C4 Vette Valve Cover Gasket Replacement Part I

When I advertised this project I blogged that I didn’t understand why GM, given how hot the 1984 C4 ran, would use cork as the material for the valve cover gasket and how I wouldn’t replace them with cork. So I called a popular Vette parts supply house and ordered Ultra-Seal.  I did check locally. ok fine, I checked one place, the Checker Auto down the street, where, through some extremely ineffective communication (the guy didn’t know what he was talking about or what they had in stock), the employee said, “All we have is cork.”;  to which I said, “No, thanks.”; to which he said, “I can order something else.” to which I said, “So can I.”   (There… that bit of typing is for you grammar-sensitive types.)

I also tossed a query on the forum for the Vette group I belong to, and a couple said they do still use cork, and a  couple highly suggested Fel-Pro.  Funny, they said they got them from Checkers.

Yesterday, I received the Ultra-seal (made by Mr. Gasket) I ordered from the Vette parts place. The Ultra-seal…was cork!!!!!! So much for the description on the web.  So I got on the phone to the Checkers down the street and I got an employee that actually knew what they had in stock.  They had every type: rubber, rubber with metal, liquid, metal, and cork.

So when I got there, I picked up the set of the Fel-Pro and Mr. Gasket’s rubber gaskets.  I hear my inner critic say “Hey, average car guy!!!  Yeah…I’m talkin to you, Mr. Average budget!!! What do ya think ya doin’?!!”

Here’s the deal.  I’ve never taken the valve covers off the Vette before, I’m not sure about the clearance, or the angle of the plane the valve cover sit..yadda..yadda.  Plus, I kept the receipt so I can return them…and I will!!!!  Promise!!!

So the Ultra-Seal looks like this:

CORK…BAD!!!!

Sorry about the pic ..didn’t open them because they have to go back.

The Mr. Gasket I purchased from Checkers was metal covered with thick rubber:

Mr.Gasket Rubber and Thick Metal

They are very similar in thickness and shape as the Ultra Seal.

The Fel-Pro are the ones I’m going to put on the car.  They are metal covered with thin rubber and the holes are re-enforced with metal washers and are grooved.

Fel_Pro grooved and will hold better during installation.

So that will be next up.

Thanks for reading.

Tim

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2 Responses to C4 Vette Valve Cover Gasket Replacement Part I

  1. Steve Sears says:

    I’ve used both cork and neoprene. I have to say that the cork performs better for me.

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