OIL LEAK ON EARLY '49 2-BOLT VALVE COVERS...HELP!!

[49caddyman]

Last Summer, in preparation for the CLC Grand National, I decided to install a  set of freshly-restored 2-bolt valve covers on my 1949 Cadillac club coupe to replace the ones that had been on the car for the past 9 years.  I bought a fresh set of valve cover gaskets, cleaned everything thoroughly, & applied a coating of "hi tack" gasket cement to one side of the gaskets to hold them in place on the new valve covers.  I then applied a thin layer of "form a gasket" on the other side of the gaskets, carefully installed both covers, started the engine, and found to my dismay that I had oil leakage in several areas.  I tried tightening the 2 holdown bolts on each cover a bit more, to no avail.   I'd like to remedy this oil leak problem asap.  Does anyone have any "tips" or "tricks" they've used in the past with these early valve covers to insure they won't leak oil?!  I recently bought another fresh set of gaskets, and want to be sure they won't leak this time around!  HELP!!!  Joe Cutler   508-476-3490  email:  49caddymanemail addresses not permitted

[Jay Friedman]

Joe,

Using a straight edge make sure the gasket surfaces are truly flat.  If not, try straightening out the bad spots with a flat bar of metal and a body hammer.