Valve Chest Cover

[Peter Naulls]

I have a three bearing engine with a pressed steel valve chest cover and I'm about to fit one of the Seven Workshop's silicon o-rings in place of the cork strip. Can anyone tell me if I should fit this dry or with sealant? Any experiences, good or bad?

Many thanks,  Peter.

[Derek Sheldon]

Hi Peter
Not used mine yet but have been advised to thoroughly clean the cover and attach using silicon.

[Ruairidh Dunford]

Hi Peter,

Stick it into the cover (with silicone gasket) and then clean the block and install dry, works a treat!

["Slack Alice" Simon]

I really don't like silicon out of a tube anywhere in an engine.

It is probably because I am heavy handed, but I always get globules of it where I don't want globules.

Ruairidh, when you use that coppery silicon on the head gasket, how do you get it thin enough so it doesn't block waterways?

Simon

[Rick F]

I have now fitted two of these - one on my '37 van and the other on my '29 Special (using a modified later-type cover). They work a treat - no leaks from either. I secured them in position using a dab of superglue on the corners, having degreased with meths beforehand.

[Peter Naulls]

Thank you all, very helpful.

Peter.

[Ruairidh Dunford]

Morning Simon,

Up until this year I have only ever used copperslip on gaskets.

I am currently running an engine which has Loctite silicone copper gasket on it - reccomended as a precautionary measure to me by Terry Griffin and Steve Jones. I carefully cleaned the waterway holes on the gasket with my little finger and made sure nothing went inside the block or head.

So far, both work eaqually well.

["Slack Alice" Simon]

I used Loctite copper silicon, took the head off again soon after, and found every water passage blocked with silicon blobs.

Used Hermetite - or whatever it is called now - next time, and carefully torqued the head down several times over a day.

No problems so far.

How do you get silicon from a tube thin eough so it doesn't blob the waterways?

Simon

I suppose we are off subject, really. 

My (pressed steel) valve chest cover was refitted with a new cork gasket, re-profiled so it sat in the groove properly.

It still leaks a little - the only oil leak I have now.   If it persists I will use a sheet silicon gasket between the cork and the block, and that will sort it. 
I won't need to use silicon from a tube.

[Ruairidh Dunford]

I used my fingers to spread it about Simon. Did you just leave it as a bead?

We are pulling a tonne GW in 34c today. The car has not overheated in the Alps or even on the day it reached 39c in the Gard - I happy the waterways are not blocked on my engine.

[Steve Bryant]

It's been my experience that most people apply it like they do toothpaste, which is way too much as only about 10% of the applied silicone does the sealing. The other 90% just squeezes out of the joint.

When I install gaskets i put a blob on my finger and thumb and in a gentle orbital motion sandwich the gasket between the thumb and finger and spread the silicone as THINLY  as i can get away with. This way very little oozes out of the joint. Apply the gasket and part and snug it down for a while to allow the silicone to partially set , then tighten again.

Never had an issue with excess finding its way into the interior of the engine or whatever I was putting together.

*Use the correct type of silicone for automotive use, available at your motor factors. If in doubt ask for the product designed for the application.

Stephen