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

I noticed leaking around my valve cover gasket today and bought a new one...how much torque on the cover bolts? I think I may have had the other one too tight and split it...

250 ci '67 C-10

I know too much can ruin the gasket and not enough will leak?

with or without rtv ?

thanks

95ft/lbs.
Seriously, I just use a nutdriver. That way I can't overtighten them. Lay it on a flat surface like a table saw and see if its bent. Also, your old gasket may be brittle. A new one will be spongy and seal better.

Florida,
As Shipwright mentioned, make sure the valve cover isn't bent. It is real common for the area around the bolt/screw holes to get mashed from overtightening. The standard procedure is to lay the valve cover on the sharp edge of a counter or something solid, and with cover upside down, lightly hammer the flange and screw hole areas FLAT! Spray gasket and valve cover with a little Hi-tack, assemble and you are off to the races.


Stuart.

thanks guys...the cover looks good and I degreased it and put some fresh hi temp chev orange on it before putting it back on...
I also put a new pcv valve...it has what I think is supposed to be a 'breatheable' oil filler cap,(chrome type) not sure how this effects pressure inside the cover irt to pressure stress on the gasket...

I used an old nutdriver I had on the bolts instead of the ratchet as SW suggested...left the rtv to set up overnight and then drove it up to winn dixie and back ...a couple miles at about 45 mph...
got back and didn't see any leaks so far...I know the bolts aren't near as tight as I had them before...I'm still thinking they were dogged down too hard and split the gasket causing the leak I was having to correct...
I could see a bit of the gasket popping out around the bolt hole and the cover edge...

seems like such a simple thing to put a VC back on but.... too much and you ruin the gasket...not enough and it leaks...
this ol 67 has many things calling for attention...I appreciate the board,the members, and their sharing their hard won knowledge

see ya on the next issue soon

Just a quick thought about not much of anything. I recently heard someone say that if we could put a man on the moon he didn't see why someone couldn't invent a valve cover gasket that would not leak. Think about it: Allen

I bet the mechanics who put together those ships that went to the moon used new gaskets and did not overtorque them.

Hee hee... Just for the record SW's suggestion of using a nutdriver to avoid overtightening has been holding in the old 'green meanie' as my kid loves to call it...no leaks yet, been driving it a little almost everyday now around close to home...not gonna venture too far till I address some more of it's issues...but so far no VC leaks...used felpro gasket and RTV...

still not cherishing the front end work yet to be done (eeks)