Thread: FE 390 valve cover gasket help.

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tin covers often become the victims of over tightened valve cover bolts. Might be best to start with removing the covers and all the gasket remnants, then ping and ding the sealing surface nice and flat with a small hammer and a body dolly or similar piece of flat metal. Then try some new gaskets and torque the bolts to spec....

What Dave said is quite true and I would add that your mating surfaces are not clean. After ensuring that the mating surfaces are devoid of any gasket material I would get a clean rag, shop towel, etc and a can of brake parts cleaner and a pair of rubber gloves. Spray a bit of the cleaner on the rag and wipe down the mating surfaces and it will clean the mating surfaces of any oil residue which will allow the gaskets to seal better.

i cleaned them . razorblade, and brake clean the first time. i looked at them again this moring and realized that some of the oil on the passengers side is coming from in between when the head and intake mani seal together on the back of the head. and both valve covers do appear to had a rollto the flanges. im gonna go ahead and do the intake manifold gasket as well, and i may find some cast aluminum valve covers. thank you for the input

Stay upwind of the brake cleaner. Nasty stuff for your lungs.