Thanks for all your help guys!
I'm still a little turned around on this issue, as some guys curse the cork gaskets and swear by the rubber ones.
Rick, the moroso gaskets I have are flat, like both the mating surfaces of the heads and covers, so I think that is a non-issue.
Mr. Mustang, I will go the mounted stud route, and give the felpro cork gaskets another try. Those are the leakers I pulled off in the first place. Maybe the previous owner didn't re-torque as needed ?
What I don't understand is why the manufacturer of my particular gasket (Moroso rubber) won't offer any torque specs. Could it be I just need tighten them a little more ? I'm at 5ft lbs, which SEEMS very tight to me, but I read somewhere 7-10 ft lbs is about right. That just SEEMS to be a bit much.
A set of fel-pro rubber gaskets is enroute to my house from summit racing as we speak. I can always go back to cork, but since I already own two sets of rubber over steel, I'm determined to exhaust my possibilities with these. I can't help but think this is a torque related issue with these. At the moment, the one side is leaking where three tall plastic plug wire mounts are located, which the valve cover bolts are inserted through. They seem to be crushing down some under the torque, and possibly giving me false torque readings. It's just my observation that no leaks occur where the bolts contact the valve cover directly, giving me very positive feedback as to their tightness, or lack thereof.
If more torque fails, and removing the spark plug wire mounts fails, then I will pull it all apart again and check the covers for warpage and go the cork route again. Anybody have a part number for the good fel-pro cork gaskets ?
Thanks again for letting me vent!
