There is a common misconception regarding gaskets and its surface treatment.
The most important thing to do is to make sure the gasket surface(rail) on
the Valve cover is flat, most people over tighten them and it causes the
cover sheetmetal to dimple, this raises the cover away from head and causes
more leaking, then the "mechanic" will tighten even more. What you should do
is to take a block of wood and a metal hammer to straighten the cover first.
I use only a little bit of gasket sealer called "gaskacinch" it is more an
adhesive to merely keep the gasket from slipping sideways, only apply to one
side. Gasket sealer is the huge ripoff myth that people buy into. The best
seal has no gasket at all. The sure sign of a bush league repair is the use
of RTV all over the place.
|