Valve cover half moon inserts

[blackbomber]

Hey guys. doing valve cover gasket, which includes half moon inserts in front and back.  Back one looks like been replaced . front one seems oem original. has a blue center to it. thinking about leaving back one. i ca n see where they used some sort of silicone. The front one i could yank out and replace. alot easier to get too. What do you guys think? should i leave em ??  how do i get the front one out ??.. its pretty tight.  Or just seal em with permatex gasket maker. non hardening stuff i have>>

[datzenmike]

If you have them might as well change them. You should be able to pull them straight up and out. Clean any sealer off and de-grease with carburetor or brake cleaner. Rub a thin smear of RTV on the half moon contact area and install. They should seal without the RTV but why not?

[Thomas Perkins]

Put some gasket maker in the screw holes and torq the screws to 2.2 lbs.Change the phillip valve cover screws to hex screws.Better to torq with a 10 mm socket. On your torq wrench.Then it won't leak.

[blackbomber]

yea. I ammm going with bolts i decided. I was going to lock tight them. but the gasket maker might work too. what does RTV stand for.  Is that like Yamabond #4

[blackbomber]

Hey guys. next year will be 40 years with the old Bomber. 

[720_Jeff]

2 hours ago, blackbomber said:

yea. I ammm going with bolts i decided. I was going to lock tight them. but the gasket maker might work too. what does RTV stand for.  Is that like Yamabond #4

Room Temperature Vulcanizing silicone

[datzenmike]

No lock tite. You may want to snug them at a much later date. Nissan didn't use it or RTV and for good reason... it's not necessary. Tighten wrist tight should be enough, it's a thick rubber gasket that compresses. If it leaks, it shouldn't, snug the bolts around it some more. 

[bottomwatcher]

11 hours ago, blackbomber said:

Hey guys. next year will be 40 years with the old Bomber. 

Nice! I am right behind you at 35. It's taken some heroics and fortitude but I think the truck and I have another 35 left in us. Of course replacing the worn out parts on the truck is easier so I would put my money on the truck winning in the end.

[NC85ST]

There is a reason Nissan didn’t use hex heads for the valve cover, it’s so you don’t over tighten them. If you strip the Phillips screws, then you’re over tightening them. 

[Thomas Perkins]

No they were dummies.A good mechanic will torq them by the book.2.2 lbs.A lot of the ways they did  to the 720's was so wrong.like putting junkie carbs on.Terrible heating and air systems.I could go on and on.I'v had my 720 for 29 years and have up dated most of everything.Their ideas were not good.A phillip head is hardly used any more.They strip out too easy.Never heard that using a Phillips head will make you over torq.It is not pleasant using phillip heads.My valve cover gasket never leaks.If you go on you tube and see 720 videos of replacing valve cover gaskets no one torqs them.Also look at there ugly motors.When I first got my 720 in 94 and put a new valve cover gasket on it and Started Torqing with the Phillips head.I said he'll no,I went and got some hex bolts and it was way better.Also when you put a privacy fence up you use star screws,phillip heads are a thing of the past.

 

Edited May 8, 2023 by Thomas Perkins

[datzenmike]

Not by hand they don't. Power tool with bits are murder on them but very hard to strip a Philips by hand. The L series cover uses 10mm hex bolts. I just use a twist of the wrist if a ratchet same as a nut driver. Yes they can be stripped but usually by a noob cranking on them with a ratchet.

[Thomas Perkins]

I never use power tools to torq my valve covers just a torg wrench.When putting up a privacy fence you use a drill and a star screw.I tighten the 10 mm hex bolts with a 10 mm nut driver then torq them with a torq wrench.

Edited May 8, 2023 by Thomas Perkins

[powderfinger]

Those valve cover screws take a PH3 Phillips driver. If you strip those you are putting way too much torque on them and using the wrong size screw driver. They are more than adequate.

 

The most common cause of stripped screws is most people think a #2 Phillips screwdriver fits every screw ever made.

Edited May 8, 2023 by powderfinger