Valve Cover Installation

[joea]

I am about to install my (awesome Blue Thunder) valve covers and noticed a potential issue. The seam where the manifold and the heads come together is not flush on the valve cover gasket surface. The manifold side is about 1/16-1/8 inch higher. I assume the correct thing to do here is to use some RTV silicone sealer to fill this gap. Any comments? Is this common?

[Clois Harlan]

Joe,

I don't use anything on mine and they don't leak as long as you don't overtighten your bolts. In the past I have used RTV on my valve cover side of the gaskets only, but I don't do that anymore. When I adjust my solid lifters I need to pull my covers off and I don't want to scrape any gasket material off plus my gaskets last longer.

Clois

[joea]

Do you remember if your manifold and heads lined up flush of the valve cover gasket surface?

[Clois Harlan]

I don't think so but I will look tonight. I just pulled my 2X4 set up off mine and will be starting it up tonight to re-set the distributor and check my valves. I will check for you tonight and maybe post a picture after 6:00pm CST. I am running Edelbrock alum heads and a Ford "original" Clois Cobra single 4 bbl intake.

Clois

[joea]

Thanks, when I get home I can post a pic as well

[RACER X #99]

Joea,
You might have second thoughts about using the cork gaskets with your intake manifold. If you remember most guys don't reccomend using them. This just might be your problem. If your block was decked the heads will be sitting just a little lower than a non decked block.

cranky

[joea]

I would like to use them for the added height since I am using Roller Rockers. They seem to clear without the gasket but I would like the extra insurance. What do must people use...just silicone sealer?

[RACER X #99]

Joea I am talking about the cork intake gaskets under the ends of your manifold. Not the valve cover gaskets.

Cranky

[joea]

DOH!!!! I installed them already Personally I think if I omitted it I would have the opposite problem…the manifold side being too short.

[Clois Harlan]

Joe,

When I had my machine work done I had my block decked and my heads planed at the same time so mine mate pretty well. I am using fel-pro intake gaskets #1247 and fel-pro valve cover gaskets. I did use the cork front and rear gaskets and I put just a dab of silicone at the ends where the sides contact the head gaskets. Everything is apart on mine so I will get a couple pictures to you pretty quick tonight.

Clois

[Clois Harlan]

Joe,

Here is a couple of pictures of my heads. I do have a small difference approx .010 between my heads and my intake. I am using the tall valve covers like you and the cork valve cover gaskets and I don't use any silicone on the bottom or the top of the gaskets and I have never had a leak. Remember you only need to torque your valve covers down about 15-20 pounds.

Clois

[joea]

Mine looks similar...I'll measure the difference with my micrometer tonight. BTW the Steve Christ book recommends 7-10 ft Lbs

[Clois Harlan]

Here is another shot of my heads and rocker arms. By the way I am running a solid lifter cam with 572 lift and I have never had any clearance problems.

[joea]

Here is a pic of my valve cover surface where tha manifold and head meets...I put the gasket ontop so you can see the gap better

[RACER X #99]

Joea,
You know what you gotta do, now take it apart and do it right. Using goop to fill the gap is not really what you want to do is it?

Remember this saying. They're is never enough time to do it right but they're is always enough time to do it over.


Cranky

[CJ428CJ]

Joe,

That gap looks about the same as the gap on mine. My intake manifold gasket was also sticking up between the manifold and the head about 1/32". All I did was trim the manifold gasket so it was flush. I then used RTV Ultra Black gasket sealer between the cork valve cover gasket and the head. I did not use any gasket sealer between the valve cover and the gasket so I can easily remove the valve covers for adjusting the lifters. No leaks so far.

Chris

[TerrysSPF]

Clois: how do you like your tall breather on your manifold? I'm thinking of installing one on my engine. Do you run any breathers or pcv's on your valve covers? I currently have 1 pcv and 1 breather running from the valve covers, but have heard a lot of good things about adding a breather to the manifold.

[joea]

I'll be taking Chris' approach. I doubt if I took it all apart that I could easily correct the problem. If I remove the cork end gaskets between the manifold and block it will overcorrect the problem. Plus I would rather have a little RTV under 2 small spots of my valve cover gasket than use a bead of it in place of the cork manifold to block gaskets. Thanks all...feels better not to be the only one.

[Morris]

Clois

Where did you get the cast Water expansion tank for the water system...??

Looks very strong.... as compared to the standard....

[Clois Harlan]

Terry and Morris,

I have a K&W on the driver side and a regular chrome Ford breather cap on the passenger side. I am not running a pcv yet, but I have considered that too. I just installed the tall manifold breather yesterday and it seems to work quite well. George Anderson recommended I install one because at the track I was throwing a little oil (very little) out of my breather caps. I just took it out on the freeway and blew it out a little and it seems to be working as it should. I bought it from Enzo at Finish LIne.

The Dove expansion tank came from Jim Dove in Ohio (you can do a search on this site for his telephone number) and I like it great now, but a word of warning. When you buy one remove all the little allen head bolts and take the top off and seal it with some RTV silicone otherwise you will be mopping up antifreeze. Once you get it sealed properly they look and perform great. You may have noticed I have my radiator outlet flipped 180 degrees. That is because I am running a crossflow radiator I had made be Arts Radiator Shop in New Jersey, best move I made to solve all my cooling problems.

Clois