Valve Cover Gaskets

[1971SE440]

What is the best valve cover gaskets. I have a 440 with headers and the drivers side cover keeps leaking. I have the Mopar performance valve covers.

[aifilaw]

the header heat is really the cause of the problem, I've seen this crack and cause leaks on rubber gaskets as well.
The best luck I've had when suffering from heat issues like that, is to buy high-temp RTV and MAKE your own gasket from scratch and not use another one. If you have a solid valvetrain don't do this because you will need to continually pull the valve covers to adjust them during the life of the vehicle. But if you don't, then I would definitely suggest it, rubber will get hot and crack, cork will be worse, either of the two with silicone will still have the problem in between the two layers of silicone, just do the whole thing up tight.

[BrianShaughnessy]

Running the mopar or fel pro versions of the '78 motor home exhaust manifold gaskets helps shield the heat from burning up the cork gaskets.   Felpro PN is 90425.   

Ehrenberg sells these mopar ones on ebay sometimes.  http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280131381697&ru=http://motors.search.ebay.com:80/280131381697_W0QQfromZR40QQfviZ1
The logic is good behind them... heck I run them...   it's not the prettiest solution but it's better than others.
 

Until such time as mopar or somebody starts making a good reusable valve cover gasket like they make for the small blocks,  you'll just have to use a lot of sealer and hope for the best.

[resq302]

Ive had good luck using the cork/rubber gaskets with some Indian head gasket compound used on either side.  So far no leaks.   

[471_Magnum]

HiPo exhaust manifolds will cook cork gaskets, as will some headers.

Fel-Pro makes a good gasket. The Mopar Performance reusable gaskets are pretty good as well.

[resq302]

I disagree. I have the factory HP exhaust manifolds on my car and the cork/rubber gaskets are holding up just fine.

[Nacho-RT74]

I disagree. I have the factory HP exhaust manifolds on my car and the cork/rubber gaskets are holding up just fine.

mee too, but is true that one lower area where more heat exposed, they can broke one day because with time they get brittle. The tabs location already got broken in fact