type 4 oil leak

just running in my rebuilt type 4 engine but the left hand rocker gasket keeps leaking. I've tryed a gasket with greece, a gasket with silicone sealer and now a dry gasket. the dry gasket was the worst by far. Any one got a favourite way to seal these ???

 

What is the rocket cover itself like?? A slight dent and l mean "slight" can cause all sorts of leaky problems. Also make sure the mating surfaces are clean, spotless and practically sterile

 

Try fitting the rocket cover the other way up as a test with a new gasket.

 

You could eat your dinner off it, its so clean. Covers are in good order, and i've tryed fitting it upside down.

 

The cover is probably moving upwards slightly when you are levering the spring over it . They can be very naughty [ can I say sods ? ]

 

Hi fellow geordie. you could be right. But what is the best way to seal the gasket ??

 

Do you have standard covers or shiny alloy ones

 

standard with a small VW stamp in the middle

 

Hello to you . I just use a bit of sealant solely to keep the gasket in place when the cover is offered up.

 

I always smear a thin film of vaseline onto both sides of cork gaskets. Used this method for years. Always works well, but cover must be flat and clean.

 

Thanks for your thoughts. I'm going out now to have another go. How hard can it be
" on a scale of 1 to 10 how happy are you with your van? " minus 10 :-

 

There's so little metal to seal against where they're scooped out for the push-rod tubes if you slide it about while fitting this can happen. Sometimes bent tinware and over-long tinware screws down from above can make it doubly difficult to position without catching on the rockers on the way.

Take your time, lightest smear of grease both sides of gasket works for me.