(somewhat) urgent ? about valley cover gasket

[POD]

The valley cover front and rear rubber seals on my 3.9 1994 RR have been leaking since I have had the car, I have finally got around to pulling it down and replacing the valley cover and rocker cover gaskets. The valley cover gasket i have been supplied is of a different type to what I have used before on my old 1988RR 3.5 now 4.4. This gasket is plain stainless steel with no bonded paper gasket on it at all, just a rolled lip all around the ports etc. I'm in two minds as to whether I should put this steel gasket on dry or if i should put some 3Bond or similar on the manifold-to-head part of the gasket. Thgought I would try here for some advice. I was planning on finishing the job tonight but might pack up soon and attack it again tomorrow.

[justinc]

The tin valley gasket is fine, but yes use a sealant around water and inlet ports, both sides of the gasket. Hylomar is recommended for this application and is all I use.

JC

[djam1]

I personally find 3Bond to be perfect in this application.

[Euan Sands]

Ive had sucsess with the purple loctite flange sealant, I think 515.

[POD]

Thanks for the replies. I have some 3-bond on hand, I use this on my 4.4 with the 3.5EFI manifold and adaptor plates, has worked well so i'll go with that tomorrow. Or I might go out and get some hylomar. Hopefully I'll be feeling more decisive in the morning.

[stage one]

As a fitter & turner, that hates oil leaks, I use and recommend, a high metalic silver spray paint on all tight fitting machined, metal surfaces that get hot & can take pressure. Works on head gaskets, inlet, oil pumps & is a fraction of the price of the fancy stuff (that offten breaks down with heat, oil and age). Sliver paint, thing of the future, from the past. Will stick like sh** to a blanket on a clean surface, bake hard and stay there. My engines don't leak!

[p38arover]

I use and recommend, a high metallic silver spray paint on all tight fitting machined, metal surfaces that get hot & can take pressure.

Any particular brand?

[stage one]

Killrust frost, the paint isn't that important, it's the tiny alloy particals that do the work. You want a paint with as many of these as possible. Last can I used was a cheep one called "Squrits".

[Pierre]

Do the items come apart, or a jack hammer needed?

Pete

[stage one]

will be a bit sticky, but then you shouldn't have to take it apart to offen.

[POD]

Thanks all for the replies to my question, I got the job finished off on Saturday, used 3Bond, so far so good. I actually discovered a tin of Hylomar on the shelf that I had forgotten about, but it had dried out quite a bit so I wasn't confident that it would still be any good. Wonder if anyone knows a solvent that this can be rejuvenated with? Expensive stuff to throw away.
I'm interested to try the silver paint thing, but I was not confident of this method in something with two independent angled faces like the V8 inlet manifold, and given that is such a pain to pull down again I thought I might try this technique on something else at a later date- sounds ideal for, say, a water pump, timing cover or oil pump.
I have to repeat this whole task on my other rangie soon, the 4.4 with 3.5 EFI manifold- there's coolant leaking somewhere in there, dunno yet whether it's the manifold gasket or the heater hoses. Ho-hum.