Valve Cover Gasket Question...

[tyler_hubbard2003]

Okay guys, I finally got my car for christmas, and on the drive home I picked up a quart of oil and it was burning leaking oil from the passenger side valve cover gasket and at first I was like oh great, but that passed when I opened "Charleston" up. I know I shouldn't have, but I wanted to see.. Now it taps a little when you drive it, like it needs more oil. I don't believe it's a knock. I just am wondering a couple of things. I am going to completely revamp the engine with new gaskets and seals as they go bad. Since the valve covers are going now, I am going to do that and top the oil off. But I was looking on autozone's website and I wanted to get the high performance gaskets, they're 0.188" thick with cork rubber. However it says for high performace engines only, but does that really matter? I really want long lasting gaskets. What do you guys recommend? Also about the tapping while driving.. will that go away once the car doesn't leak oil like a stream? I plan on getting engine restore and some fresh 10W 30 oil to top it off. Please let me know! I will have pictures up soon Thanks guys! and hope you all had a GREAT christmas!

[pantera77]

Cork = NO

Fel-pro perma dry is what you want. Their rubber with a steel inside.

Also, have you changed the PCV valve, screen, grommet yet? If not, you must do that also.

[tyler_hubbard2003]

okay, so the pcv valve and all it's friends haha I also need to flush the radiator, any quick tips on that. I know I'm a total noob, but I've read a hundred different ways to do it. I just don't want to do anything wrong. I'm trying to get all my bases covered

[zoomie]

X2 on the perma drys,Good stuff there.
if you can get a perma dry gasket for anything, do it, far as i know they make almost every major seal in the motor. might as well do the intake while your at it, the rear lower intake manifolds have a leakign issue, but easy enough to fix, just use a big goop of RTV sealant, i prefer black or red.

[tyler_hubbard2003]

Okay! thanks! So the intake manifold and not the plenum?

[ford man]

When a car is as old as an '87 the original cork valve cover gaskets will shrink especially if the car sits for long periods. First thing to do is tighten your valve cover bolts. Snug em up with a 1/4 inch drive socket in an alternating pattern. You may find your bolts were real loose and the leak goes away, if it dosen't I would replace with another cork set. They will last you another 20 years. Make sure to bang your covers out from the inside and use rtv on the valve cover side of the gasket when you put them on. I would put 20w50 oil in it if it was mine. You can pour half a bottle of marvel mystery in the oil to see if that will get rid of the tap.

This is how I would flush the radiator: take it out of the car. Cap off the tranny cooler inlet and outlet. Stick the garden hose in the lower radiator hose opening to back flush it. Stuff a rag next to the hose so all the water goes through the radiator. Flush with the hose for ten minutes or so. Put the radiator back in and fill up with green coolant. I buy the pre diluted 50/50 and sleep like a baby.

Hope this helps you out. Welcome mang.

[zoomie]

Okay! thanks! So the intake manifold and not the plenum?

same thing mang .. they are the same thing. all it is a is a two piece manifold thats it. oh and youll need soem drill bits to take the 5.0 plaque off. if your doing all that trouble might as well replace your rubber vaclines back there and also the heatercores hoses.

[zoomie]

When a car is as old as an '87 the original cork valve cover gaskets will shrink especially if the car sits for long periods. First thing to do is tighten your valve cover bolts. Snug em up with a 1/4 inch drive socket in an alternating pattern. You may find your bolts were real loose and the leak goes away, if it dosen't I would replace with another cork set. They will last you another 20 years. Make sure to bang your covers out from the inside and use rtv on the valve cover side of the gasket when you put them on. I would put 20w50 oil in it if it was mine. You can pour half a bottle of marvel mystery in the oil to see if that will get rid of the tap.

This is how I would flush the radiator: take it out of the car. Cap off the tranny cooler inlet and outlet. Stick the garden hose in the lower radiator hose opening to back flush it. Stuff a rag next to the hose so all the water goes through the radiator. Flush with the hose for ten minutes or so. Put the radiator back in and fill up with green coolant. I buy the pre diluted 50/50 and sleep like a baby.

Hope this helps you out. Welcome mang.

why would he want to replace with another cork set if you can get a nice set of permadrys that will probably go the life of the car?

[tyler_hubbard2003]

Okay, since I don't have the proper funds to buy all the gaskets right away, I will definitely try tightening to see if the leak goes away. He sat up for most of his life, I mean He only has 66k miles on him. I am probably going to poor what marvel mystery oil I have left in the gas and the oil since I'm trying to rid the car of any foreign fuel problems and clean out any sludge and carbon. I am changing the oil soon anyways. Probably when I do the gaskets, rad flush and what not. I really appreciate the pointers. Hopefully my project tomorrow won't fail. I have to sand some rust off the body. I hate rust. ugh...

[ford man]

why would he want to replace with another cork set if you can get a nice set of permadrys that will probably go the life of the car?

Hey to each his own. The cork will probably last the life of the car also and he can save about 15 bux. If he wants to buy the permadrys I'll still be ok.

I wouldn't do the lower intake unless it was leaking.

[1990LTD]

I have felpro cork gaskets on now, just because I didn't know any better when I bought them. It'll get new valve covers...and probably new heads in future so I'll upgrade gasket type then

[86VickyLX]

Passenger side you can't tighten without pulling the plenum off. Drivers side you can get away with doing that.

[johnunit]

DON'T overtighten the valvecover bolts. Tighten them up "snug" but don't reef on them.

You can (and someone else may already have) bend the valvecovers so that they sort of sink in around the bolts, preventing proper sealing in the long stretches between them.

If you do decide to tighten them down, or have reason to think someone else has, check with a straight edge that your valvecovers are flat on the gasket surface and not bent down around the bolts.

[ford man]

DON'T overtighten the valvecover bolts. Tighten them up "snug" but don't reef on them.

You can (and someone else may already have) bend the valvecovers so that they sort of sink in around the bolts, preventing proper sealing in the long stretches between them.

If you do decide to tighten them down, or have reason to think someone else has, check with a straight edge that your valvecovers are flat on the gasket surface and not bent down around the bolts.

^This is true. That's why I suggest using a 1/4 drive socket so you have a better 'feel' for when the bolts are snug. When and if you do the gaskets you want to check with a straight edge mentioned above. If there bent around the bolts, bang them out from the inside with a 3/8 drive extension or a 1/4 extension. Then when there straight glue your gasket to the valve cover with rtv. Don't use rtv on the head side. Cheers

[Lincolnmania]

cork sucks.......they lasted 3 yrs before they leaked again on my towny........the permadrys been on there 7 yrs now, no drippies