Warped Valve Cover - What's next?

[eight-0-eight]

I've been dealing with a leaking valve cover that I've been trying to address and after replacing rocker plugs, using rtv, changing to different valve cover gaskets, I finally checked the valve cover against a straight edge and can see that it's slightly warped 🥲 Perhaps it was when I tightened them out of order...now I know🤦

What do people usually do in this case? Get the valve cover machined or get a replacement?

I've heard from someone that you could use RTV instead of a gasket in the meantime with the warped valve cover, would that work?

Thank you!

[digger]

How much warping ? Is it an overall bow or bowed between bolt holes ?

The valve cover can hung up on the rocker shaft lock if the lock isn’t fully seated which might bend it.

often there are leaks because the bolts lose clamp under a few heat cycles so needs to be periodically retorqued. Plus the gaskets seem to be porous and might wick oil over time.

Felpro make one that might be rubber I was goto get one to check it out

[eight-0-eight]

Yeah, "bowed" is the word I was looking for. It seems to be bowed mainly inbetween the center bolts. Towards the front and rear of the valve cover, it seems to be flat and doesn't seem to be leaking there.

It's been like leaking after I change the gasket, almost immediately. I've retorqued after a few short drives and still saw leaking. I've actually tried the felpro gasket as well, didn't help the leaking for me. I also used curil t and that didn't seal it all up.

Would it be easy for a machine shop to deck a valve cover?

I read somewhere that someone did RTV and let it dry fully before torqueing, instead of following the directions and that seemed to work but not sure if that meant without any gasket or not.

[digger]

TBH i am not sure of the fixturing to hold it but it should be possible. The other way is to get some emery wet/dry cloth 12" wide sheet and glue to a nice flat surface and essentially lap it flat and to see the high spots and work them down.

RTV does work to fill big gaps, run a small bead and finger tighten and come back after some time (depends on product) to torque it. If you full torque straight away you squeeze it all out.

[88Sedan]

I would try what digger recommended. Rtv, finger tight, when dry torque. I stupidly didn't use rtv on my rocker plugs so I'll be re doing mine soon.