rtv on my valvecover gasket or not?

[CameronF]

installing a new valve cover gasket on my 92 tsi and I'm not sure if i should use rtv sealant. If so, which one? Thanks in advance for the input.

 

[spoonman]

I use RTV on both sides of the gasket. I only put on a very small amount to help have an oil tight seal, and to make the gasket stay on the valve cover when I go to put it on. Do not glob it on if you put on way to much and it squishes out inside of the valve cover you could possibly block or clog an oil passage if enough should break off.

 

[frosh29]

Hey,

I used RTV black on my valve cover gasket. This worked nicely. Don't use too much though. Others would say that you do not need it at all. I know that it is not difficult to crack the gasket if you over tighten bolts, so be careful if you are going to put more material in between the gasket and the valve cover (i.e. RTV).

Good luck!

 

[bastarddsm]

i like to put a smear of permatex ultra grey on the half moon plug, and a dab in the corners of the cam and cas humps on the head. I like the ultra because I feel it seals better it spreads nicer and dosn't stink like regular rtv. You could also use the ultra black or copper.


Edit: I beat roast beef!!!!

Edit 2: Don't get carried away with the rtv, small goobers will hang off the edges and can break off and jam up the oil pump and such....bad deal.

 

[RoasT BeeF]

The only place its really needed is in the corners around cam caps and around the half moon seal.

Edit: The bastard beat me to it!

 

[99gst_racer]

^^^

I agree with the two posts above. Those are the only places on the gasket that I apply RTV.

 

[No_Skillz]

It's most important to clean the two surfaces of the valve cover and head EXTREMELY well. It doesn't hurt to install the first time with no RTV, since it takes a while 5 mins to pull the cover off and apply later on. If you have some leaks, you can apply some RTV where necessary, however I've done my own car and a friend's with no RTV and both have no leaks 15k+ miles.

 

[FORMONTOYA]

I only use the Ultra Grey on the half moon seal and a dot at the corners to help hold it in place during installation. But yes, don't get carried away with the application.

 

[DGajre777]

I apply a very thin layer of RTV on the valve cover side of the rubber gasket and a medium layer around the cam caps and 1/2 moon gasket. When you go to the store be sure you don't get the small black RTV tube made by permatex that states, "not recommended for rubber gaskets".

 

[romeen]

I have a small nick on the sealing surface of VC. The small, constant leak (even with new gasket) got annoying. I put a very thin layer of Ultra Black RTV on both sides of gasket. It's been one year, not even the slightest bit of oil detected anywhere around the VC.

 

[turbosax2]

Here is a great how-to.

Where to start...

First of all, you have to have a complete valve cover (VC) gasket set. It includes

* Main gasket (goes into the groove in the VC all the way around the outer edge). I don't see this gasket in your pictures.
* Four (4) spark plug well seals (can see them in your picture)
* Half-moon plug. This goes into the half-circle opening in the head at the end of the exhaust cam


I get mine at Autozone. Open the box and make sure you have all 6 pieces listed above before you pay for it. I'm not kidding. Some only have the main gasket.

First thing you need to do is clean the VC and especially the head (where you have all of that black RTV). Make it spotless. Use a plastic scraper. The head is aluminum, so a steel putty knife, screwdriver, razor blade can and probably will scratch/gouge the head surface. A razor blade would be helpful getting the remnants off, but you have to be patient and very careful. The corners where the ends of the cams go are a bit of a pain, especially the end of the intake cam which is hard to get at. I wrap a paper towel folded over many times on the tip of a small, flat-head screwdriver to get the old RTV out of those hard-to-reach corners. Check the tip to see if the screwdriver is poking through the paper towel and reposition the paper towel if it's starting to break through. Don't want to scratch that head!

Next step is to install the main gasket into the grooves around the perimeter of the VC. It only goes in one way. Carefully go around and around and around (and around) pressing it into the groove so that the gasket doesn't bulge out of the groove very much (it will a bit, but do your best).

Next, install all four spark plug well seals into the VC. Again, make sure they're pressed in all the way around. Be patient and make sure it's in as good as you can get it.

Next step is putting RTV on. You don't need or want RTV everywhere like you're doing. Instead:

* You need an ever-so-small dab at the "corners" at both ends of the intake cams and the cam gear end of the exhaust cam. Basically, anywhere the gasket has a 90° "sharp" corner. There are 6 of these corners. Those are where the gasket might not perfectly seal without the RTV. You just need a small dab; it'll get smashed to fully fill the corner when you put the VC on, and using too much will make an ugly mess. You truly only need a little bit!
* You also need a thin layer of RTV between the half-moon plug and the head (the curved part of the plug/head contact surface). Put the RTV on the head, not the plug. A thin bead is all you need. Too much and it will get smashed out when you put the VC on, and it'll make an ugly mess. And you don't want hunks of RTV in your valvetrane. After you get the RTV on that part of the head, install the half-moon plug and try to get the top so that it's not rotated in the socket. It might stick up a bit above the head, but that's by design; it will get compressed down into the socket when you install the VC later.
* With the half-moon plug installed, run another thin bead along the top of the half-moon plug and extend the bead a small amount onto the head surface at both ends. You want the bead to extend farther so that it'll seal the spot where the VC, head, and half-moon plug all come together. Again, not too much, or you make a mess and maybe get a gob of RTV inside the head.


If you do it right and don't put too much RTV on, you won't see any RTV anywhere when you're all done (helps to use black RTV so it matches the black gasket).

Make sure the main gasket and spark plug well seals are all still pressed into the VC (they may have popped out a bit while working with the RTV).

Carefully place the VC on. At first, the gasket will not be compressed, and the VC and head will be almost 1/8" apart. As you start bolting it down later, it'll compress. Make sure everything is aligned properly.

Install the screws finger tight. The inner and outer screws are different, so don't get them mixed up. Don't forget the bracket with the plug wire guides under the front-driver's side bolt where the plug wires are routed.

Get a nut driver and start working from inside to outside in general and alternating front/back and left/right as you go and tighten the bolts in small increments!!! This is where folks break their VC, so pay attention!! As you make a pass in a pattern (like tightening lug nuts) the gaskets will compress a bit. So the VC and head are getting closer and closer with each pass, but you want to tighten all the bolts a bit in one pass so that one part of the VC isn't getting tighter than other spots; this bends the VC and can crack it. I take many passes with the nut driver. Eventually, you'll feel the bolts start to get more snug in a pass. Go by feel and get all bolts to feel equally tight in each pass. Even with a nut driver you can overtighten the bolts just with your grip - that's how low the torque spec is for these bolts. When you get the bolts snug with the nut driver (and they all seem to feel equally snug, you're done.

Wait several hours or overnight or 24 hours depending on how impatient you are. It takes a few hours for the RTV to set up and 24 hours for it to completely "dry".

There ya go!

 

[98GSXtreme07]

Yea, I brought mine to Mitsubishi and they didn't use any RTV and just looked at me like I was an idiot for asking if they did use any.



^^^Ha. I have that saved on my computer Turbosax. I saved it the day kenamond put it up.^^^

 

[PieEyedPiper]

Yea, I brought mine to Mitsubishi and they didn't use any RTV and just looked at me like I was an idiot for asking if they did use any.



^^^Ha. I have that saved on my computer Turbosax. I saved it the day kenamond put it up.^^^

Thats interesting. I believe Defiant once told me that the the service manual calls for RTV or its equivalent, at least for the half moon.

 

[98GSXtreme07]

Maybe they used it on the half-moon but they said they didn't use any. I know you can't really tell but it does look like they didn't.

 

[Defiant]

It's used on the corners of the half-moons, where it acts as a filler for the minor mis-alignment of the valve cover and cam bore plug inserts. Ultra Grey is the proper formulation to use. Using it on the rest of the neoprene gasket will serve more to lubricate it and allow it to wander and leak than it will do to effect a seal.

 

[fatherbubble]

I never had to use that stuff on a valve cover gasket. Just dont by cheap ones always get the rubber gaskets. When they are heated up they expand. For a tight seal. Once you pull the valve cover off you will need to use the sealant. For the valve gasket wont reseal properly.

 

[Daaan]

Agreed, i had to use sealant becuase i re-used my VC gasket. Although it wouldnt hurt to use a miniscule layer to ensure a tight seal. Just be sure to use a "high heat" gasket maker.

 

[DSMunknown]

Please only use the "Ultra" lineup (for anything). The regular stuff is crap.

 

[Daaan]

Please only use the "Ultra" lineup (for anything). The regular stuff is crap.

+1 best stuff around. Its what i used, and its held up strong.

 

[98GSXtreme07]

+2! I always use Ultra Grey. Great stuff!

 

[TOONAH]

I say the only place rtv goes is on the half moon seal.