i am seeking advice on our group's experience with the best brand / type of leak proof valve cover gaskets. 1975 mechanical lifter engine

thanks for any suggestions
Dean

I just use the Felpro rubber ones with a thin skim coat of RTV on the upper side to help it stick and seal to the valve cover. In that way, you can remove the vavle cover with the gasket together a few times for valve adjustments and inspections. Does not leak, even with a modest amount of cylinder blow-by pressure in the engine (on an old engine with worn piston rings and no PCV).

I'm sure the rubber gaskets do a much better job compared to the cork style.....but that being said I just use the cork gaskets,mainly coz I have quite a few spares! Make sure the cover is straight,clean and a smear of silicone sealant between the cover and gasket...no leaks for me. This is on an engine with no blow by,but they don't do a bad job. IF I needed to buy a new one,I'd probably go for the rubber and hopefully re use it a few times.

I've always used the Felpro rubber, without RTV. It usually survives 3 or 4 removals to check lash before it starts leaking. This is also on a motor with a large amount of blow-by.

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Somehow I ended up owning three 1964 slant six A-bodies. I race one of them.
Escape Velocity Racing

I usually get away with nothing but the cork gasket. I have reused them with success if they aren't cooked and brittle. I never liked the rubber gaskets, but they do seem to work well. In occasion, due to a bent valve cover, I have had to use some silicone to stop a slow leak at the rear right hand side of the cover, but I generally use nothing but the gasket.

Don't over tighten!

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Casually looking for a Clifford hyperpak intake for cheap.

MVC-3FR
https://realgaskets.com/files/automobile.htm#chrysler
Best I've found.

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1964 Dart GT

I agree with slantsteve - the flatness of the valve cover is more important than the actual seal material. Mine looked OK but was pretty badly puckered around the bolt holes from overtorqueing.

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Tom
'86 Alfa Romeo Spider, red "Dinsdale"
'10 Corvette, red "" (no name yet)
'95 Ferrari 348, red "Zoom"
'04 Maserati, black "Evil"
'05 Aston Martin DB9, green "Bond, Treasury bond."
'82 Dodge W150 Power Ram, yellow "E. Valdez"

Flip it over on an anvil and hammer them back flat!

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1964 Dart GT

Thank you all for your advice

Dean

Use a nut driver to torque down bolts not a wrench. Over torqueing will distort cover, over compress gasket and cause leaks. Rubber gasket can be used over and over if not over torqued. The last rubber Felpro gasket I just replaced last summer lasted four years, and was on and off no less than 20 times. I agree with nm9... gluing gasket to valve cover so it comes off with cover when removed.

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67' Dart GT Convertible; the old Chrysler Corp.
82' LeBaron Convertible; the new Chrysler Corp
07' 300 C AWD; Now by Fiat, the old new Chrysler LLC