Finned covers on a 68. I have tried to stop the oil leaks using the paper gaskets with hylomar, paper gaskets with Indian head shellack, pricey cometic gaskets with no sealant. I’ve inspected the covers for warpage using a flat surface and a feeler gage, cleaned all surfaces with acetone before assembly, looked for gouges on the cylinder and cover mating surfaces. I tighten them down snug making sure not to crack the cover. I can't get these to seal. There are no cracks on the covers and the covers are original. I'm thinking about making some of my own gaskets out of a silicone flat sheet. Using the cometic gaskets as a template. Not sure what thickness and hardness I need? Looks like no one sells them. Has anyone tried doing this?

 

I have this posted in another forum and this won't work. A flat silicone gasket won't stay located sandwiched between two flat surfaces. It would need some type of groove to locate the gasket. Someone suggested using just rtv such as the right stuff and put a bead on both surfaces and tighten down the acorn nuts a little and let it set up overnight and then fully tighten.

 

As I will be attempting the same sometime please keep us updated!

 

tried all sorts of gasket variations, still use a paper gasket with Permatex Aviation Form-A-Gasket No. 3 (on hardening) both sides of the gasket, been using it since the 70's, tighten the nuts gradually from one end to the other (opposite to the way you'd do a head gasket) but not dead tight

 

Heres an update. I removed both cam covers, cleaned all mating surfaces with acetone and applied a small bead of permatex right stuff on the covers and mating surface of cyl head and tightened down the acorn nuts finger tight and let it set up for 24 hours then tightened them down a little more. No gaskets used. I think the key to this is not to tighten the acorn nuts too much. I took it for a 10 mile drive and no leaks so far.

 

permatex to the rescue again

 

That has been my oil leak fix for a good many years. 6 & 12 cyl engines, etc.

I wrote this PDF years ago.

A tad slow getting here, but stuff happens as age creeps in.