Engine: Polished Aluminum Studebaker script valve covers.

[barnlark]

Does anyone know of a cross reference part number for a cork gasket for the newer style, finned aluminum Studebaker valve covers? The rubber gaskets that came with mine never did fit well and were not the same shape as the valve covers; they leaked at the corners. The stock Stude type are too small and are made to fit in the stock cover's trough, but these seem to be more finicky. They are flat/smooth bottomed covers. If they are just a stock Edelbrock size, or some other brand and someone has figured the fit out, please pass on any info. I'd like to just order the right ones.

An Advanced A-P shop that I found open yesterday looked at me funny when I wanted to go through their many flat boxes in the back to find one close. My local NAPA guys are much more open to such nonsense.

[Mike Van Veghten]

Stude is Stude...!!

As one might expect, try Fairborn Studebaker.
Lional Stone used to carry them..

I really don't know if they aren't just standard Stude rocker cover gaskets. Even the ones Lional used to sell...with the rocker covers he used to sell, weren't the best fitting.

Mike

[Jackson]

I have the aluminum valve covers from Lionel Stone, they do not have channels for the gaskets as do the factory covers. I used the rubber gaskets supplied, held on to the cover with weatherstrip cement. I had to be really tighten the covers down tight to stop the leaks. Also had some spare cork gaskets either shrink, or were too small to begin with, and did not fit the valve covers and some valley covers.

[bezhawk]

The old Offenhauser valve covers were the same as Oldsmobile, except, that the hold down holes were drilled in a different place.
So, maybe early Olds gaskets will work? Not sure when they changed head design, probably 58, so you would need pre 58 gaskets.

[throwdad]

Use the stock cover as a"form".Lay the gasket in the stock cover, apply a light coat of contact/gasket cement to the gasket and aluminum cover.Let them tack up and press together, perfect fit and seal.

[Kurt]

I have those exact covers. The best luck I have is putting a thin layer of trim adhesive on the cover, then put the gasket on, then once you get the gasket in place, lay something heavy on it to keep the gasket from slipping, and also to get the gasket stuck to the cover really good. DO NOT try to install the cover until the adhesive has set up. If you do you will have much swearing and frustration.

[barnlark]

I was searching for the correct size gasket for these and had hoped that someone had previously experimented so that I could find a gasket that may have a more uniform fit without stretching them. I appreciate the above help, but I can grasp the installation of a valve cover gasket. The fit is the problem.

I use the Permatex spray adhesive for gaskets. That has always worked great to first attach to valve covers. I have never had leaks until I had these off-shaped rubber gaskets. I bought the covers from a vendor who gave me the poorly fitting ones that were probably all that were available at the time and I'd rather not buy more of the same.

After a discussion yesterday with Myer's Studebaker I confirmed that the stock Stude gaskets do not fit these and the original rubber gaskets that were sold did not fit very well, either. They are Offenhauser covers, as mentioned above, and are just shaped a bit differently.

Myer's Studebaker now have updated rubber gaskets that fit much better. I'll try those. I may just try a bead of Permatex gray silicone on the lip of the head first without any gasket. I'll gently let the cover sit on it to form its own gasket, then tighten it the next day. That may be the best for heat resistance anyway. I'll report back after a few miles of testing. Thanks.

[throwdad]

The above method was with offenhauser covers.The shape of the head is the same,if the gasket conforms to the original cover it will seal perfectly.It does not have to conform to the new cover exactly.