Cascade Crew

[Leejo2005]

So I have been waging a battle with my centerbolt valve covers since I swapped in my new motor, and it is with great shame tonight that I admit defeat and humbly ask for help. I originally had some chrome steel stamped valve covers on the stock heads, with fel-pro blue rubber gaskets. And they leaked on my headers. Then I swapped my heads to trick flow aluminum and kept the chrome valve covers, checked them for warpage, and reinstalled them using mr gasket cork/rubber gaskets, and they too leaked on my headers. So I sprung for the GM performance parts die-cast aluminum valve covers and rubber gaskets. And they still leak. I've tried many torque settings from light to moderate. There is no reason these should leak but everytime I stop at a light or park the car I get light smoke from under the hood and the smell of burning oil. I can see the light film of oil on the otherwise clean heads where the oil has been dripping and this is very aggravating. Any tips would really make my day. Sorcery and voodoo are options for me at this point.

[blue89]

I have used window trim adhesive and cork. Worked great. Do you have those load distributing wing deals?

[aaron_sK]

[chevymad]

If I remember right some aftermarket heads need to be modified for the centerbolt covers to work. They come with both setups cast in to them and the perimeter bolt holes interfere. I've got cast covers with cork gaskets, center bolt style, on my truck and no issues at all. But they're stock l98 heads.

[Twilightoptics]

If you're using centerbolt valve covers and the heads have provisions for perimeter style, you must use the double thick cork basket. Otherwise the cover bottoms out on the perimeter mounting pads and won't seal.

[91RSVert]

Ive found over the years any chrome part that holds oil in, will leak unless you use lots of silicone with them. This includes VC's, oil pans, timing cover, fuel pump block of plate, rear diffs.