Valve Cover Gasket Issues

[kna4977]

I just removed the valve covers from a Turbo Regal Engine so I could replace the gaskets and clean the covers up. The gaskets that were on there were cork and very brittle. It left a few fragments in the rocker arm assemblies and surrounding areas. I have gotten out most of the larger pieces and a lot of the small pieces, but I'm not sure what else I should do. Any advice would be great.

[Keller]

Is the problem the installation or the cleanup?

http://www.gnttype.org/forums/showthread.php?t=4411
http://www.gnttype.org/forums/showthread.php?t=8730

FWIW, I believe the paint helps them hold together a bit better.

[kna4977]

Is the problem the installation or the cleanup?

http://www.gnttype.org/forums/showthread.php?t=4411
http://www.gnttype.org/forums/showthread.php?t=8730

FWIW, I believe the paint helps them hold together a bit better.

I've only gotten so far as to take the valve covers off. The left one wasn't so bad, but the right one was a bear. Gasket broke all apart leaving fragments everywhere. I've gotten most out, but there are still some tiny pieces in areas I can't really get to such as down in the crevices of the rocker arms and maybe a few on surfaces of the heads where I can't get to them.

[Keller]

Might try a vacuum (with thin nozzle), strips of duct tape, needle nose pliers, etc.

If these are originals, they never planned for the car to be around this long That is probably why they are dried out.

[kna4977]

Might try a vacuum (with thin nozzle), strips of duct tape, needle nose pliers, etc.

If these are originals, they never planned for the car to be around this long That is probably why they are dried out.

Thanks very much. If I get the majority out am I likely to be okay?

[Keller]

I would try to get all I could out. Wouldn't want any to get into a bearing or stick in a small oil hole somewhere. And a second oil change shortly thereafter might not be a bad idea.

[kenmosher]

I agree with Scott ... if there's debris, it'll eventually end up in the oil pump pickup screen. If enough accumulates, you will be up for a rebuild of the bottom end.

[kna4977]

Right......All I can do at this point is get as much out as I can and do an oil change shortly thereafter I guess and go from there. What about an engine flush or would that make things worse? Also, I don't believe any has actually gotten down in the engine yet and most of what I haven't gotten out is stuck in the crevices between the rocker arms and the round tube they are attached to. I've never done it, but would it help to remove those and clean them out?

[Ts86ttype]

I use a vacuum and an air nozzle. By plowing the stray pieces back into the vacuum nozzle I get 99 percent of them if not all... If I were really concerned about stray pieces in the pan I would take it off and clean it out. It's not that hard to do. I think Scotts idea of changing the oil right after will do the trick. Good luck... Tom G.

[Keller]

rocker arms and the round tube they are attached to
I believe that is generally referred to as the "rocker shaft".

I would not use a flush. It would flush everything, and thus might flush oil from important places like your lifters and bottom end. Presume that the system will do its job. The filters and screens will do what they are intended to do.

[PaCemkr86]

vaccum, and an oil change.. you should be ok