What's a good torque setting for valve covers? Does anybody do this or is this just being anal?

JR

I dont think any more than 15 ft.lbs is nessary, but thats just a guess. I just make em snug and never had a problem with them leaking, course I got rubber reuseable gaskets not cork ones.

15 ft lbs is too much.  It will crush the gasket, make it split, and cause a leak.   I can find torque specs if you wish, but they really are not needed.   Just watch the gasket closely while tightening.  Once the gasket starts to squeeze, it will also flare out and spread a bit.  When it starts to do this, STOP.  Less will leak, more will split the gasket.

Of course, start all bolts, the gently snug them down, then tighten them.

someone told me that 5 ft lbs is sufficent. but dont quote me on
that!

Yep, that just goes to show how crappy you can try to judge a torque reading with out a torque wrench. Trust Kens advice.

Thank you, gentlemen.....these are Fel-Pro cork.

JR

Tumarr, where did you get the rubber gaskets

I got mine at a local speed shop but summit sells the exact ones, they are great and I remove my valve covers alot for various reasons such as lahing my valves or to polish the covers. This is probably going to be the last valve cover gasket I need to buy for my engine. Got the moroso ones but summit has their own generic type that might work just as well. Moroso Valve cover Gaskets
P.s. Their oil pan rubber/steel core single piece gaskets is awesome too. Tumarr38477.4652893519

Thanks, got the pan gasket from fel pro but couldn,t find the valve covers

 

I got the Fel-Pro reusable ones, they are rubber also. 22.95 at O'Reilly Auto Parts Part number VS12869T.  Best purchase I made after the shocks !