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914World.com _ 914World Garage _ Valve Cover Gaskets ...

Posted by: vesnyder Mar 16 2006, 05:28 PM

My vave cover gaskets are leaking so I thought I would replace. When I removed the valve covers, they seem good, albeit a little brittle. Is that a sign they need replaced? Any prep I should do to the mating surfaces? The old ones seem to be glued into the valve covers - what should I use to seal them?

Posted by: ClayPerrine Mar 16 2006, 05:30 PM

When they leak, they are old.

Replace them. The gaskets are cheap. Don't be stingy here and you will keep the relatively more expensive oil in your motor where it belongs.

Posted by: newto914s Mar 16 2006, 08:14 PM

Get them at Stoddard's. I was really impresed with the quality when I stopped in. They're the black rubberize gaskets. Not the cork ones.

Car looks really nice Vance

Posted by: Cap'n Krusty Mar 16 2006, 08:42 PM

Replace 'em if they're brittle. Use Gasgacinch on the cover and the side of the gasket that amkes contact with the valve cover. Let them air dry for 5 minutes before slapping them together. NO sealant on the head side of the gasket! The Cap'n

Posted by: flesburg Mar 16 2006, 09:04 PM

Everytime you set valves on a T4, which I always did every 5K miles at lest for the first 125K miles. The gaskets are cheap enough to consider as part of routine maintenance, and leaky ones drip right were you dont want it, on the exaust where it always stinks...

Posted by: anthony Mar 16 2006, 11:01 PM

QUOTE (Cap'n Krusty @ Mar 16 2006, 07:42 PM)
Replace 'em if they're brittle. Use Gasgacinch on the cover and the side of the gasket that amkes contact with the valve cover. Let them air dry for 5 minutes before slapping them together. NO sealant on the head side of the gasket! The Cap'n

Do what the Cap says. An old geezer at my local bug shop gave me the exact same advice. My current set of cork have 12K miles on them and have never leaked. I don't change them every time I adjust the valves either.

Posted by: Rand Mar 17 2006, 12:00 AM

Hey, with a label like this, you can't go wrong...
user posted image

But I don't have any on hand. Slight hijack: I'm about to adjust my valves. I bought gaskets whether I need them or not since they are so cheap. Any reason it's a bad idea to use a super-thin layer of RTV or the like to hold the gasket to the cover, or should I go pick up some Gaskacinch?