Q: My valve cover gasket is visible from outside after replacement i haven't fastened to proper torque yet. Should metals touch?

asked by on December 04, 2017

I changed the valve cover gasket and i dont remember seeing the old gasket from outside but it has black and everything was dirty now the new one is blue and visible. I haven't fastened the bolts yet waiting to know and i was told to wait 24 hours before fastening and starting the car to let the RTV under the gasket dry. But it seems to me like the 8 pounds of torque wont hide it. Is the metal supposed to touch each other ?

My car has 94000 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.

Hi Paco. It depends on what type of gasket you’ve used. An OEM replacement gasket for the 4-cylinder Toyota Corolla engine will fit snug under the valve cover after installation and wait 24-hours for the silicone to cure. If you used an aftermarket gasket, I’m not sure how it should fit. I would wait till the gasket has cured, follow the manufacturer’s service and repair manual steps for installing the valve cover gasket and you should be fine.

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