cylinder head valve/rocker cover gasket

[Jay]

Anyone know of a decent make? The two I've had from GSF have been pony and I need another now after having to use a poor fit gasket.

Do the 8v GTI gaskets fit?
I've found this gasket and it sounds like it's up to the job.

Anyone know of other rubber gaskets and if they are better than the cork ones?

[SolarSteve]

I can't remember the site off hand, I'm sure someone else will chime in and give it to you for the rubber gasket, they are good.  But I also had a stock cover that leaked a lot.  What you need to do is get a piece of 1/4" steel about 2" wide and just long enough to fit inside of the V/C where the gasket mates and check to see if the cover is warped.  I am guess that it is.  If you put the peice of steel in a vice and with the skinny side up against the mating surface you can gently hammer the valve cover straight again.  A good flat surface, like the table on a table saw is helpful to place the cover on to see if it is twisted.

Doing this will make it so even a cork gasket will seal.  Also, don't use any sealant as it will make the gasket squeeze out causing a leak.

If you get the rubber gasket you will need to remove your V/C studs from the head and install the new ones that come with the gasket.  Just double nut the stud and remove the stud.  Clean the hole, use lock-tite and install the new studs the same way.

[Mark(The Miser)UK]

I can't remember the site off hand, I'm sure someone else will chime in and give it to you for the rubber gasket, they are good.  But I also had a stock cover that leaked a lot.  What you need to do is get a piece of 1/4" steel about 2" wide and just long enough to fit inside of the V/C where the gasket mates and check to see if the cover is warped.  I am guess that it is.  If you put the peice of steel in a vice and with the skinny side up against the mating surface you can gently hammer the valve cover straight again.  A good flat surface, like the table on a table saw is helpful to place the cover on to see if it is twisted.

Doing this will make it so even a cork gasket will seal.  Also, don't use any sealant as it will make the gasket squeeze out causing a leak.

If you get the rubber gasket you will need to remove your V/C studs from the head and install the new ones that come with the gasket.  Just double nut the stud and remove the stud.  Clean the hole, use lock-tite and install the new studs the same way.

Agreed



Else you are flogging a dead horse

[SolarSteve]

Go to this site

http://www.germanautoparts.com/Volkswagen/Jetta/Engine/102/3

And buy the one in the middle, the one with the studs, its $14.35.  After swapping out the studs make sure everything is SPOTLESS CLEAN, use brake cleaner or rubbing alcohol, and install the gasket and then the cover.  Don't smoke the nuts down, start at the nuts in the middle and run them down just until each nut touches the metal and then move outward.  Then start again in the middle torquing the nuts just a little at a time, again starting in the middle and working outward.  They don't need a lot of torque, just snug them down and then run the engine.  If you have a small leak you can try to tighen the nuts down a little more, but don't get crazy with it, you'll just warp the cover again.

This gasket and the above instructions should fix your problem.

I hope this helps