Topic: How are people getting the proper valve cover cork gasket look?

[Morsel]

Hi all, just wondering how people are doing there valve cover gaskets? This is relating to a 66 K-Code car. Just wondering about using the standard cork valve cover gaskets offered that have the tabs. I know you have to trim the tabs a touch to get the right look, but what are people doing about mimicking the black top of the gasket that I believe with my discussion with Jeff was some sort of rubberized coating that was applied to the whole cork sheet before they cut the head gaskets out...

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Jason

[Bob Gaines]

Hi all, just wondering how people are doing there valve cover gaskets? This is relating to a 66 K-Code car. Just wondering about using the standard cork valve cover gaskets offered that have the tabs. I know you have to trim the tabs a touch to get the right look, but what are people doing about mimicking the black top of the gasket that I believe with my discussion with Jeff was some sort of rubberized coating that was applied to the whole cork sheet before they cut the head gaskets out...

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Jason

Spray the top surface with a flat black spray paint of choice protecting the sides from overspray would be my suggestion. You may have to add tabs made from donor cork material to the modern cork valve cover gasket depending on what you use .

[Morsel]

Hey Bob,

Thanks for the response... so the black spray paint won't flake and also give the right look? I was worried about just painting it because I didn't want any paint to flake off and get in the head area. Also thought it had more of a "rubberized" coating look, I mean I know anything is better then just cork color And yes, the gaskets I have on hand have the tabs there already, they just need to be trimmed in the proper triangle shape... I saw this picture you posted in a another thread...

Jason

[CharlesTurner]

Using a paint roller might be easiest, one of those small foam ones sold at home improvement/hardware stores.

[Morsel]

Using a paint roller might be easiest, one of those small foam ones sold at home improvement/hardware stores.

Thanks Charles, was actually thinking the same thing... taping off edges seems difficult, haha.

[J_Speegle]

Since your asking about valve cover gaskets for a Mustang and not a Shelby I would not worry about getting any black on the outer or inner for that matter, edges.

That is if your not going with the original sheet metal valve covers


Two different animals IMHO

[Morsel]

Since your asking about valve cover gaskets for a Mustang and not a Shelby I would not worry about getting any black on the outer or inner for that matter, edges.

That is if your not going with the original sheet metal valve covers


Two different animals IMHO

Wow that's an extremely helpful picture Jeff, yeah this is a mustang, but it does have the dress kit on my car, so I still assume they would look like these still, correct? See attached closeup pic of my cars valve covers, this was something you mentioned I should fix when you saw my car at SAAC 43...

Thanks for the help...

Jason

[J_Speegle]

Wow that's an extremely helpful picture Jeff, yeah this is a mustang, but it does have the dress kit on my car, so I still assume they would look like these still, correct? See attached closeup pic of my cars valve covers, this was something you mentioned I should fix when you saw my car at SAAC 43...

Ok now we're getting down to the details that matter and the reason we often ask so many questions before we offer advice. Too easy to chase the wrong detail 

Since your car is using the cast aluminum COBRA valve covers when I would suggest ( as described to you in person) what Bob and Charles wrote above since different gaskets were supplied for that application. As shown below.If your car was built/restored as you originally wrote (with a few details left out   in your first post - 66 k Code  then the coated look is what IMHO you would be looking for and as found on unrestored non-dress up kit equipped cars.


Definition is not really great in the picture below but it its meant to illustrate that the top and bottom surfaces were black while the outer and inner surfaces were natural cork. Basically the gasket material coated black before the gasket shapes were punched/cut out of the base material

[Morsel]

Thanks Jeff, Bob, and Charles. I’ve search the forum for this information and found bits and pieces of this, so with everything that’s in this thread hopefully it will help others down the road, we pretty much covered all the different applications and how they should look and achieve that look.

Thanks again,

Jason