Looking to valve adjustment soon and figure throw on a new set of gaskets on the valve covers and wondering since you guy's deal with these way more then I have what you would recomm for valve cover gaskets on a 350 TBI motor. Thanks guys!
CK5
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valve cover gaskets 350 TBI (had any good luck?)
- Thread starter brans87
- Start date
I bought fel-pro's when I did my setup years back, the silicone(?) rubber type. When I took them off this time they were pretty soft, and realized the last time I had the valve covers off, they had misaligned and one had torn. Still didn't leak, but they seem as if they won't work as well if you need to remove them later.
The crate GM motor I just bought has orange seals, and they have little tits on them that help indicate if the gasket stayed in place. No clue if that is their real reason to be, or if just part of the manufacturing process, but they work. This is really only an issue along the top rail of the valve cover, since that can fall into the rocker arm area which is almost impossible to see on my rig, while you would see the bottom if it fell out of the valve cover. The GM pieces are also much stiffer, holding their shape better. Cannot recall if the fel-pro's were that way when I got them, or already soft.
Here is what my GM (? or whoever GM sources them from) gaskets look like. Note the 4 tits. Installed, you can see these protruding from under the valve cover, if the gaskets stay in place on install:
While this is what my Fel-pro's look like:
They have some out for the TBI/Vortec heads last I checked that have a metal insert inside the rubber layer to help it retain the form of the gasket so it makes it easier to keep lined up properly on the center bolt valve covers.
That's what I bought. I like them because they don't leak and are reusable.
Joe In Montana
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If it's not FelPro, don't buy them.
Those blue silicon gaskets are reusable and they will stay put if you put them in correctly.
It may be hard to explain on the internet, but if you 'dish' them so the inner ID is put over the inner rails of each cover first, they will stay right where you put then even if you have to bump and tap the cover into place.
Sometimes a bit of hot glue on the four corners will help in particularly tough installations, but that's all I've ever had to use - ever!
Those blue silicon gaskets are reusable and they will stay put if you put them in correctly.
It may be hard to explain on the internet, but if you 'dish' them so the inner ID is put over the inner rails of each cover first, they will stay right where you put then even if you have to bump and tap the cover into place.
Sometimes a bit of hot glue on the four corners will help in particularly tough installations, but that's all I've ever had to use - ever!
