Gasket Sealer?

[86CJ7]

1040758

I have to replace a leaking valve cover gasket in my 258 I-6. The job seems to be pretty straight forward, but I'm not sure if I need to use a gasket sealer with the new cork gasket or not...? Greatly appreciate it if anyone can provide wisdom on this issue?undefined[addsig]

 

[PerformanceTruck&Auto]

1041063

Go light on the sealer and be careful to keep the bolts organized. A couple of the bolt holes for the VC are directly over the water jacket. If you mistakenly try to jam a long bolt into a short hole, you're going to see some coolant.[addsig]

 

[blackcj7]

1041109

If you still have a plastic valve cover, I highly recommend changing it to an aluminum cover. [addsig]

 

[berettajeep]

1041122

I second that. The plastic is known to crack

I am happy mine came with steel[addsig]

 

[jehartma]

1041342

Just out of curiosity...hypothetically speaking....what should you do to repair the problem if you just happened to "see some coolant" as a result of your actions....

I gooped up the bolt with sealant and screwed it in to seal the hole. Haven't had any problems since, but probably should fix it the right way eventually. Feel free to enjoy a belly laugh at my expense.

[addsig]

 

[PerformanceTruck&Auto]

1041346

The sealant trick is really the only way to fix it once you've opened up the water jacket aside from taking it to a machine shop and letting them deal with it. Don't worry, the very same thing has happened to a lot of us and the sealant should work fine as long as you used the right stuff. Brown Permatex is the way to go for a repair like this.



Believe it or not, it is easy for this to happen because there isn't much iron in some spots between where the VC bolts go and the water jacket. Definite design flaw.[addsig]