Replacing leaky valve cover gaskets on my 85 K20

[DetroitIron]

Any suggestions for type of valve cover gasket to use or advice on whether any special prep to the gasket or cover is needed? Thanks for any suggestions. btw- I was suprised how many vacumn lines, left over smog hoses,etc. needed to be moved to pull the cover...just took my time and kept telling myself how much $$ I'm saving by doing it myself.

[Restrorob]

Fel-Pro gaskets with a light film of THIS applied with your finger will help seal them. Make sure the cover screws weren't over tightened and cone shaped the hole, If so lightly tap them back down flat with a small hammer.

[DetroitIron]

Thanks very much....Appreciate the info.

[mooseknuckles]

clean the head and valve cover real good, use fell-pro gaskets and glue the gaskets to the valve cover only with 3m weatherstip adhesive. do not over-tighten.

[truckerboy]

Use Fel-pro or Mr. Gasket and clean the rocker cover and head good. make sure to either get a shop manual or the torque settings from the parts house that you get the gasket from.

One thing you may run into is to get rubber or cork. I usually choose cork as in my experiance it seals better than the rubber. Also, cork has better thermal expansion than rubber does.

[54Caddy]

i am running these ones here. As it says no need for silicon just make the head and the valve cover base clean so there is no debris and they work great not one leak yet. I tend to lean towards "You Get What You Pay For"
Valve Cover Gaskets

[DetroitIron]

Thanks all....Felpro rocks...so nice to open hood and not smell oil burning on manifolds/see smoke. Now if I can just solve my small oil leak somewhere on the rear side of the engine (passenger side).

[Adams74Chevy]

Originally Posted by DetroitIron

Thanks all....Felpro rocks...so nice to open hood and not smell oil burning on manifolds/see smoke.

...Or sitting at a stop light or stop sign and the guy next to you looks nervous because of the smoke plume coming out from under the hood.