The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop 1953 216: Valve cover gasket

I would pull the cover, and look at the sealing area closer. Use a straight edge on the cover. Make sure its a cork gasket and use a gasket adhesive to seal it to the engine side only. This will allow you to pull the cover without destroying the gasket for valve maintenance. Silicone gasket maker requires a squeaky clean surface, free of oil and 24 hours of cure time. When you set the gasket using silicone, put a small bead (1/8”) on the engine side place the gasket and cover on and hand tighten the cover until the silicone just starts to squeeze out. Let it sit an hour or two. Now tighten it up to seal but don’t over tighten. Here is a Permatex website on Ten Most Common Gasking Mistakes that may help. Good luck!