Easy way to clean old VC Gasket?

[mitchell hamilton]

Just pulled off the leaking valve cover gasket to discover the old one is brittle plastic and fell apart everywhere, I have been chipping pieces away but man is the old gasket hard to get off. Anybody soak it anything or dremel it off or something? I am going to take it schoool tomorrow and bead blast and paint the whole thing so hopefully that'll get it off. :laugh:

[John Hartman]

to get it off the head, use a razor blade in a holder.  Be careful not to nick the head, or it will leak.  Its like cutting a trough in the head, the oil will flow there.

Just scrape it out of the valve cover with a screwdriver that is as wide as the valley.  Again, be careful.

Oh and big tip:  Do NOT overtighten it when you put it back on.  It WILL crack.  And even if, for some wierd cosmic reason, it doesn't, it will leak as it will crush the gasket.

[mitchell hamilton]

Cool thanx john