Alloy Rockers - Sealant or No Sealant with cork gasket?

[Top Gear TVR]

Just a quick poll - any views?

[Chuggaboom]

No.

Just a light smear on either side with Castrol LM grease, or the like.

Allows for easy removal / refit as and when required.

And don't overtighten or the gasket may crush.

[Scoobimax]

did you get the ford one with the metal inserts to prevent the crushing?

[glenrobbo]

Hi Steve,
I would only advise using sealant if they're going to leak.

Seriously, as suggested, a light smear of grease shoud do the trick.
The crushing & distortion is more of an issue with the pressed steel rocker covers, but still take it easy on torquing the screws down.

Before fitting your lovely bling alloy covers, check the valley gasket at the four points where the heads meet the inlet manifold, you can get pinhole leaks from these points if little bits of the gasket have broken off. Degrease and apply a little blob of silicon sealant at any of these points if required & it should then be leak-free.

Good luck mate.
Glen

[phillpot]

Genuine Ford (Motorcraft) gaskets with the anti-crush spacers should be self adhesive but any you find will be old stock and adhesive will probably have gone dry.


Whether using Ford or after market I would glue 'em to the rocker covers with Evo-Stik or similar

[greymrj]

I would always 'glue' to the rocker cover using something like blue hylomar or another good gasket sealant available in a tube. Not one of the older hard setting ones. Careful, don't use too much, you don't want gasket 'goo' in the oil! I clean rocker box face with thinners first. Then I grease the other face. With a little care I can get them on and off several times quite easily. As I am now paranoid about valve clearances (0.002" made an amazing difference!) I do take them off fairly regularly.
I agree with Mike, the 'self adhesive' gasket type may need a bit of help!

[Top Gear TVR]

Cheers guys -

Glenrobbo method used + a bit of the rest

1. clean all faces with razor blade, rag soaked in thinners etc
2. remove the 'lump' of gasket at the valley inlet manifold junction
3. more rag and thinners!
4. a smear of rtv at the junctions of inlet manifold and heads
5. stick gaskets to rocker cover (ford ones with metal spacers in them)
6. hand tighten all bolts (lush stainless flange bolts)
7. working as if tightening a head down from the centre in a 3 stage spiral 'quarter turn', 'quarter turn', 'tight'

job done.

rewired my relocated coil (no longer on the plenum)