Valve bail diagram/pic

[72Hardtop]

Hey Colin....I recall a pic/diagram awhile back showing the bending point/s for tightening valve bail cover/s. You got that handy?

[Amskeptic]

Hey Colin....I recall a pic/diagram awhile back showing the bending point/s for tightening valve bail cover/s. You got that handy?

Naw, I am on Rt 22 in NY with nothing handy but words.

IF your bails needed to be expanded to remove them from the cylinder head holes, then bend the corner radii to 90* from sides to across the valve cover. Install so the bends point *upward* (this allows them to lay flat on heat exchangers).

If your bails pretty much slipped out of the cylinder head pivot holes, then you need to bend the sides inwards while holding the lengthwise aspect to the bail firmly.
Colin

[72Hardtop]

Hey Colin....I recall a pic/diagram awhile back showing the bending point/s for tightening valve bail cover/s. You got that handy?

Naw, I am on Rt 22 in NY with nothing handy but words.

IF your bails needed to be expanded to remove them from the cylinder head holes, then bend the corner radii to 90* from sides to across the valve cover. Install so the bends point *upward* (this allows them to lay flat on heat exchangers).

If your bails pretty much slipped out of the cylinder head pivot holes, then you need to bend the sides inwards while holding the lengthwise aspect to the bail firmly.
Colin

Making a mental pic of this...just in from the 90 degree radius (each side) bend towards valve cover (tightens tension on cover).

[sgkent]

with the gaskets off, and bales down, test fit each cover on the heads. Make sure that rocks as little as possible. This will reduce leaks by it holding the gasket evenly. If the cover is warped, more tension is needed from the bales to hold it in place.

use the best and thickest cork & rubber gasket you can get. New gaskets should be pliable. If they are hard as a rock they have been on a shelf for a long time, are old, and will not seal well.

[72Hardtop]

Thanks SG...they sit very well on the heads. No leaks thus far. I seem to get roughly 4-6 pop offs of the cover before they need replacing.

[asiab3]

4-6 "removes" sounds like what I got on my last normal cork pair. There is a new compound of cork gasket on the market; the black "rubber" to cork ratio is much higher, and I got almost 20k miles out of my first pair before the left side gasket cracked and allowed a slow drip. Right side is still going strong around 23k miles.

If anybody finds the darker "more rubber" style for T4, let me know where; I'd like to have a few. I'll put a picture up tomorrow.

Robbie

[tommu]

I used silicone gaskets on the Ghia and they've lasted for dozens of 'removes'. What's the consensus on using them in place of cork?

[asiab3]

I used silicone gaskets on the Ghia and they've lasted for dozens of 'removes'. What's the consensus on using them in place of cork?

It depends on the heads, covers, and bails. The two I inspected weren't very thick, so the bales might have to be on the tighter end. Do you use any glues on the cover side, or grease on the head side? I didn't feel confident in them, so I haven't tried.

My consensus? If they work for you, use them! I'm militant about my shellac/cork/grease setup, but I encourage everyone to find what works best for their own cars.

Robbie

[tommu]

I used silicone gaskets on the Ghia and they've lasted for dozens of 'removes'. What's the consensus on using them in place of cork?

It depends on the heads, covers, and bails. The two I inspected weren't very thick, so the bales might have to be on the tighter end. Do you use any glues on the cover side, or grease on the head side? I didn't feel confident in them, so I haven't tried.

My consensus? If they work for you, use them! I'm militant about my shellac/cork/grease setup, but I encourage everyone to find what works best for their own cars.

Robbie

These are nice and thick. I used new bails and covers too. They close with a nice 'snap'. Gasket sealant of some kind on one side and just clean silicone on the other. Someone had gouged the heads previously so cork would never seal. The gaskets on the bus are cork and nicely sealed for now.