The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Valve cover leak

I have a very small leak in the left front of the valve cover in the firetruck. I've tightened it up but it still leaks just a tiny bit and I hate to see the oil drip down the side of the motor. My question is: Are there lock washers, pressure distribution plates or anything else under the four bolts to hold down the valve cover? I looked in the parts book but didn't see any bolts, washers or pressure plates that hold the valve cover inplace. Help...not a big deal but I'm after every leak I can find before I take it on a 200 mile drive to the Virginia (Richmond) Fallen Firefighter's Memorial Service on 7 June.

Maybe someone else can help you with a source for the elongated washers that were used on 54-62 235/261 valve covers (you said you had four "bolts"), but they look a little like washers in this set. The difference is that the elongated 235/261 washers were symmetrical.

Have you checked the bottom edge on the valve cover, especially near the bolts holes, to be sure that the edge is not deformed? It is quite common for the area right around a bolt hole to be deformed downward - due to a heavy hand in tightening the bolts (to try to stop a leak, usually).

Almost every 235 I see with a valve cover leak has the wrong rocker oiling set-up and is getting to much oil to the top. Are the oil holes in your rocker shafts towards the bottom? What year is your engine?

Just as Tim said. A lot of the valve covers have been over tightened thru the years and distorted around the holes.
I would remove the valve cover and either put a straight edge along the long sides or just set it on a flat surface and see where its wharped out of whack. Ive seen people use 2 gaskets,,but you shouldnt have to do that.
Good luck,

It is probably distorted around the holes. Tightening it more will just make it worse.

Another thing- glue the gasket to the head with weatherstrip adhesive. This should give it enough of a wall that oil pooling in the head won't run out the valve cover.

It is a 59-62 261 block with a 235 head. I checked the areas around the holes and they are all flat. I only put the adhesive on the gasket/valve cover side so I could remove the cover as needed to adjust the valves.

It actually doesn't leak but at one small spot about three inches forward of the left front bolt. I think it is the elongated washers that I need to distribute the torque pressure along the valve cover attaching point.. I'll check into getting the elongated washers as I just have four bolts holding in it place without any type of washer. Thank you all very much!

I just installed a cast aluminum Clifford cover with the 2-216 hold down nuts on my 261. I used the thick 216 gasket with weatherstrip adhesive on the cover side. The cast aluminum gasket surface is dead flat and will not flex with serious torque on the 2 hold down nuts. I have pretty good top oil volume and absolutely no seepage through the gasket. It also has a PCV tap if you woiuld like to install positive crankcase ventalation.

Fire Truck ,
I know ya will need access to the valve cover for Valve adjustment an such , I would try some Permatex Black , ON THAT OFFENDING SECTION ..it will glue it down ..but shouldnt be prob. to get off if ya just use there .
Yrs ago the first wife had to have onna them Fiero pcs. a crap an it leaked like you are statin ..after bein frustrated for a while ..of the oil leakin down on the exhaust manifold i did the black goop in that section...after i removed the valve cover a few weeks later ..it had made its own gasket that fit the spot that leaked an i never had a prob ...after that .
Just tossin a idea your way ..
Hope ya get it leak free .
Tim

I'm with tcelderman and deluxe54panel on this one. Most steel stamped valve covers are warped from overtightening them. The holes are certainly concaved from tightening. I take mine on a metal support and use a solid metal piece of stock and make sure they are flatened back into shape. Eyeball down the edge when the cover is upside down and you will see it plain as day. If it's not the valve cover, the gasket edge of the block is damaged. Try using some V8 valve cover washers to distribute the pressure. They don't need to be as tight as most people think.
Remember when you use goop, glue, or anything of that nature...as much goop that squeezes out when you tighten down the bolts also squeezes to the inside of your engine.

Thanks guys. I ordered the valve cover washers from my local Chevy dealer this morning. Should arrive soon and I'll try them to stop the leak. I was really surprised they had a part number at the dealership for a truck motor that old. I had to buy eight as that is the only way they come.

Could the fact that you had to buy eight mean those little washers are actually packaged for a Chevrolet V-8 and they just happen to fit your valve cover too....methinks this might be the case. The main thing is you have them.

Take your time to flatten the flange on the valve cover and eyeball it to make sure it is square, flat and true. They don't leak as a rule.

Stuart

Well you were correct. The eight of them arrived but didn't fit as they were too big. They were from the V-8 book. I returned them to the Chevy dealer and got my money back. Now I'm hunting for a set of "real" washers. Any advice where I can find four?

Virginiafiretruck,

I don't know where you could find them. I had some on a engine years ago, but it seems for their small size the really don't accomplish much.

If you are going to rely on these little deals to cure a leaking valve cover I think you might be unpleasantly surprised.

I hate to keep preaching the same old song, but I think if you flatten the flange and screw holes, twist and tweak the cover until it's true to the eye, and don't over tighten the screws, you will be in tall cotton.

I know this doesn't answer your question on where to get those things...maybe someone else knows a source.

Stuart

You could fab some up.
You could have done some creative grinder work on the ones you sent back, and made them fit.
I vote for fabrication. You will feel better knowing you did it yourself anyway.

thanks. Like I wrote, it is one tiny spot that leaks driving me nuts. I like the idea of using my dremel tool and cutting down the size of the V8 washers but haven't looked at that close enough yet. I'll get it done.

If your looking for something to spread the down force, and I'm pretty sure I remember right, Corvair motors used a 4 in rigid flat
piece on their valve covers.
I used them on a SB chevy motor years back. Does GM or someone else sell corvair parts ? Junkyard ?
Dan

Several aftermarket racing equipment suppliers sell replicas of the Corvair load-spreaders, but you'll probably have to modify them for clearance around the dimples in the stovebolt valve cover. I've used them on Chevy roundtrack engines for years. Try researching the Mr. Gasket brand name for the load-spreaders.

Edit: The Mr. Gasket part numbers for 4 different types of spreaders are # 6394, 6395, 6396, and 6397.
Jerry

virginiafiretruck,I thought i had a set of the hold down washers you are wanting.I looked in the garage and couldn't find them.I will look some more tomorrow night.If I find them,I will trace an outline of them for you or send you one to duplicate.I just can't remember if they came with my 261 or not ?

Thanks. It isn't really very important. I'll work on it on Saturday and see what I can do with it.

Man Virginia, by now I would think you would just try another valve cover. There's tons of them floating around out there. You really shouldn’t have that much of a problem with a leak if all else is right with the cylinder head, i.e., no nicks in the edge and draining properly, new gasket. There is no pressure building up in side there it’s just simply rundown and drainage back to the bottom end. Maybe I’m missing something here!
If it just the washers your missing, just take four plain old washers and file them down in the vise, shouldn’t take more than a half hour to get ya four of them to fit.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

You are missing something..."I'm not going to kill myself over a very tiny little leak that I can wipe up every week." It is as simple as that.

Now that it runs great, I'm just working on the little stuff that always seems to pop up in a 57 year old truck. It isn't a problem worth getting stressed over. I'm working on it but mostly just looking at the options.

BTW: It has stopped leaking!

See there, those small things just kinda take care of them selves. I don't envy you that project, that's a lot of iron to restore. You gotta be one arfully determined individual to tackle some thing on that scale.
I'm havin a hard time keepin up with this little pickup.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

Yes they sometimes do... Thanks for the advise.

Say Virginia, is the the type of washer or reinforcement that your were asking about??? I've never seen anything like that from GM.
http://www.affordableclassicsinc.com/ClassicsPgs/misc%20pictures%20037.jpg
I was wondering if it wasn't a home remedy for a leaky VC.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

I've seen those and actually purchased a set in chrome. They were after market made. Once I put them up next to the valve cover, I knew I couldn't use them as they were too modern for my engine. Just didn't look right to me. I still have them if somebody is interested. Never be used! :-)

That's kinda what I thought, the only stock reinforcement washers that I ever saw or sold when I was a chevy parts man were those about an 1 1/2 long. If I remember correctly they were the same all the way up, the 4's, 6's and V8's.
Denny G

Here are a photo and another photo of the elongated washers that I have found used with some 54-62 235/261 valve cover bolts.

Yes that is what they are supposed to look like!