so my '69 cutlass (350) has leaking valve cover gaskets. the engine still runs well but im tired of the drips and smoke. my mechanic is askin more money than im willing to spend. ive never had to do this before and was wondering what id need to know to do the job myself. thanks for any advice yall can give

 

Cork gaskets, and a lot of silcone (get the black stuff)

My gaskets came in the kit from Mondellotwister.com. I like the gaskets a lot and highly recommend them.

Pull off the valve covers and undo any brackets that straddle the valve covers (back alt bracket) and remove the vavle cover by pulling straight up after undoing the bolts of course.

I forget what size the bolts are, but you can get to them pretty easy

O yeah, be sure to get all of the old gasket off first. If you don't it will leak again.

I only did the job once, and it took me 1 hour

 

I prefer the rubber gaskets over cork, and make sure you don't overuse RTV. Also, you need to check the valve covers and make sure they aren't dimpled around the bolt holes. They sometimes get dimples in them because people over tighten them. If they are dimpled you can fit a socket around the bolt holes and flatten them out on a bench vise in your garage with a hammer. I usually adhere the gaskets to the valve cover with RTV and let it sit for a good long while before I put the valve covers back on the heads. This allows the RTV to act as a glue so the gasket doesn't fall of the valve cover when you put it in place.

 

I taught him that....

 

sounds good... and do i NEED a torque wrench or... if so what are the specs?

 

A torque wrench is always a good thing to use. It all depends on how much you trust yourself though.
A good local auto parts store will let you borrow one for a few hours for free with a deposit or a license.

I believe the spec is 70 Inch LBs

I don't know if they will have the seal breaker tool though.

 

Or you could use a 3/8 inch ratchet drive and just use your wrist to tighten them down, it doesn't take much as all you are doing is sealing down the gasket, whether cork, rubber or silicone sealant.

 

might be just tightening them down will do.