<VV> Loose top cover bolts

[Frank DuVal]

I've seen this done (trim baffle to fit inside) but never wanted to add 
more nuts to fall off into the crank area.

It is faster to just put it back together like GM made it, even dealing 
with the hard stuck on gaskets.

Of course it is even faster and cheaper to just use a gasket substitute 
like "Right Stuff"  or a Permatex  product.

Isn't that what Smitty was saying?

Those two gaskets are so thin, they don't seem to shrink, just get hard 
with time. The thickness of the valve cover gasket is waaayy more than 
twice the combined thickness of these two gaskets. Properly installed 
(another subject) valve cover gaskets seal a long time. And with only 
four fasteners!

"screws won't loosen": What? Maybe if you use Locktite or lockwashers... 
and proper torque, yada yada yada

Like I was saying, I don't want to add hardware that can loosen to the 
inside of the engine. At least on the outside it just leaks oil when the 
hardware loosens....

Frank DuVal

On 6/23/2012 1:20 PM, Clark Hartzel wrote:
> I believe the bolts loosen up because they are clamping two gaskets
> together.  If the tin baffle was mounted to either the block or the cover
> you would only need one gasket.  I have cut the perimeter off the baffle and
> then bolted it under the top cover with four bolts.  Yes you have to drill
> thru the cover but just glop some Permatex on the bolts and they never leak.
> In fact you could Permatex the joint between the cover and the block and
> eliminate the gasket completely.  Now you have metal to metal contact and
> the screws won't loosen.
> Clark Hartzel
>