M110 Valve Cover Help Appreciated

[mmiller]

1978 280CE M110 Engine


Hello All, Time to replace the 'seeping' Valve Cover Gasket. I did a search and found a long 6 or 7 page thread on the topic, but it was mostly related to Diesels, so does not necessarily apply to my Gasser.

There seem to be lots of opinions, some contradictory, on the use of sealants or adhesives. Some folks say dry, some say between the Gasket & Cover, some say between the Gasket & Camshaft Housing, some say both above and below the Gasket. In other words, there is no real consensus, which is OK. I just want to get'r right. IF I was to use a Sealant, if would probably be RTV Super Black, thinly applied. I am using an Elring Engine Valve Cover Gasket Set 825.646, which an A1100100480.

Second question ..... tightening Torque? The FSM says 5 Nm, which is finger tight, no wrench needed. Is 5 really the number?

Appreciate all opinions.

MM

[Frank Reiner]

Torque for cam cover fasteners, both bolts and nuts: 45 inch-pounds

If Elring did not give any guidance as to sealers, then your choice, or none at all.
As a personal choice - Copper Coat spray.

[mmiller]

Frank,

Thank you for taking the time to reply. I already had the inch-pound torque wrench sitting on the bench. You confirmed the low number. I guess the wave washings assist in the whole process.

Do you spray on the side of the gasket facing the cover, only? I just read the Permatex TDS, which states the product is tacky going on. No problem with that. How difficult is the stuff to remove, as it is resistant to some solvents? Or, in other terms .... with the cover seem as if epoxied to the housing?

Mark

[Frank Reiner]

Given that the 110 cam cover does not have much clamping force, it is subject to seeping oil even in the best of circumstances. If the gasket is treated as a one-time use item, then sealing both sides helps (let the spray tack off for a bit). A razor blade helps to start the separation when removing the cover.

[mmiller]

The Valves were just adjusted, and the car is a Showcar, so gets very little mileage. My only dread is doing ***anything*** wrong, and having to redo it yet again.

THNX,
Mark

The patient ready for the 'procedure'.

[mmiller]

Just a brief follow-up. I spoke with a Tech Rep at Permatex and explained my situation. He offered some good advice. I ordered both some Copper Coat Spray and some #2 Gasket Maker Sealer. I played around with both products and tried gluing some 'dummy' gaskets to aluminum. For me, the #2 worked best. It has a slow curing time, adheres well to all mating surfaces, and characteristically does not harden.

For the actual Cam Cover, I applied a light coat of Sealant to the upper edge of the Cam Housing and the bottom of the Gasket, waited about 5 minutes, then placing the Gasket in place, carefully pushing it down while making sure it had good contact around all 14 studs. I repeated the procedure between the Cam Cover itself and the top of the Gasket. I first torqued the three Bolts & acorn Nuts to 35 inch pounds, waited about 15 minutes, then did the final torque to 45 Inch pounds. A little of the Sealant oozed out but was promptly wiped clean. I fought the urge to increase torque beyond spec.

The TDS states that cure occurs at the 4 hour mark, but I waited 24. The car was started and brought up to operating temp. No leaks. Maybe the problem has finally been solved. In retrospect, I was definitely wrong using RTV for this particular application.