Valve Covers - Guidance Sought

[rwantin]

Hello, been a while. And since I seem to have some spare time on my hands, seeking some insight from this esteemed panel.

Took my car for a first run/check through about a month ago before the world stopped. It has been sitting all winter, and was happy it ran great. It has been sitting since that time.

Yesterday I was fooling around in the garage, and noticed some oil pooling on the left side of the manifold. I cleaned it up before taking the pics. It's a 393 with aluminum heads. The cork valve cover gaskets are doubled-up, presumably for rocker clearance. I THINK that is likely the source. I know people double-up gaskets all the time, though that might not be the preferred method (myself included). So if this were your car, would you...?

-Get some new gaskets and double it up again

-Grind out what is interfering with the rockers (baffles I imagine?) and use a single gasket

-Get an adapter of some sort to raise the height - just guessing someone makes these - would it use gaskets top and bottom?

-Any other ideas welcome

Thanks in advance, hope all is well out there and stay safe.

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[Bob Cowan]

Cork gaskets are difficult to seal. And the bolts tend to loosen from vibration. Use Gaskacinch on all 6 surfaces. Tighten the bolts down to proper torque specs - don't over tighten. Put a little silicone gasket material on the threads of the bolts so they don't loosen. Silicone works better than Lok-Tite blue.

[NAZ]

First, you need to determine if you need taller valve covers or not. If you do, some folks use spacers or you can purchase a variety of taller valve covers.


As for sealing, I’ve always had good luck with Fel-Pro coated cork gaskets if you don’t need to pull the valve covers a lot. For sealing valve covers that have to be removed frequently like on my race car, I use Fel-Pro silicone with steel core. The steel core prevents you from over tightening and squashing the gasket. Both style gaskets can be sourced from Summit Racing. I use Ultra Black to glue the gaskets to the valve covers – nothing on the head surface. The Ultra Black is a hi-temp sealant that’s highly resistant most automotive oils (not ATF – must use sealants specifically formulated for ATF). To ensure the valve cover bolts don’t back out, use lock washers (never use flat washers in combination with lock washers).



Since I have to frequently remove my valve covers to adjust my valves, I use longer cap screws which makes it easier to insert and remove them by hand. I tighten serrated flange nuts on the cap screws and red lock tight them in place and torque the nuts good and tight so they won’t back off the cap screws. The serrated nuts dig into the aluminum even with very little torque applied to the cap screw and will not come loose.

Here’s a link to a photo of the valve cover fasteners I use: https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/album.php?albumid=1675&attachmentid=111216


And the serrated flange nuts: https://www.flangebolts.com/shop/1-4-20-hex-serrated-flange-nut-grade-8-plain-13841 (https://www.flangebolts.com/shop/1-4-20-hex-serrated-flange-nut-grade-8-plain-13841)

[chuckster]

Tony Branda sells tall COBRA valve covers.

[rwantin]

Thanks guys, this is really, really helpful. I'll noodle next steps. I checked out the Branda site - valve covers looks great. Prefer black but I suppose it wouldn't be hard to make them so.

I was just out in the garage again because, you know, time. There's a ridge and a small v before it gets to the manifold. The pooling was IN the manifold, in the pockets, which made me wonder how it would get there. I ran my finger through that area, and it's completely dry, so not sure how oil got from point A to B. The valve covers and/or gaskets are still something I want to address, but now I am beginning to wonder how the oil got there in the first place.

[Avalanche325]

If you want to keep your Cobra vale covers and need a little bit of space, they make extra thick gaskets. They are like using two, but no sealing issues.

I am running spacers from these guys and am very happy with them. You can get different thicknesses depending on what you need. I have had no leakage.
https://medicemfg.com/products_get.php?c=Valve%20Cover%20Spacers%20-%20Ford

Do not remove your baffles. If you have a PCV system, you will be putting a lot of oil into your intake. If you are running open breathers, you will always have a mess.

[first time builder]

EZ$ just took a set of spacers off his engine. See his post still active. Might want to sell them !

[CraigS]

Thanks guys, this is really, really helpful. I'll noodle next steps. I checked out the Branda site - valve covers looks great. Prefer black but I suppose it wouldn't be hard to make them so.

I was just out in the garage again because, you know, time. There's a ridge and a small v before it gets to the manifold. The pooling was IN the manifold, in the pockets, which made me wonder how it would get there. I ran my finger through that area, and it's completely dry, so not sure how oil got from point A to B. The valve covers and/or gaskets are still something I want to address, but now I am beginning to wonder how the oil got there in the first place.

We need pictures.

[rwantin]

We need pictures.

Did the best I could here. This seems like a significant gap, a small valley if you will, for the oil to go from the cover into the pockets in the manifold. It's possible, I suppose. Again, along this gap seems dry - one would think there would be oil there. Again, much appreciated.

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[rich grsc]

Nothing to see here, move along. :rolleyes:

[NAZ]

Get a can of this: https://www.autozone.com/miscellaneous-cleaners-and-degreasers/electrical-parts-cleaner/crc-lectra-motive-electrical-parts-cleaner-19oz/119711_0_0?spps.s=2782&cmpid=LIA:US:EN:AD:NL:1000000:PER:7170000006052802 9&gclid=EAIaIQobChMItbrn_pDt6AIVCMRkCh0CmwUrEAQYBSAB EgKmxfD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Clean the area and go drive your car. Nothing to worry about, cast aluminum manifolds are magnets for dirt and other contaminants and occasionally need to be cleaned. For future reference, powder coated or polished manifolds are easier to keep clean.

[first time builder]

I think I Know. The bolts holding the intake down extend into the valley that has oil in it. The bolts need to have a sealant on them ! The oil can seep up the bolt threads.
Did you or the engine builder put sealant on these bolts?

Kenny

[rwantin]

No, there's nothing to see NOW. :) Per my original post, there was oil POOLED in the intake pockets, which I had cleaned out. What was a mystery to me (second set of pics) was how it could have got there given the valley/gap between the head/valve cover and manifold.

I'll check the bolts for sealer, but again, what was weird is running you finger across that section, it's dry.

[Norm B]

I happen to have my engine apart doing a 331 stroker as part of my winter upgrades. Here are some pictures of the intake bolts that require sealant. The first is your manifold and the next two are of one of my heads. The bolt and holes circled in red are the ones that can blow oil onto your manifold.

HTH

Norm

[first time builder]

And thats where the oil is pooling !

[rwantin]

I happen to have my engine apart doing a 331 stroker as part of my winter upgrades. Here are some pictures of the intake bolts that require sealant. The first is your manifold and the next two are of one of my heads. The bolt and holes circled in red are the ones that can blow oil onto your manifold.

HTH

Norm

This is excellent. Thank you! I have a number of different sealants around - anything in particular you recommend? Again, much appreciated.

[first time builder]

I use black RTV . Dont use Locktite or anti sieze.

[rwantin]

I use black RTV . Dont use Locktite or anti sieze.

Just happen to have some of that. :)

Thanks all so much. I thought the weak link here was the doubled-up gaskets, which I still want to address at some point, but they're dry and presumably done well (I did not build this engine). This makes a lot more sense, even to my tiny little brain.

[Norm B]

I use this. Remains flexible and cures more slowly than the black. Allows for re-torquing after a heat cycle without breaking the seal.

Good Luck

Norm