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Reply to "Chesil Speedster - my planned winter overhaul of '98 build"

I’m not familiar with “silicone” valve cover gaskets but they sound like the “C Channel” gaskets that CB Performance sells with good success.

I’ve used both the cork version and the composite versions with good luck on a pair of CB Perf. Cast aluminum Bolt-on valve covers.  I load up a meat marinating syringe with grease and shoot a 1/8” bead of grease along both sides of the gasket, ( cut the end off of the marinator needle for a single bead port), smear it out on the gasket and install.  Watch out for gasket “pucker” when installing.  That causes a big leak.  

I never use RTV on valve cover gaskets.  RTV makes it extremely difficult to remove and clean up the cover at the next valve check and when I use the grease they don’t leak and they remove more or less easily.  

Also, you have bolt-on valve covers.  Please check the torque on the threaded stand-offs for the bolts - the stand-offs hold the rocker arms in place and you don’t want them to loosen up.  Same torque as the regular rocker shaft nuts.  

For the cover bolt seals, I cut o-rings about 1/4” thick from a length of 5/16” ID rubber fuel hose, slip them onto the bolt and run the bolt in.  I don’t torque them, just run them in til they hit the rubber, then another turn or two, whatever feels good.

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