Valve cover gasket questions

[Ken K.]

What is the best replacement valve cover gasket for a 77 Corvette? What brand looks like the stock one? What is the stock thickness of one? What brand would you buy if you did not care about NCRS inspection? I was thinking of 5/16 thick cork but I would like to be able to reuse it a few times. Help answer my questions. Thank you

[Keith B.]

Re: Valve cover gasket questions

Fell pro cork gaskets what ever standard thickness is. Glue the gaskets to the valve cover. Let glue dry and install. You can remove them as much as you like. And don't over tighten the bolts

[Patrick H.]

Re: Valve cover gasket questions

Doc Rebuild has some nice ones that only have 4 holes, vs the more generic ones at the parts store.

No matter what I have yet to every reuse a set of cork gaskets. They always seem to stick to the head somewhere, and a piece tears off or they break.
So, good luck with that.

I have reused metal reinforced rubber gaskets but never cork ones.

[Edward J.]

Re: Valve cover gasket questions

Ken, I don't like the thicker cork gaskets, I think the stardard cork gaskets seal just fine. the tin valve covers are hard to seal, if your car has aluminum covers seal much better. I like to use 3M weatherstrip adhesive to hold the gasket in place. and torque the cover and retorque after a few hundred miles.

[Terry M.]

Re: Valve cover gasket questions

Ken, I don't like the thicker cork gaskets, I think the stardard cork gaskets seal just fine. the tin valve covers are hard to seal, if your car has aluminum covers seal much better. I like to use 3M weatherstrip adhesive to hold the gasket in place. and torque the cover and retorque after a few hundred miles.

Ed has the right idea, but I use the cork gaskets I got from Chevrolet a couple of decades ago for that "real deal" look. Back then I had to buy10 or a dozen and I was POed at that, but I like it now. I put a thin film of Vaseline on the side of the cork gasket facing the head. Later it comes off just fine and seals well too. Be sure your rocker cover is flat. The tin ones tend to get depressed from Bubba over tightening the hold-down bolts. A little metal work on those edges will work wonders and then buy & use a 1/4-inch drive torque wrench -- even one from Harbor Freight is better than nothing.

[Joe L.]

Re: Valve cover gasket questions

What is the best replacement valve cover gasket for a 77 Corvette? What brand looks like the stock one? What is the stock thickness of one? What brand would you buy if you did not care about NCRS inspection? I was thinking of 5/16 thick cork but I would like to be able to reuse it a few times. Help answer my questions. Thank you

Ken-----


The best ones I have ever found are the Fel-Pro "Cork-Lam" #1604. These are constructed of rubberized cork with a steel core. They are "4 hole" style so they are only applicable to 59+ heads. However, they are 5/16" in thickness and they are also expensive.

For original style cork gaskets the "4 hole" style cork available from Dr. Rebuild are perfect.

While the Fel-Pro 1604 hold up well for re-installations, any cork gasket will be "challenged" by the heat present near the exhaust cross-over. That's where they usually stick and break upon removal.

[Patrick H.]

Re: Valve cover gasket questions

While the Fel-Pro 1604 hold up well for re-installations, any cork gasket will be "challenged" by the heat present near the exhaust cross-over. That's where they usually stick and break upon removal.

Yep, that's exactly it.

[Jerry G.]

Re: Valve cover gasket questions

A trick I use on the race motor is to have the crowned sealing surface on the heads machined a little to provide a flat sealing surface that does not split the cork gasket and seals very well. No one will know ..... and your motor will stay dry.