...something other than the $10 typical cork replacements that seem to leak like a sieve after a month or two.

Ideas?

The cork gaskets are my favorite and don't seem to leak. Are your surfaces clean and do you use a sealant?

What sort of sealant should I be using, regular blue RTV? And should the sealant go on the head sufaces, the valve cover surfaces, or both?

No, I hate RTV. I use Permatex Form-a-Gasket on both sides of the gasket, then install.

I use a light coating of Permatex "High Tack Gasket Sealant" - on the valve cover side only. That way, when you lift the valve cover off to adjust valves - the gasket stays with the valve cover. The valve cover is cast aluminum alloy - and can be somewhat pitted... so a little sealant is useful. The head on-the-other hand is a far higher quality casting and machined to an ultra smooth surface - you really should not need a sealant on that interface.

It is VERY important to torque the valve cover bolt down to their spec. -in the proper order (center out ward). The re-torque them after the engine has been run though a few heat cycles. Also important to use valve cover bolts with good and clean threads.

As Chris said - make sure you are dealing with very clean surfaces.

Here is a good reference chart <a href=www.permatex.com/documents/GasketDressingSelector.pdf TARGET=NEW> Permatex Gasket Dressing Selector </a>

FWIW,

Carl B.

I agree - Permatex

Hello A.J

how about the pressure under your cover ?

Is your valvecover bleeder line still connected ?

Are your piston rings still o.k ?

My daily car is a V6 tdi audi, and a very common cause for oil leaks is a clogged filter in the bleeder valve.

Good luck Rainer

Okay, proper sealant noted.

I unfortunately don't have a factory manual, just a couple of Chilton / Haynes(terrible, I know) manuals, and nowhere do they list the torque specs for the valve cover. Anyone have these?

I have a wire mesh cannon filter on the breather / bleed line fitting. I assume this is sufficient. I swapped out my flattops for round tops and didn't have a stock replacement for the airbox, so the hoses were pulled and the filter put on.

I think I've just got a bad gasket.

I've always used 6 to 7 lbs/ft based in the bolt diameter... The main reason I use a torque wrench on them is to get a uniform compression of the valve cover gasket.

Oh.. I've used Nissan OEM Valve Cover Gaskets and used to buy the Fel-Pro gaskets. Never had any trouble with either.

seems to work...

Carl B.

I picked up a Victor Reinz. Couldn't find anything else locally.

Picked up some Loctite Hard-Setting Gasket Sealant #1, supposedly equivalent to Permatex Form-A-Gasket. I'll post as to the results.

Permatex Form-A-Gasket or the like is the only way to go for this particular app. I've sworn by that stuff for years and never had it leak on me when applied properly.

Another option is to lightly coat the cylinder head side of the gasket with grease. As Carl mentioned, torquing the bolts in the proper sequence is important.