Thank you,
Great forum, nice people.

 

I finally got around to working on the truck.

1st. Cleaned the "Tuna Can". It look pretty clean, a little oil washed out. Not bad for never cleaning it. Did not even know it existed.

2nd. Cleaned the crud off the valve covers. Not all but enough that trash was not going to fall inside.

3rd. Removed the valve covers. Found out why I had a major leak on the passenger side. 7 out 9 bolts were sloppy loose. No ratchet necessary. The PO had used rubber gaskets, but slathered them with blue RTV. Pulling the VCs was fun. I had to hook the edge and yank hard. Bent the edge some.

4th. Cleaned, re-cleaned, wiped, painted and cleaned again. It seem that the VCs are 2 ply and there is some oil in between the creeps out. Also wiped the edges of the head with acetone just before installation.

5th. Replaced the VCs and torqued as best I could. My in-lb only goes to 50 and my ft-lb starts at 10, so I guessed. About a "uh" passed 50 in-lb. Also one torque spreader was missing, so I made one. There were 2 odd bolts with 7/16" heads (the rest had 1/2"). I put the reduced size bolt heads in the hardest to reach points. Smaller wrench made work easier at those points.

One last thing to go. The dip stick tube. I pulled it up the maneuver it out of the way. It fits sloppy loose in the socket. The end of the tube looks like it can hold an O-ring. I plan on trying it anyway. So, is there supposed to be an O-ring on the dipstick tube/block junction?

Thanks for the insight.

 

Yes there is an O ring on the dip stick tube where it goes into the block socket.

 

Sounds like a job well done! Fun too eh???

 

Sounds like a lot of fun.
Hey guys,
I ordered the rubber Felpro gaskets, should I use any (Red) RTV on the cover side during re-assembly?
Dan

 

Not in my opinion ... Rubber/neoprene gaskets and Sillycone should not be used together.

-Enjoy
fh : )_~

 

No RTV on rubber gaskets. I did use Red High Tack Gasket on the gasket-to-valve cover side to make the gasket stick in place better. The lock in tabs will keep the gasket from falling off during installation, but some of the bolt holes can shift. You do not want to miss a gasket hole. So, I have been in the habit of using the High Tack spray.

Be sure to wipe the edge of the head clean with some solvent just before you install. The cleaner, the better.

FYI. RTV sealant only works on an oil seal if there is NO oil present at the time the RTV is applied and cured. RTV works very well during new and rebuilds because everything is clean and oil free. Not so much on dirty oily repair work. Cleanliness is the key to a good seal.

 

Gotta love IH for having tabs on the gaskets that fit right into the covers. All the holes line right up, and no messy RTV to deal with...