|
Register To Post |
jsup | Car went on fire...... | ||
Elite Guru
|
Ok, nothing serious, took the hose, put it out. Seems like both valve covers are leaking, pretty severely. I lost over 1/2 quart in 20 minutes The driver's side more than the passenger. I torqued them down pretty tight.
I have these gaskets: http://store.summitracing.com/partdet ... VS50088R&autoview=sku And these valve covers: http://store.summitracing.com/partdet ... =700+115&autoview=sku Why won't they seal? everything seems to be in the right place. Suggestions on new gaskets? |
||
Posted on: 2008/2/21 19:58
|
|||
_________________
Parts don't make power, engines make power. |
|||
Transfer |
jsup | RE:Car went on fire...... | ||
Elite Guru
|
i should add that the fire caused no damage and was the size of your fist. It only lasted a few seconds. It was by the oil filter. I put it out with the hose.
|
||
Posted on: 2008/2/21 20:05
|
|||
_________________
Parts don't make power, engines make power. |
|||
Transfer |
toptechx6 | RE:Car went on fire...... | ||
Senior Guru
|
I have a similar set of covers purchased from Corvette Central, I had to shorten the bolt guide "stands" cast in the covers by about 1/4", they would hit the head before the gasket made contact, you may need to shorten the bolts too if they bottom out after trimming the covers.
|
||
Posted on: 2008/2/21 20:19
|
|||
Transfer |
jsup | RE:Car went on fire...... | ||
Elite Guru
|
These covers don't have guides.
|
||
Posted on: 2008/2/21 20:43
|
|||
_________________
Parts don't make power, engines make power. |
|||
Transfer |
toptechx6 | RE:Car went on fire...... | ||
Senior Guru
|
What is cast on the underside of the covers, four "stands" that the bolts pass through, correct?
[web]http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k3/toptechx6/photobucket%20transfer/DSC_0613Small.jpg[/web] If yours look like this, those four cast stands are what I had to shorten. |
||
Posted on: 2008/2/21 21:01
|
|||
Transfer |
jsup | RE:Car went on fire...... | ||
Elite Guru
|
Quote:
What is cast on the underside of the covers, four "stands" that the bolts pass through, correct? These covers are stamped, not cast. There is nothing on the underside of the cover. |
||
Posted on: 2008/2/21 21:10
|
|||
_________________
Parts don't make power, engines make power. |
|||
Transfer |
toptechx6 | RE:Car went on fire...... | ||
Senior Guru
|
Okay, could have fooled me, they look to be cast aluminum, and that is what the description says in the Summit catalog.
|
||
Posted on: 2008/2/21 21:16
|
|||
Transfer |
dan0617 | RE:Car went on fire...... | ||
Senior Guru
|
Wow, I've never seen centerbolt valve covers without bolt "towers". I have no clue why they aren't sealing for you. My guess was going to be the same, that the towers need shortened or you need to run a thicker valve cover gasket. Summit sells some ultra thick valve cover gaskets, but they might not do you any good if your problem lies elsewhere. My only other thought......if you don't have any bolt towers then there is no support at the bolts, and you said you torqued them down pretty good. It might have bent or tweaked them enough that they aren't sealing. Keep a close eye on the situation as you remove the valve covers and you will likely see the problem.
|
||
Posted on: 2008/2/21 23:06
|
|||
_________________
´89 Vert, 383, 230/236 cam, AFR 195's, LT Headers, HSR intake, 2800 stall, Zex 200 shot, ET Street Radials, tune by me. Runs were with D36 3.07's. On spray, 10.55 @ 132.78, 1.55 60 ft. On motor, 12.08 @ 113.15, 1.66 60 ft. |
|||
Transfer |
jsup | RE:Car went on fire...... | ||
Elite Guru
|
Here's some pics, can anyone see anything wrong?
|
||
Posted on: 2008/2/21 23:17
|
|||
_________________
Parts don't make power, engines make power. |
|||
Transfer |
Livin_the_dream | Re: Car went on fire...... | ||
Senior Guru
|
Quote:
I torqued them down pretty tight. Could you have torqued them enough to perhaps squeeze the gasket out of place ? I read they were rubber in the summit description? Did you use some of that copper gasket spray to hold them in place? (read where you used some on the head gasket) If I use someting to hold the gasket I usually tighten enough to make decent contact and the let it sit for at least a few hours to set. and torque it to the spec. in your manual my .02 Good luck |
||
Posted on: 2008/2/21 23:17
|
|||
Transfer |
toptechx6 | RE:Car went on fire...... | ||
Senior Guru
|
How about a look at the gasket sealing surface on your heads. I've heard that inner lip on the covers will sometimes hit on certain heads?
|
||
Posted on: 2008/2/21 23:22
|
|||
Transfer |
biggrizzly | RE:Car went on fire...... | ||
2011 Memorial Day Car Show Winner!
|
John,
Are you sure you don't have anything keeping the covers from compressing the gasket? Are they the stock valve cover bolts? Are they too long for the recessed holes in the Valve Cover? Therefore feeling like they are torqued but not actually compressing the gasket all the way? Other than that I'm at a loss too. Those FelPro gaskets should be ok. Maybe see if anyone at Brodix can shed some light on it for you. Maybe something special for thier heads. |
||
Posted on: 2008/2/21 23:30
|
|||
_________________
Don Haller Corvette Club of America 94Coupe, 383Stroka, PeteK Trans, 3000stall, 3.54rear, Konis and bigger sways. |
|||
Transfer |
jsup | RE:Car went on fire...... | ||
Elite Guru
|
Quote:
John, I called Brodix, they had no info. I am using the bolts that came with the VCs. I'm thinking of going to the gaskets with the metal core. |
||
Posted on: 2008/2/22 0:00
|
|||
_________________
Parts don't make power, engines make power. |
|||
Transfer |
jsup | Re: Car went on fire...... | ||
Elite Guru
|
Quote:
Quote: Is the torque on the VC that critical? |
||
Posted on: 2008/2/22 0:03
|
|||
_________________
Parts don't make power, engines make power. |
|||
Transfer |
Livin_the_dream | RE:Car went on fire...... | ||
Senior Guru
|
IMO yes the torque on any sealing surface is important. In this case like Dan0617 said - too much tightening on the 4 bolts could tend to cause the sides to deflect.
HOWEVER I took a close look at your pictures . The gasket seems to be encased between metal on 3 sides and it appears that the gasket is a little below the 2 surfaces on the sides. On your head I noticed bolt patterns for a standard valve cover around the seal area of the head. I would look there closely to make sure your not just torqing metal to metal with minimal gasket contact. If you had some dykem blue you could coat those areas and then put the cover on by hand and move it around a little. If the dykem is removed then there is conack there and you should see the evidence on the valve cover |
||
Posted on: 2008/2/22 1:14
|
|||
Transfer |
jsup | RE:Car went on fire...... | ||
Elite Guru
|
Quote:
IMO yes the torque on any sealing surface is important. In this case like Dan0617 said - too much tightening on the 4 bolts could tend to cause the sides to deflect. Great idea, thanks I'll try that. Where do I get dykem blue? The provisions for the perimeter bolts are recessed .19 inches. The VC is .17 inches. Close, but seems to be enough....I may grind out the cover a little just as a precaution. Note the recess on the head]http://pic80.picturetrail.com/VOL857/2991862/10180626/305235869.jpg[/img] |
||
Posted on: 2008/2/22 1:20
|
|||
_________________
Parts don't make power, engines make power. |
|||
Transfer |
Livin_the_dream | RE:Car went on fire...... | ||
Senior Guru
|
Was hard to tell from the other pictures if the head was cut back in those areas or not
|
||
Posted on: 2008/2/22 1:24
|
|||
Transfer |
Midnight85 | RE:Car went on fire...... | ||
Guru
|
For the love of Vette's, go get
a chemical fire extinguisher! You don't put out oil fires with water. |
||
Posted on: 2008/2/22 1:48
|
|||
_________________
HORSEPOWER! Some is good, more is better, too much is just right. |
|||
Transfer |
jsup | RE:Car went on fire...... | ||
Elite Guru
|
Quote:
For the love of Vette's, go get I know I know....Just said to my wife last week that I need to pick up a fire extinguisher for the garage. I used what I had, I'll get one this weekend. That's exactly what went through my mind while I was holding the hose....Yes, I'm a candidate for the Darwin awards on this one. |
||
Posted on: 2008/2/22 1:51
|
|||
_________________
Parts don't make power, engines make power. |
|||
Transfer |
94z07 | RE:Car went on fire...... | ||
Guru
|
My first car was a '76 Gran Prix. I didn't know how to wrench anything at the time and had a shop replace the starter. On my way home from picking up my car I stopped at a store and when I went to start the car, it caught fire. (Turns out the "hot" wire was installed touching the block and its insulation burned.) I saw a cop standing by his patrol car so I ran to him and asked "Do you have a fire extinguisher?" He said "no". I read his badge number out loud and ran into a drug store, grabbed a fire extinguisher off the shelf and ran out with it shouting that I would be right back to pay for it. The clerk said "Fine GO!" When I got back to my car the cop had put it out with his fire extinguisher. I went back inside and bought the one I had briefly stolen. I've never needed one since then but have thought it would be a good idea to buy another one just for the garage area. The only one I have now is in the kitchen opposite the gas cook top.
Good job with the hose, oil or not |
||
Posted on: 2008/2/22 2:19
|
|||
_________________
Business makes progress. Fortune passes everywhere. |
|||
Transfer |
fnsblum | RE:Car went on fire...... | ||
Guru Newb
|
With no more info I would say your bolts have bottomed out. Later! Frank
|
||
Posted on: 2008/2/22 2:31
|
|||
_________________
93 Red LT-1 Bought in Nov. First mod is a set of Magnaflows. |
|||
Transfer |
jsup | RE:Car went on fire...... | ||
Elite Guru
|
I was able to absolutely crush the rubber gaskets that sat under the bolts.
|
||
Posted on: 2008/2/22 2:42
|
|||
_________________
Parts don't make power, engines make power. |
|||
Transfer |
Livin_the_dream | RE:Car went on fire...... | ||
Senior Guru
|
dykem blue or layout blue is used by machine shops . may even be able to use a sharpie . something to mark the area of possible contact in question. the mark should not be able to be wiped off but rather worn off by the contact of the 2 surfaces . MSConline, graingers,mcmaster-carr should carry it , to name a few
|
||
Posted on: 2008/2/22 3:08
|
|||
Transfer |
jsup | RE:Car went on fire...... | ||
Elite Guru
|
This gasket is twice as thick:
http://store.summitracing.com/partdet ... P%2D1628&autoview=sku I think I may try that and see how it goes. I think a thicker gasket will solve the problem.. I will try marking with a sharpie and moving the VC around. Thanks. |
||
Posted on: 2008/2/22 3:28
|
|||
_________________
Parts don't make power, engines make power. |
|||
Transfer |
Midnight85 | RE:Car went on fire...... | ||
Guru
|
Quote:
Quote: You did what you had to do and it worked so that doesn't qualify you for the Darwin award. I'm just glad you or the car weren't hurt. |
||
Posted on: 2008/2/22 14:14
|
|||
_________________
HORSEPOWER! Some is good, more is better, too much is just right. |
|||
Transfer |
jsup | RE:Car went on fire...... | ||
Elite Guru
|
I think I'm going to try these:
http://store.summitracing.com/partdet ... P%2D1648&autoview=sku They are almost twice as thick. |
||
Posted on: 2008/2/22 14:28
|
|||
_________________
Parts don't make power, engines make power. |
|||
Transfer |
dan0617 | RE:Car went on fire...... | ||
Senior Guru
|
Make sure the baffle in the valve cover isn't contacting anything. You really should be fine with those gaskets. I don't torque mine, I go as tight as i can with my fingers, then just a little more with a ratchet. After the car is warmed up I go just a little more with a ratchet and that's it. They don't need much torque at all to keep from leaking. I'm sure that either your baffle or around the edges, like you said about grinding, is hitting and keeping the gasket from sealing. Thicker gaskets may help but may not. I'd look at grinding a little off of the metal lip that holds the gasket in place if it is contacting the head rather than grinding on the head or getting thicker gaskets now that I see you don't have bolt towers that would require thicker gaskets to allow it to seal on the head.
|
||
Posted on: 2008/2/22 15:19
|
|||
_________________
´89 Vert, 383, 230/236 cam, AFR 195's, LT Headers, HSR intake, 2800 stall, Zex 200 shot, ET Street Radials, tune by me. Runs were with D36 3.07's. On spray, 10.55 @ 132.78, 1.55 60 ft. On motor, 12.08 @ 113.15, 1.66 60 ft. |
|||
Transfer |
jsup | RE:Car went on fire...... | ||
Elite Guru
|
Quote:
Make sure the baffle in the valve cover isn't contacting anything. You really should be fine with those gaskets. I don't torque mine, I go as tight as i can with my fingers, then just a little more with a ratchet. After the car is warmed up I go just a little more with a ratchet and that's it. They don't need much torque at all to keep from leaking. I'm sure that either your baffle or around the edges, like you said about grinding, is hitting and keeping the gasket from sealing. Thicker gaskets may help but may not. I'd look at grinding a little off of the metal lip that holds the gasket in place if it is contacting the head rather than grinding on the head or getting thicker gaskets now that I see you don't have bolt towers that would require thicker gaskets to allow it to seal on the head. Thanks, I've been through it 100 times. Seems to seat fine without the gasket. |
||
Posted on: 2008/2/22 19:05
|
|||
_________________
Parts don't make power, engines make power. |
|||
Transfer |
Livin_the_dream | RE:Car went on fire...... | ||
Senior Guru
|
I have been following this thread and was wondering if you got the leak fixed and what you did to fix it? did you go with the thicker gasket or was it something else?
Thanks Kevin |
||
Posted on: 2008/2/24 17:13
|
|||
Transfer |
jsup | RE:Car went on fire...... | ||
Elite Guru
|
Quote:
I have been following this thread and was wondering if you got the leak fixed and what you did to fix it? did you go with the thicker gasket or was it something else? I ordered the felpro 1648. http://store.summitracing.com/partdet ... P%2D1648&autoview=sku They are almost twice as thick at .250 and have the metal core. I am picking them up Wednesday. My intention is to have them installed by the weekend then I'll let you know. First I have to pick up a fire extinguisher.... |
||
Posted on: 2008/2/24 22:43
|
|||
_________________
Parts don't make power, engines make power. |
|||
Transfer |
You can view topic.
You cannot start a new topic.
You cannot reply to posts.
You cannot edit your posts.
You cannot delete your posts.
You cannot add new polls.
You cannot vote in polls.
You cannot attach files to posts.
You cannot post without approval.
|