Quote:
Originally Posted by X5chemist
Mine has a new aluminum valve cover and seal. 
I see two flaws in the design. One, the "bolts", bottom out if you tighten them too much. |
That's not a flaw. That's how they are supposed to work, and thats how factory cover and bolts works too. The bolts tighten against the head then you stop torqueing them. The rubber "donut" gasket is compressed in this process and the donut works to push the valve cover down to remain seated even while the engine heats up and the bolts expand slightly. This is why it's required to also replace the donut gaskets. It's also why some hacks will use an extra washer under the bolt to apply more compression on old donut gaskets to get a little more life out of tired VCG.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bmwe5320023.0
If I understand right, you install both gaskets into the valve cover, and then apply Form-A-Gasket sealant on the sparkplugs gasket?
And a layer of RTV on the gasket that goes around the full perimeter of the valve cover, which you call "head sealing surface".
Basically RTV everywhere.
Or Form-A-Gasket everywhere, but RTV on half moons and vanos?
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You should never skim coat a rubber gasket with RTV. You should only apply RTV at the corners of the half moons in the rear and at the joint between timing cover and head.
I've done literally hundreds of M54 valve cover gaskets in my life. This is the only right way to do them. I've removed countless of valve covers from an owner who said "I just did the valve cover gasket a few months ago and now it's leaking" when I took it off I saw a skim coat of RTV at the whole surface. It might work once in a blue moon. But it's not the right way to do it.
It's one of the most simple jobs you can do on these cars.