VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - GENERAL Mechanical - Engine, Trans, etc 39 216 New Gaskets

Well, my car runs great but it's leaking more oil than my old Harley. I'm getting ready to replace the gaskets for the valve cover and push rod cover. Now bear with me - I haven't turned a wrench on a 216 in more than 25 years:

I have new cork gaskets from The Filling Station. I've heard and seem to remember something about soaking them in water or oil the night before installation. Is that right? Should I use any kind of gasket sealer? If not for sealing, at least for holding the gaskets in place, especially the push rod cover?

Thanks in advance, Cheers!

Hi RalphL,

As you mentioned years ago we did soak them overnight, however that is not necessary anymore.

Different instructions are for specific gaskets. For example the valve cover gasket is glued to the head and not the valve cover. No glue on the valve cover side.

In the case of the side cover gasket it is glued to the side cover. However, it also gets glue on the engine side. Particular attention to the bottom and sides.

Generally speaking most gaskets are glued to the item to be mounted.

The best material to use to glue them on is shellac. Normally comes in a bottle with an applicator attached to the lid.

Gaskets were soaked in water if they shrunk.I have some very old cork gaskets that have become way too short.two or three hours of soaking will bring them back to size.Modern fresh gaskets should reqire no soaking as they will not be shrunk.
I never glue on gaskets (as I will be the next one to replace them)...The oil pan gaskets I grease to hold up on the block.Side cover gasket can be lined up thru the bolt holes.I don't know if anyone sells gasket shellac any more but there is a gasket cement sold in a tube also if you do want to "stick" them on.

I buy Indian Head Gasket shellac at my local auto parts store. It's what I used on my 49 216.

The Indian Head gasket shellic is what I've use. Works great and is gas resistant. I had a problem with a "O" ring on a 1955 gas tank neck and the indian head was the only thing that sealed it. RTV for some, Indian Head for me.

Thanks everyone for the excellent advice, as usual. I remember now what Gene is talking about. The previous owner used copius amounts of gasket cement which I now have the "pleasure" to remove, along with a thin layer of the old gasket!

I also see the copper oil line is slightly pressed up against one of the pushrods. I'll now try my skills at bending it away from the pushrod without cracking it.

Cheers!

Hi RalphL,

Is this what you found?

Hi Ray,

I thought I had seen a post about this problem. Fortunately the oil line is not worn through, although the pushrod is shiny where it's rubbed. The area is about halfway up the pushrod, but it doesn't appear the cover was putting a lot of pressure on the oil line as what happened in your picture. I think it was just a poor bending job and there was enough space for the oil line to be pushed away from the rod instead of being pushed against it. I'll see today when I "climb" in there.

One thing though - all my plugs look good except the one for this particular cylinder. This one is all carbon fouled and was almost impossible to broke loose and remove. Hum ... must be a connection???

P.S. I was going to insert two small phots, but how? Guess I have to upload them to my Comcast account?

Thanks, Ralph

The spark plug condition and oil line would have no "connection"

Black carbon could be caused by rich mixture on that cylinder-due to mis-firing plug or??If carbon was caused by oil -could be loose valve guide or piston rings?Is there any rust present?could have a cracked valve seat in the head....would install new spark plug and recheck it after a few hundred miles.

Yes, to post to this site the photo has to already be posted on a web page or site. You actually are posting a instant connect link to the other site and photo, when you use the <image> icon here.

Thanks Mr. Mack.

Hi Gene, No rust, just heavy, crusty rock-hard carbon. Can't even chip it off. Right now, the previous owner was using AC R44, which I know is wrong, especially the resistor plugs. In fact, he used resistor wires, too. I didn't know if the oil line against the push rod might have affected the pushrod operation which is why I wondered if there was a connection between my two problems. But I guess the valve spring pressure is too high for that.

Thanks all!

the AC R44 is OK--I use R45 in mine - semms to do well with those.The plain 45 hasn't been made for several years.Getting difficult to find.Would be a good idea to run a spark plug rethreader thru the hole to clean out the threads.