Best sealing valve cover gaskets

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InRogue

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I'm tired of leaks, over torqued valve covers can't help either...but whats your best sealing gaskets you've found.
 
I havent tried them but iv heard good things about the rubber coated steel core gaskets. They gotta be better than cork. Lol
 
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Get the Mopar Performance ones for the Magnum engines. They seal real good and are the last ones you will ever buy.
 
I use a silicone & steel sandwich gasket on my bracket car. I've had the same gaskets for almost 10 years & the covers have been off & on many, many times with no leaks to date. I am using cast aluminum covers, not stamped steel so that may add to the longevity. I will have to look in my files & see who manufactured them & where I bought them.
 
My silicone wire cored gaskets came with an old MP Gasket kit. Work great on cast covers. I hate cork.
 
A lot of times it’s not the gaskets fault. If you’re using stamped steel make sure that they’re not warped from over tightening. Use pressure spreaders under the screws to distribute the load. Make sure there’s no metal to metal contact. Cast aluminum sometimes interfere with aftermarket aluminum intakes and you have to file the inside ledge. Make sure all those things are right before you blame the gasket. I’m using regular cork ones with a cast Mopar valve cover. Never had a problem after torqued and retorqued a couple days later.
 
Moroso Valve Cover Gaskets.

Moroso Valve Cover Gaskets

or
Fel-Pro Valve Cover Load Spreader Sets

Fel-Pro Valve Cover Load Spreader Sets ES72676

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Yes it's a 318 la with steel covers that yes have been over tightened (not by me), but I have some cast aluminum ones coming, and yes I'll check for any interference before installing.Those silicone w/steel do look promising.
 
Only ones i have used with success on my SB mopars are the felpro ones that are double thickness, with the steel core.
FELPRO 1646 $40, but worth the $
 
InRogue said:
Yes it's a 318 la with steel covers that yes have been over tightened (not by me), but I have some cast aluminum ones coming, and yes I'll check for any interference before installing.Those silicone w/steel do look promising.
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Put them on a solid surface (vice or anvil ) use a small hammer and straighten the surface. Then sand paint and use the Moroso or MP gaskets as suggested.
 
I’m super happy with the moroso rubber with steel core part number 93050. If you need to pull valve covers off and on these reusable gaskets work great, but they’re not cheap. You get what you pay for.
 
cawcislo said:
I’m super happy with the moroso rubber with steel core part number 93050. If you need to pull valve covers off and on these reusable gaskets work great, but they’re not cheap. You get what you pay for.
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Moroso blue and torque 8-12 ft lbs or96 in lbs . no more
 
I always had leaks no matter what I tried until I went with Superformance gaskets and followed their directions to the letter.

I now only use an inch pound torque wrench to finish tightening them to 50 inch lbs, and realize I was over-torqueing them when hand tightening them for years.

I had the valve covers off to run the valve clearance again 3rd time, and reinstalled them, torqued them and again no leaks with same gaskets.

20200427_174153 (Medium).jpg
 
Start with covers that arent over torqued to begin with, as in straight.
Metal/stamped-Rtv cork gasket to cover..then with 1/4 ratchet...lightly snug them down and wait 20 min till they dry then just lightly torque with fingers on the ratchet, not your hairy palm, evenly center 1st then out to each outer like a upside down v ..then out to each end. Just like a head gasket...even.

If cast aluminum..use the moroso rubber over steel kind, the rest of the solid rubber gaskets out there are **** and will leak.
 
MOPAROFFICIAL said:
Start with covers that arent over torqued to begin with, as in straight.
Metal/stamped-Rtv cork gasket to cover..then with 1/4 ratchet...lightly snug them down and wait 20 min till they dry then just lightly torque with fingers on the ratchet, not your hairy palm, evenly center 1st then out to each outer like a upside down v ..then out to each end. Just like a head gasket...even.

If cast aluminum..use the moroso rubber over steel kind, the rest of the solid rubber gaskets out there are **** and will leak.
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Another tip on the Superformance instructions was to tighten the bottom bolts first, and to do it in two steps as mentioned above including the wait time.
 
This is why magnums went to 10 bolts, well at least they are easy to change. Try changed a valve cover gasket(s) on a new DOHC setup.
 
cawcislo said:
I’m super happy with the moroso rubber with steel core part number 93050. If you need to pull valve covers off and on these reusable gaskets work great, but they’re not cheap. You get what you pay for.
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Yep these are the ones I was thinking of i just couldn't remember the brand lol
 
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So....I ended up working on the cast aluminum ones I bought, i.e. new grommets and some wrinkle paint, also added the oil fill hole, I did notice the flange on these Holleys have a raised ridge around the center of the flange and the blue Moroso gaskets I bought said use only on a flat flange.ARG! So I changed gears and bought some Real gaskets (orange silicone but only 1/8" thick) and straightened my steel units, reinstalled and torqued in inch pounds.....they still leaked ARG! again. I thought, what the HELL this is supposed to be an easy job....So yesterday for ***** and giggles I bought some Felpro hard composite POS gaskets to install with the cast covers (no one stocked the cork ones)...Well yes they leak like Holy HELL and I mean leak, they look good but thats about it. Tomorrows is yet another day.
 
Looks like your intake might be holding the valve cover from seating all the way. On a lot of aftermarket intakes, the valve cover must be notched to clear the top of the intake runners.
 
RustyRatRod said:
Looks like your intake might be holding the valve cover from seating all the way. On a lot of aftermarket intakes, the valve cover must be notched to clear the top of the intake runners.
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No their notched... trust me, the gasket is black too
 
InRogue said:
No their notched... trust me, the gasket is black too
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Well, by GOD you got SOMETHING wrong somewhere. At this point, I would literally get a magnifying glass out and look at those valve cover rails on the heads. I have seen a couple have cracks in them before.
 
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