Second time changing the valve cover gaskets

[Paul G]

I put a new set of Fel-Pro rubber valve cover gaskets on the 440 two summers ago. They started leaking like a sieve last fall. The rubber had cracked and come apart. Too much heat from the exhaust manifolds??? I picked up a set of Victor gaskets this time. They are supposed to be high temp gaskets. They look like cork but seem a little stiffer than ordinary cork, and twice the money. Any one else used these or have a solution to this problem?

When I put the valve covers back on I set my torque wrench to 30" lbs and torqued the covers to that. I have the cast aluminum wrinkle finish Mopar Performance valve covers. Is that tight enough, or too tight?

[moparjohn]

I will wait for a response here as well. I rebuilt the 383  in mine last year (oct) and the valve cover gaskets also leak on it. (felpo rubber) What is the guarrenteed way NOT to have them leak (factory steel covers)

[chargerbr549]

Years ago when I used to work at a Chrysler Dealership when alot of the mid 70's bigblock NewYorkers were still on the road the only gasket that we used that seemed to hold up to the exhaust manifold heat was an orange  rubber/silicone type valve cover gasket that we got right from Chrysler, if I remember correctly there was 10 gaskets to a pack and they would sell them individually, whether they are available nowadays I don't know. The way I cured my valve cover gasket problems was when I went to hedders, problem was solved now I can get away with the just using the plain felpro gaskets.

Kevin

[Ghoste]

Were those orange ones listed as anything to do with "police" use?

[aifilaw]

make a mold and pour it with high temp silicone...voila perfect long-lasting high-temp no dry/cracking rubber gaskets...


or just make one out of silicone by putting it on and smashing it on, the cleanup is a painm, so not for the people who have to adjust solid rockers....but for the rest it works, worked for me.

[BrianShaughnessy]

Dave Hakim from MP posted on moparts the other day that he's looking into having somebody make steel backed silicone type gaskets similar to the ones they make for small blocks.

Other than that,  if the heats getting to the cork,  use 78 motor home exhaust gaskets with the heat shield....     that's what I did.    It doesn't help get the gaskets to seal initially though.    I got fel pros but Rick E.  sometimes sells mopar ones on ebay.  This is a old auction for the picture purposes. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/NOS-Mopar-383-440-Exhaust-Valve-Cover-PROBLEM-SOLVER_W0QQitemZ280089025109QQcategoryZ34202QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem   

[resq302]

I used the orange MP silicone rubber ones and they leaked just as bad as the cork ones.  I have started using the original rubber/cork Fel Pro ones with using some Indian Head Gasket Compund (stuff in a small brown bottle) on either side of the  gasket.  Seems to work like a charm unless you want to get the valve cover off.  Recently, I had a hell of a time getting them off to replace them with the correct factory valve covers, but on the upside, no leaks for 2 years!