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Triumph TR3 - Valve Cover Gasket

Has anyone tried the silicon valve cover gasket sold by J.M. Wagner Sales Limited? ($29.95 at http://www.jmwagnersales.com/price.html)

If so, what's been your experience? Incredible tool or unnecessary and expensive? What's your recommendation for achieving the best valve cover seal?

Many thanks,

Bill Stagg
1961 TR3A

Bill

I've never used one. The idea of this modern gasket is that it will never leak and you can re-use them for years. Justin Wagner calculates that if you remove a valve cover once a year and have to throw away the gasket each time, the return on the investment is .....

This would be true when TR owners use the brown sticky Perma-Tek Gasket Goo on both sides of the gasket when putting on a new cork gasket. It seems you don't need any goo with the silicone gasket. And it won't leak.

My experience with head gaskets is the following. In it's first life, "Trusty" went through 3 cork gaskets in 80,350 miles between 1958 to 1972. Then it sat till 1987. Since 1990, I've driven "TRusty" another 70,000 miles and went through 2 cork gaskets.

The way my cork gasket came new from the factory in Coventry where "Trusty" was born on Valentine's Day, 1958, the cork was glued with goopy goo into the rolled curve of the inside of the valve cover. There was no gasket goo on the flat face against the flat flange on the top edge of the head. This lets you remove the cover with the gasket and mine doesn't leak after I put tye cover with the same gasket back on again.

I friend does it the other way. He glues his cork gasket with the brown goo to the head and lets the cork find it's contour in the rolled edge of the valve cover with no goo up there. His explanation is logical. His way, he has the cork acting as a dam about 3/16" high so the oil won't run out when he removes the valve cover to check or re-gap his valve clearances.

All I do in my set-up, is make sure that the car sits overnight before removing it all and the oil up there has dripped all down to the sump.

Don Elliott, 1958 TR3A
Don Elliott

Hi Guys:I agree with Don .I "goo"mine into the valve cover with no goo to the head and they are reusable quite a few times.I think the silicone one is a bit of overkill.
Chuck

My original cork gasket added significantly to my leakage issues. I am now using a "custom cut" thick gasket, and let's just say it wasn't perfectly cut. With enough fiddling I managed to stop blowing air and oil. Advice I got from an original owner in the club is to use two of the cheap cork gaskets, and stick one to each of your vital surfaces. As I look at the gaskets supplied for the TRs, they are so thin I wonder how they even work.
Dnnis Nelson

Hi Dnnis:those valve cover gaskets should be at least 3/8" thick.You have to be careful about buying spares even from the major suppliers.A lot of them are just big mail order houses that crank out 3rd world krap particularly rubber items and gaskets.
Chuck

Thanks to all for your comments and guidance. Given that not all suppliers are equal in gasket quality, can anyone specify one or two that consistently ship the right goods?

The crew of the Valdez thank you...

Bill Stagg
1961 TR3A
Bill Stagg

Hi Bill: I have usually had good luck with The Roadster Factory although everything still has to be carefully checked upon receipt.
Chuck

3/8s of an inch would look like a very thick gasket compared to the 3/16" cork ones I got from Moss. They did a very good job of shipping them however.
Dennis Nelson

Hi DENNIS;You are right the gasket is 3/16",I must not have had my glasses on.However I have often found them too short or too narrow.That can also be a problem.
Chuck

I remember some of them being a little short too. It may be a result of poor quality when they were cut or it may be that if you let them sit for a while or if they sat in stock for a while, they seem to "shrink". To stretch them, you glue the gasket into the rolled edge inside the chromed rocker cover at one end and along one side, let it cure completely, them pull it to fit the other side and the other end and glue the rest of it into place and let it cure.

Then you put it back onto the engine.

Don Elliott, 1958 TR3A
Don Elliott

I've used one of the silicon valve cover gaskets sold by J.M. Wagner Sales Limited, for about a year and it does NOT leak. It's almost invisable with the cover in place; I've removed and installed the valve cover twice thus far. I think with reasonable care the silicone gasket will last many years.

brgds, Jay

'64 TR4 CT38895LO
Jay Holekamp

This thread was discussed between 06/12/2002 and 05/01/2003

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