Rex;
Looks like the Fel-Pro (Federal Mogul) gasket pamphlet you
are referring-to is available at:
http://www.federal-mogul.com/felpro/gasket_facts_valve_cover.html
The links on the left side of that webpage has links which
lead to all sorts of technical info and installation tips on every
imaginable kind of engine gasket.
It looks like all the gasket info at their website would
fill a book, not just a pamphlet! Thanks for the tip!
Dave Friedlander
CF25194UO
Rex Townsend wrote:
> A few further thoughts regarding Michael's persistent valve cover leaks:
> In my misspent youth I worked on a few American cars that used cork valve
> cover gaskets. Someone (can't remember who) told me that if the cork
> gaskets are old and hard they won't seal worth a darn unless you soak them
> in warm water for a while to soften them up. Sure enough, when they are
> soaked for a while they become a lot softer and are much more pliable so
> that they fill in the less-than-perfect void between the valve cover and the
> head. On my 69 TR6, I am running an aluminum valve cover, but I just dab a
> couple of spots of gasket sealer on the cover to hold the gasket in place.
> I use no other sealer, and the gasket doesn't leak. This also makes it a
> lot neater and quicker when you pop off the cover to do a valve adjustment.
> I think if you have a straight cover and a pliable gasket that fits the
> cover-to-head interface well, it just shouldn't leak under normal
> circumstances. Otherwise, leakage might be the result of excessive
> crankcase pressure from either leakage past the valve guides or piston
> rings, or maybe a crankcase ventilation system that isn't doing its job as
> Dick Taylor suggested. I had a really high mileage Ford V8 once that leaked
> like a sieve from the valve covers until I replaced the PCV valve with one
> from a much larger displacement engine with a larger orifice. The oil leaks
> then dried up. I realize that the TR doesn't use a traditional PCV valve,
> but I would certainly make sure that the system isn't allowing pressure to
> build up in the rocker chamber.
>
> By the way, I have a neat little pamphlet from Fel-Pro called "Gasket
> Installation Manual" that describes the theory behind each type of gasket
> and oil seal, and how each type should be installed to prevent leaks. I
> obtained mine at an auto parts store a few years ago, but maybe Fel-Pro
> still prints the little book. I heartily recommend it!
>
> Rex Townsend
> 1969 TR6
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