FelPro 17900 Valve Cover Gasket

palace

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Mar 19, 2011
Messages
154
Here we go, pulled the valve cover gasket on my 1987 3.0 OMC. Had cork gasket replacement manual says 45 ft lbs. I say to myself, Self that is a **** load of torque on these little bolts. Tighten'er down to about 30 lbs and say oh that is good enough. Sleep on it and say well the manny says 45 ft. lbs. Go back out start trying to get slowly to 45. Then SNAP one then like a idiot I keep going...SNAP #2 bolt. Get them out of the head no problems, put on second cork gasket and tighten to where I see gasket squeeze out some. Go to the launch and warm her up and guess WHAT? nice leak on the port side (3 bolt side).

Question:
I picked up FelPro 17900 gasket for 3.0 marine (seems to be rubber). Now FelPro's instructions say use gasket sealer on the gasket. I am torn on whether or not to use permatex high temp? I am also picking up some new bolts from NAPA. I think these bolts are originals.

So RTV gasket sealer or not? Thin coating of RTV or not?

Thanks
Palace
 

fishrdan

Admiral
Joined
Jan 25, 2008
Messages
6,989
Re: FelPro 17900 Valve Cover Gasket

Had cork gasket replacement manual says 45 ft lbs.

What manual was that? Sounds like a typo and it should have read 45 inch lb, 3-4 ft lb. I glue the gasket to the valve cover with 3M weather strip adhesive so it doesn't slip around, then bolt it onto the head dry.
 

Maclin

Admiral
Joined
May 27, 2007
Messages
6,761
Re: FelPro 17900 Valve Cover Gasket

The 45 is definitely inch-pounds and not ft-pounds. Now you have a warped valve cover :(
 

tazrig

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Dec 20, 2012
Messages
1,752
Re: FelPro 17900 Valve Cover Gasket

Back in the day OMC was notorious for making typo's in it's manuals... sorry you had to be another victim of it.
 

palace

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Mar 19, 2011
Messages
154
Re: FelPro 17900 Valve Cover Gasket

The 45 is definitely inch-pounds and not ft-pounds. Now you have a warped valve cover :(

Thanks Maclin, it lays flat on my bench. So what is your .04 on RTV on the gasket?
 

Maclin

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Joined
May 27, 2007
Messages
6,761
Re: FelPro 17900 Valve Cover Gasket

I am thinking that the valve cover bolt hole areas are a bit cone shaped now and thus will compress that area of the gasket first, and that is why the surface area between them cannot seal well. If that is the case then no sealer is really designed to fill that much gap, those areas would need to be worked on to get them flat again.
 

sam60

Captain
Joined
May 21, 2011
Messages
3,189
Re: FelPro 17900 Valve Cover Gasket

Snug with a speed handle is my torque setting for cork stuff.
 

bruceb58

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Mar 5, 2006
Messages
30,454
Re: FelPro 17900 Valve Cover Gasket

Volvo manual for 3.0(same exact engine) specifies 65 inch pounds.
 

palace

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Mar 19, 2011
Messages
154
Re: FelPro 17900 Valve Cover Gasket

There is a large flange under the bolt head to distribute the force. Bolt does not have direct contact with the cover.
I am thinking that the valve cover bolt hole areas are a bit cone shaped now and thus will compress that area of the gasket first, and that is why the surface area between them cannot seal well. If that is the case then no sealer is really designed to fill that much gap, those areas would need to be worked on to get them flat again.
 

Maclin

Admiral
Joined
May 27, 2007
Messages
6,761
Re: FelPro 17900 Valve Cover Gasket

Cool, but you did whank on it enough to break a bolt! Just hard for me to think something did not take umbrage over that :)

It should seal with just a thin layer of tacky gasket sealer on each side of the cork. The cork does the rest if the squeeze is distributed well. The cork would even seal it all by itself, the sealer keeps the cork from welding itself to the cover and head.

For some engine types I have worked on in the past a rubber gasket worked well with no sealer.
 

palace

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Mar 19, 2011
Messages
154
Re: FelPro 17900 Valve Cover Gasket

Well guess what I did read the manual wrong it says 45 in lbs. I apologize to all for my fault. I need to practice what I say, measure twice cut once. In this case read twice torque once.
Thanks!!

Put cover back on with FelPro rubber 17900 and used RTV on cover side/naked on head-engine block side. Good to go!

Here we go, pulled the valve cover gasket on my 1987 3.0 OMC. Had cork gasket replacement manual says 45 ft lbs. I say to myself, Self that is a **** load of torque on these little bolts. Tighten'er down to about 30 lbs and say oh that is good enough. Sleep on it and say well the manny says 45 ft. lbs. Go back out start trying to get slowly to 45. Then SNAP one then like a idiot I keep going...SNAP #2 bolt. Get them out of the head no problems, put on second cork gasket and tighten to where I see gasket squeeze out some. Go to the launch and warm her up and guess WHAT? nice leak on the port side (3 bolt side).

Question:
I picked up FelPro 17900 gasket for 3.0 marine (seems to be rubber). Now FelPro's instructions say use gasket sealer on the gasket. I am torn on whether or not to use permatex high temp? I am also picking up some new bolts from NAPA. I think these bolts are originals.

So RTV gasket sealer or not? Thin coating of RTV or not?

Thanks
Palace
 

palace

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Mar 19, 2011
Messages
154
Re: FelPro 17900 Valve Cover Gasket

Ran all day today not a single drop of oil from the valve cover. Used light RTV hi-temp on the cover side and naked on engine block side. The RTV seems to keep it in the right spot.

Appreciate everyones help.


Here we go, pulled the valve cover gasket on my 1987 3.0 OMC. Had cork gasket replacement manual says 45 ft lbs. I say to myself, Self that is a **** load of torque on these little bolts. Tighten'er down to about 30 lbs and say oh that is good enough. Sleep on it and say well the manny says 45 ft. lbs. Go back out start trying to get slowly to 45. Then SNAP one then like a idiot I keep going...SNAP #2 bolt. Get them out of the head no problems, put on second cork gasket and tighten to where I see gasket squeeze out some. Go to the launch and warm her up and guess WHAT? nice leak on the port side (3 bolt side).

Question:
I picked up FelPro 17900 gasket for 3.0 marine (seems to be rubber). Now FelPro's instructions say use gasket sealer on the gasket. I am torn on whether or not to use permatex high temp? I am also picking up some new bolts from NAPA. I think these bolts are originals.

So RTV gasket sealer or not? Thin coating of RTV or not?

Thanks
Palace
 
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