Valve cover gaskets -- Saturday version

["content22207" <brobertson@xxxx>]

(Re-read Friday's message. Apologies for typos etc. Guess the
Percocets were kicking in... Good thing my 5th grade English teacher
wasn't here -- she'd still be slapping me).

In the daylight can see that I've got two different colored valve
cover gaskets. Driver's side is white, with no protruding material.
Passenger side is black. Material protrudes slightly on long sides. Is
as hard as plastic (may have been rubber at one time, but it isn't
anymore). 
Used additional spacer washers to ensure maximum clamping pressure
before bolts bottomed out. Appears to have tightened driver's side,
but passenger side still leaks badly. Will kill engine with steady
steam of carb cleaner. 

Bought a FelPro gasket set today. Not the thickest rubber in the
world, but at least is flexible. Will see what engine thinks of them.

Timing case gasket is definitely rubber, and is still flexible. Spaced
bolts and retightened anyway. Doesn't appear to leak.

Moral of the story (assuming new valve cover gaskets do the trick):
all my proselytizing about not driving around on 22 year old rubber
goes beyond tires and hoses. If it ain't made out of aluminum, replace it.

Speaking of PRV's -- if I understand section D:06:03 of tech manual
correctly, ENTIRE block is vented through PCV. This means that NO seal
can be taken for granted. Even gaskets that just drip oil on other
engines could be letting air in. What a refreshing piece of hardware...

Bill Robertson
#5939 (my nice physical therapist lady can't hold a candle to the
workout this vehicle gives...)