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 Searching for a neoprene valve cover gasket for the 241,270,315, 325 Dodge HemisJump to page : 1 Now viewing page 1 [50 messages per page] | View previous thread :: View next thread |
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56D500boy |
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Exner Expert 10K+ Posts: 11177     Location: Lower Mainland BC | . A few weeks ago, when I was "playing" with the lifters, i.e. removing and cleaning, soaking, pump and reinstalling, I went cheap on the passenger side valve cover gasket and reused it, supplemented with a bit of red Permatex RTV. I thought it would be fine - but it wasn't.   The oil in the head was dripping out the lower edge of the valve cover, down onto the exhaust manifold and then onto the down pipe. Smoking like a chimney and baking onto the down pipe.  So I had to kick my self in my ass and remove the valve cover (again), scrape out all the RTV where I had added it and find and install a new cork gasket. I put some red RTV right on the lower edge of the head and up the sides about 2" and then applied a new cork gasket (I had one afterall). I held the lower edge of the gasket down over night with the lower valve cover bolts (and valve cover) just to get the gasket set in place. The next day, I removed the bolts and the valve cover. Then I applied some RTV to to the lower inner lip of the valves cover (and up the sides about 2") before installing the valve cover "properly". I let it sit over night before I added some reasonable torque to the valve cover nuts and bolts. When I started the car and let it run for a bit, there was still some oil dripping onto the downpipe. NOT HAPPY. Then I found a video that suggests that RTV and cork are not compatible. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-Hpsudn1yY I drove the car (56 Dodge D500) yesterday and the dripping seems to have slowed down or stopped. That said, I accept that I might have to do this all over again. *IF* that is true, I need a better material. JUST RTV? JUST CORK? OR Neoprene? So the question is: "IS there an neoprene valve cover gasket for the 241, 270, 315 and 325 family of Dodge baby hemis?" What I was looking at before: Edited by 56D500boy 2026-07-05 8:37 PM | ||
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| Mopar1 |
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Expert Posts: 3185  Location: N.W. Fla. | |||
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| 56D500boy |
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Exner Expert 10K+ Posts: 11177 Location: Lower Mainland BC | Mopar1 - 2026-07-05 1:23 PM Check with Gary at QEC "Wayfarer" on this board for info. I contacted Gary (at hemiparts) and he replied (thanks Gary): "Dave: I am not familiar with any 'neoprene' gaskets. I looked through my inventory of misc gaskets to see what I had and did find some cork gaskets that are coated with something black-ish. Perhaps someone saw something similar and made the guess/leap? Dunno. Sorry that I don't have any Dodge VC gaskets to offer. I have not had the need to look for Dodge gaskets so who has them? Best? Years back I dealt with Sandy Olson, Olson's Gaskets, and he had dies to make most any. I don't know if Sandy is still involved but someone (his son?) still operates. http://www.olsonsgaskets.com My usual install process is to use Permatex #2 or Permatex spray to coat cork. I spray the gasket, both sides, hang to dry a bit so I can actually handle it. While it still has some tack, I position it on the VC to align holes then place it on the head. It works for me." I thanked Gary for the hints and did a quick internet search for the Permatex products (local to me): No.2: https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/permatex-form-a-gasket-sealant-2b... Spray: https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/permatex-high-tacktm-spray-a-gask... I like the idea of both. I have NOT yet contacted Olson's. Thanks again Gary (and George for suggesting that I contact Gary)  | ||
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| Mopar1 |
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Expert Posts: 3185 Location: N.W. Fla. | |||
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| 56D500boy |
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Exner Expert 10K+ Posts: 11177 Location: Lower Mainland BC | Mopar1 - 2026-07-08 8:42 AM On my Chr hemis I've never had a leaking problem, I would only put sealer on the head side to keep from tearing them up if you have to pull the covers. That is a good hint George. Next time. This time my ugly work with the red RTV seems to have stopped the leak but it certainly isn't pretty. This (in the area where it was leaking the the worst when I first went cheap). This is with a new "Best" cork gasket and RTV on both sides (head and valve cover). I will use High Tack sealants, not RTV, next time (which might be sooner than later if I can find another gasket). (56DodgeD500PassengerSideValveCoverWithNewCorkGasketAndRedRTV.jpg) Attachments ----------------  56DodgeD500PassengerSideValveCoverWithNewCorkGasketAndRedRTV.jpg (167KB - 37 downloads) | ||
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| Powerflite |
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Exner Expert 10K+ Posts: 10535  Location: So. Cal | |||
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| 56D500boy |
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Exner Expert 10K+ Posts: 11177 Location: Lower Mainland BC | Powerflite - 2026-07-08 2:07 PM You should always go easy on that stuff. Don't ever put more than a very thin layer on the gasket. All those strands and pieces of RTV break off eventually and run around inside your oil and might clog an oil passage. Then you become really sorry. Thanks Nathan. I was/am shocked (and embarassed) to see all the RTV gooping out on the outside edge of the valve cover. If it is like that on the inside too, I might have a problems as you have suggested. I guess I better try again with Gary (Wayfarer's) spray Permatex suggestion and George's (Mopar1's) suggestion to only spray the gasket on the head side. Tomorrow.  | ||
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| 56D500boy |
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Exner Expert 10K+ Posts: 11177 Location: Lower Mainland BC | 56D500boy - 2026-07-08 6:50 PM Thanks Nathan. I was/am shocked (and embarassed) to see all the RTV gooping out on the outside edge of the valve cover. If it is like that on the inside too, I might have a problems as you have suggested. Tomorrow. Tomorrow was yesterday. I took the valve cover off to discover this (below). Bad but not as bad as I thought it might be, based on Powerflite's comments (which were valid). It might have been fine as it was. (MAYBE) Nevertheless, I removed the gasket and cleaned off any red RTV that I could see, either on the gasket, the head or the valve cover. Got a spray can of the Permatex High Tack and will be using that and maybe another Permatex sealant tomorrow (Sat). The cork gasket is still very flexible since it is really only a few hours of service old. Should be fine once I clean it off (with GoofOFF) Edited by 56D500boy 2026-07-11 10:50 AM (56DodgeD500ValveCoverRemovedToRevealOverOozingOfRTV_1.jpg) (56DodgeD500ValveCoverRemovedToRevealOverOozingOfRTV_2.jpg) (56DodgeD500ValveCoverRemovedToRevealOverOozingOfRTV_3.jpg) Attachments ---------------- 56DodgeD500ValveCoverRemovedToRevealOverOozingOfRTV_1.jpg (143KB - 36 downloads) 56DodgeD500ValveCoverRemovedToRevealOverOozingOfRTV_2.jpg (125KB - 36 downloads) 56DodgeD500ValveCoverRemovedToRevealOverOozingOfRTV_3.jpg (123KB - 37 downloads) | ||
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| 56D500boy |
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Exner Expert 10K+ Posts: 11177 Location: Lower Mainland BC | 56D500boy - 2026-07-10 6:58 PM Nevertheless, I removed the gasket and cleaned off any red RTV that I could see, either on the gasket, the head or the valve cover. Got a spray can of the Permatex High Tack and will be using that and maybe another Permatex sealant tomorrow (Sat). The cork gasket is still very flexible since it is really only a few hours of service old. Should be fine once I clean it off (with GoofOFF) I cleaned the gasket yesterday late with GoofOFF and then sprayed the downside of the gasket with two or three coats of the Permatex High Tack gasket sealent and let that sit overnight. I also cleaned off the gasket surface of the head again and then brushed the lower edge (and 2" up the sides) with Permatex No. 3 Gasket Maker (thinner than their aviation gasket maker liquid that is a nightmare). This AM, i flipped the valve cover gasket over and applied it to the head, this time using the stickyness of the High Tack spray, not Red RTV to hold it in place. Once in place, I brushed some of the No. 3 gasket maker on the exposed side of the cork gasket, but only the lower edge and up the sides by about 2", all in hopes that there won't be any more oil leakage. Then I re-installed the valve cover and started the car. No immediate leaks. But I will only know tomorrow after I drive out to Mopar Madness 2026 https://www.moparsunlimited.net/2026-mopar-madness-registration.html Edited by 56D500boy 2026-07-12 10:24 AM (56D500ValveCoverGasketCleanedAndSprayedWithPermatexHighTackGasketSpray.jpg) (56D500CleanedAndThenBottomEdgeBrushedWithPermatexNo3.jpg) (56D500ValveCoverGasketSprayedWithHighTackFlippedOverAndBrushedWithPermatexNo3.jpg) (56D500ValveCoverReInstalledOverHopefullyResealedGasket.jpg) Attachments ---------------- 56D500ValveCoverGasketCleanedAndSprayedWithPermatexHighTackGasketSpray.jpg (100KB - 34 downloads) 56D500CleanedAndThenBottomEdgeBrushedWithPermatexNo3.jpg (122KB - 36 downloads) 56D500ValveCoverGasketSprayedWithHighTackFlippedOverAndBrushedWithPermatexNo3.jpg (141KB - 34 downloads) 56D500ValveCoverReInstalledOverHopefullyResealedGasket.jpg (99KB - 29 downloads) | ||
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| 56D500boy |
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Exner Expert 10K+ Posts: 11177 Location: Lower Mainland BC | 56D500boy - 2026-07-11 7:06 PM No immediate leaks. But I will only know tomorrow after I drive out to Mopar Madness 2026 https://www.moparsunlimited.net/2026-mopar-madness-registration.html Mopar Madness is about 20 mi (32 km) from where I live (40 mi round trip). All highway speeds going and coming. This is the result (below - no oil leakage)(the brown is excess Permatex No. 3 brush on gasket sealant). So the gasket is in a sandwich of No. 3 at the head, red spray on sealant and then more brush on No. 3 on the top of the cork (lower edge plus 2"). I might have won. FINALLY Edited by 56D500boy 2026-07-12 8:34 PM (56D500ValveCoverReInstalledwithCorkGasketAndThreeLayersOfSealant.jpg) Attachments ---------------- 56D500ValveCoverReInstalledwithCorkGasketAndThreeLayersOfSealant.jpg (131KB - 38 downloads) | ||
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| 56D500boy |
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Exner Expert 10K+ Posts: 11177 Location: Lower Mainland BC | . Now that I am back to owning a non-leaker (at least at the valve cover), I thought I should put some effort into cleaning up the baked on oil on the exhaust pipe (which I have been calling a down pipe) that runs from the exhaust manifold to the piping that leads to the passenger side muffler. I have now used several applications of Gunk spray Engine degreaser (on a cold pipe) followed by scrubbing with a modified toilet brush and then another round of Gunk spray. Followed finally by a spray down with water. Did that for a couple of days. This is what I started with (because of the leaking valve cover gasket): And this is where I am at now: (ConsequencesOfGoingCheapOnHemiValveCoverGasket_AfterGunkSpray.jpg) Attachments ---------------- ConsequencesOfGoingCheapOnHemiValveCoverGasket_AfterGunkSpray.jpg (128KB - 33 downloads) | ||
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| Powerflite |
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Exner Expert 10K+ Posts: 10535 Location: So. Cal | |||
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