So the Felpro I ordered was $15 and said it was rubber. Went to pick it up last week at Autozone and it was cork. The manager of the Zone I go to is also a 250 owner so every trip there is a minimum of 30 minutes while we talk cars.
He ordered a different one and it came in on Tuesday. It was $8. Half the price of the cheap cork crap!
I picked it up Wednesday and changed it out last night. Critique my technique:
Remove valve cover, old gasket, and all RTV.
Degrease the lip on the head and get it as clean as possible (on another note: the head is finally looking clean after 2.5 years of regular oil changes, Seafoam treatments, ATV before oil changes, etc, etc... when I first pulled the cover I couldn't find the head studs under the crud! Amazing that the oil drained back into the oil pan!)
Bead of RTV around the whole head on the ridge. Roughly between 1/8" and 1/4". Smooth with finger but keep it thick.
Wait 30 minutes.
Gently put gasket on RTV and line up cover bolts with head holes. Just barely start bolts to keep gasket in place. Smooth out gasket gently.
Wait another 30 minutes.
take out bolts, gently put cover on, and start bolts again.
Wait an hour.
hand-tighten bolts. Snug up cover to gasket.
Let it sit overnight.
Tonight go back and cinch down bolts. Not too tight. Try it out.
Hopefully this will stop the leaks. The engine bay is show quality but only after I sop up the darn oil that weeps out from under the valve cover. I'm sick of putting kitty litter in my weekly grocery budget!
...oh and my side covers don't leak one tiny bit! Aren't those supposed to be worse than the valve cover!?!?
Last edited by gbauer; 09/18/15 09:52 AM.
