Engine: offenhauser valve covers

[prez55]

Just got a set of Offenhauser cast valve covers. Has anybody ever installed these and what did you use for gaskets. Rubber gaskets come up real small. Came from Summit . They have no clue. Thanks David

[PackardV8]

Yes, the Offenhauser cast aluminum covers look really nice when shined up. The reason they're still available is they also fit the early Oldsmobile V8s.

No, the rubber gaskets don't fit worth a darn. The cast rocker covers also don't have the retaining lip which allows the rubber gaskets to be stretched and glued down.

Maybe, if you're fortunate enough to find cork gaskets which haven't shrunk, you can apply a thin schmear of adhesive to both the cover and the gasket, then mate the two sticky surfaces and set on a flat surface with some weight on top. It's advisable to use a sheet of waxed paper under them, just in case some of your adhesive oozes out.

FWIW, I once had several gaskets which had dried and shrunk. I measured and cut four cork gaskets, making two long/wide enough to fit. Careful cutting and gluing and most would never even have noticed the seams.

jack vines

[Mike Van Veghten]

Yep...got a set on my 259.

As Jack says, the rubber gaskets are a pain, both during the initial bonding and later they have a tendancy to squeeze out during the tightening into the heads.
I use the cork/rubber, glue them on to the covers. I glue them on and set the cover on a flat surface (the garage floor!) with some weight on them until the glue sets, this help make sure the gasket sets flat on the rocker cover while the glue sets. Never have had one leak doing it this way.

I also put the big Offy, angled breathers on the outside wall of the covers and took a piece of course Scotch-Brite to my covers and breathers to give them that "brushed" look. It also makes them a little more carefree as far as keeping up with the shine..

Mike

[jrlemke]

Make your own gaskets. I took a sheet of cork gasket material and glued the cover to it, when dry, cut around inside and out. I did it that way on mine last spring and haven't leaked a drop since.

[Flashback]

Try the olds vc gaskets from Retro Rodz

[bezhawk]

http://www.retrorodz.com/gaskets.html I posted this a couple of months ago.