I've searched through the forum but couldn't find my answer..
I've got new rocker cover gaskets of the cork/rubber variety and want to know what kind of sealant I should be using between the gasket and rocker cover. I've got a tube of Blue RTV Silicone Gasket Maker but i'm not sure it'll cope with the heat (though it does say on the tube it's "not recommended for head gaskets" for 'normal' cars)

Cheers

Use a bit of plin old grease rub it to both surfaces

You dont need the blue crap make sure both surfaces are clean and flat before fitting the cover n gasket

Thanks Dave - a 'Niagara Falls' of information as usual!

Silicon gasket crap it not good at the best of times. The biggest issues are that most users of silicon think that more is better. what actually happens is that the silicon squeezes out on both the insides and the outsides. while people can wipe the outside "spillage" the inside ones remain. Over time this gain to be hard and drops off into the oil passages. and therefore has the ability to block oil paths. Can be very bad stuff.

If you feel you must use a sealant on the surface then try permatex aviation cement (number 3). This remains liquid (just like the grease trick) but uses a adhesive propert which means it can seal the surfaces slightly better than the grease. it does not go hard liek the silicon, and desolves liek teh grease too. the product is unreal. I have fixed all leaks of many of my cars with this stuff. but does relie on the surface being clean and servicable.

Cheers

PS: Do not use number 4 product as this is bearing type compond, and thus will never allw teh car to leak again, but will also make sure you can never get teh parts seperated again as this one really glues the two surfaces together PERMANTELLY!!)

great info that. I wan wondering if a company like Permatex made some non-curing compound like the No.3 stuff. I ended up using High Temp bearing grease instead of the normal Lithium grease coz being on the heads, it's gonna get pretty warm... I fast idled the car for 15 mins today and there's no leaking so far.. I'm hoping I won't have to replace those push rod tubes afterall!

contact cement is great for holding gaskets in place

What are the thoughts on rubber type rocker cover gaskets?

Empi have reusable neoprene gaskets listed

when I got my bolt on covers they came with rubber/cork gaskets which seem to have stayed in as new condition except that the bit along the top drops down in the middle now, making their "fixed in position" seal rather dubious

[ Edited on 1-2-2006 by kombikim ]

I agree as above a little grease goes a long way for tappet cover gaskets and in regard to pushrod tubes i will ONLY use silicone pushrod tube seals and seat them in grease only and NO oil leaks for years Guarentied.
PS well those bits anyway

Hi

I never used use any cement at all, nephrene/cork gaskets. Just make sure the sealing surface in the cover and on the head are very clean and that the rocker cover clips are square, they tend to bend over the years.

Steve

spray adhesive for me, just to hold em in place while i snap em on.

its easy to get off the next time round too.

wouldn't neoprene jsut perish or melt after tolerating the heat from the heads?

Why use rubber when the origional is cork n cheap as chips anyway that is on a air cooled engine Water cooled may use different

As Steve said make sure your rocker cover is flat n square and taht the clips are on the right way around. many people fit them on wrong

I've always glued them in with Selley's Kwick-Grip, the yellow rubber-based contact adhesive. Just run a thin layer of the glue around the inside of the clean rocker cover, seat the new gasket in, and let dry for at least 15min. Then smear a layer of any ordinary wheel bearing grease around the top side of the gasket & give a wipe around the joining surface of the head... This takes a little time, but you can usually remove and replace them Many times with only a quick wipe, and another smear of grease to re-seal them.
I only once tried the new method of just popping a new gasket in and whacking the cover on. Never again! I lost all the oil (till light came on!) from both sides in the first trip! Maybe there's a knack to it...