I never use silicone gasket maker,I use the old form a gasket.It does not flake off in your oil,clogging up pickup screen.

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1999 w140, quit voting to old, and to old to fight, a god damned veteran, deutschland deutschland uber alles uber alles in der welt

Part of the Key to using Silicon Sealant is do the best you can to avoid applyint too much. More importanly let the stuff cure and solidify/cure as much as 4 hours depending on the temp. That way it cannot easily wonder anywhere.

I would never use Silicon Sealant around any Oil Passage or other important passage as the stuff is thick and it is too hard to tell how much is going to squish out.

If some Silicon got down in your Crankcase it is likely to float and it is unlikely to pass through the Screen on your Oil Pump. If pieces the size of the holes in the Screen passed through your Oil Pump they are not going to damge it unless there is a large volume of them and they are not going to make it through your Oil Filter.

That being said the Old School Permatex type non-hardening, hardening and Avaition type Gasket Sealers have been around before I was born in the 1950s and they still work fine and are still selling. I also don't think it is just Old Timers like Myself that are using it; so younger People must also have a need for them.

Personally the non-hardening, hardening Permatex is what I use on Core/Freeze Plugs and both can be used on surfaces that you wipe off the Oil as best you can and you can use it and have it work.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

Anyone have a pic of the head / cover and bolts? I suspect the bolts are not being tightened enough / cover bent or bolt is bottoming out. ( bolt could be bottoming out on shoulder or crud in hole. )

The most direct way to test is to put cover on head less gasket and look for areas of non contact. Next, install the bolts and lift up on the cover, measure the gap all around. Check the thickness of the gasket and see if it is larger than the cover gap.

From prior posts, these use a shoulder bolt, typically shoulder bolts are used when a pre determined gap is needed with the ability for the bolt to be tight. If the cover is set up this way and the shoulder not bottomed out the gasket does not get full compression.

Of course it is far easier to blame the evil gasket makers. . .

OK I did a Valve Adjustment today and I reused the Valve cover Gasket. Instead of using Silicon Sealant I tried 2 thick layers of Copper Kote.

I used a hand Wire Brush and rubbed off the exterior Silicon Sealant that was there from the other Job. I applied the Copper Kote but on the head I just wiped off the Oil so as to not end up with the Valve Cover glued to the Cylinder Head.

After I have had a chance to drive it some I will post back if it leaks or not.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

I have been driving it for several Days in 85 Degree plus Weather on 2 long trips and no leaking from the Copper Kote or anywhere on the Valve Cover Gasket. So if you don't want to use Silicon Sealant Copper Kote could be another Choice.

Note that Silicone sealant was used inside of the Gasket Channel and that glued it to the Valve Cover and I did not loosen or otherwise disturb that.
The Copper Kote was used on the bottom edge of the Gasket between the Gasket and the Cylinder Head. This is My 3rd reuse of this particular Victor Reinze Gasket.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

Do you think the sealant inside the channel between the cover and gasket is necessary? It is a pita to clean off for the next one.

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85SD 240K & stopped counting painted, putting bac together. 84SD 180,000. sold to a neighbor and member here but I forget his handle. The 84 is much improved from when I had it. 85TD beginning to repair to DD status. Lots of stuff to do.

It is not a Pita for Me because I don't change the Valve Cover Gasket every time I have the Valve cover off.
I will continue to use Sealant on the Head to Gasket Surface till that leaks or I just feel like changng the Gasket.
I actually have 4 new Gaskets still in the Package; all Victor Reinz ones.

Also if you snag the Gasket on the Cruise Control or some other part it does not pull the Gasket off if it is glued to the Vavle Cover.


How you deal with the Valve Cover Gasket is all a personal choice. As long as it does not leak when you are done.

When I bought the Victor Reinz Gaskets they were only a bit more than $5 each and I used them to fill My Oder out to get Free Shipping; buying something I knew I would need eventually.

I am glad for this thread as I might not have thought to use the Copper Kote as I would not have looked for an alternative to the Silicon Sealant. This thread also happend at time when I needed to do a Valve Adjustment.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

My valve cover gasket is leaking.

Just thought I'd clarify, I mean the Victor Reinz valve cover gasket that I installed earlier in this thread is leaking.

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617 swapped Toyota Pickup, 22-24 MPG, 50k miles on swap

I installed a VR gasket two weeks ago and so far....

I put it in the freezer overnight, then used a bit of make a gasket (left to set for about 30 minutes) to hold it tight for the installation.

Have to do the valves on the TD next, so we'll see how I fare there (the existing gasket is leaking on it already).

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Mac
2002 e320 4matic estate│1985 300d│1980 300td
Previous: 1979 & 1982 & 1983 300sd │ 1982 240d

“Let's take a drive into the middle of nowhere with a packet of Marlboro lights and talk about our lives.” ― Joseph Heller, Catch-22

I have an Altrom coming in from Napa today, we'll see......

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617 swapped Toyota Pickup, 22-24 MPG, 50k miles on swap

I_haven't used the copper kote yet but note that the directions say not for use on robber gaskets.

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85SD 240K & stopped counting painted, putting bac together. 84SD 180,000. sold to a neighbor and member here but I forget his handle. The 84 is much improved from when I had it. 85TD beginning to repair to DD status. Lots of stuff to do.

Is the leak from the Head to Gasket surface or is it coming from between the Valve Cover to gasket area (the U shaped part of the Gasket)?

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

Both.

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617 swapped Toyota Pickup, 22-24 MPG, 50k miles on swap

Every victor gasket i have ever used on the valve cover has leaked. I just picked up and Mercedes gasket im going to try it. Before my valve adjustment the gasket didnt leak at all, now its leaking very badly with the victor seal i tried 3 different seals. Hopefully the mercedes seal solves the leak.

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1985 300TD Turbo Euro-wagon
1979 280CE 225,200 miles
1985 300D Turbo 264,000 miles
1976 240D 190,000 miles
1979 300TD 220,000

GONE but not forgotten
1976 300D 195,300 miles
1983 300D Turbo 175,000 miles

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...e485-1-2-1.jpg

When it arrived, it turned out to be a Victor Reinz. I declined the purchase.

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617 swapped Toyota Pickup, 22-24 MPG, 50k miles on swap