inside of the engine as opposed to outside

Yeah, and I like a nut driver for the bolts. Mike's method is OK too. The torque is in some inch-pounds.

Earle