I thought I would share this tip with other self-learning mechanics and general Cadillac lovers. When replacing valve cover gaskets, use clothes pins to hold the rubber gasket in place as it sets (about 12 hours). They hold the rubber nicely so it doesn't wiggle around. That's all. I find it supremely helpful, so hopefully others do to.
By the way, here's a few other valve cover tips. Only use rubber; cork disintegrates when you retighten the bolts, and that means re-doing the job. Also, only put silicone between the gasket and the cover itself, not between the gasket and the cylinder head surface.
Happy gasket changing! I'm doing my '83 Olds Custom Cruiser vin-9 307 gaskets right now in preparation for Independance Day!
Great tip!
And also, I didn't know about the silicone between gasket-cover is OK...
But avoid silicon between gasket-head.
Good info!
Throwing another tip in, regarding gaskets:
Maybe for valve covers it isn't necessary, yet for oil-pan gaskets this works like a charm.
To hold the gasket in place, you can use 4 or 5 (or 6) small-wire "twist-ties", like the ones used to close sliced bread bags.
Put the gasket in place, tie it down lightly with a couple of those wires, and install the oil pan.
You can set a couple of bolts into the holes, and even in the holes that have wires (because the wire is very thin).
Once the bolts are in, you can un-twist and remove the wires.
Better than fighting with a gasket that doesn't want to cooperate!
I used bolts on my oil pan when I did my oil pump on the Brougham a while ago. That worked nicely too.
As for my Custom Cruiser, it's not doing too well cosmetically, but it's great otherwise. And I like it that way. The paint is a dusty rusty used-to-be-gold, and the wood trim is, well, just used-to-be wood trim. The interior is pretty good other than a cracked dash and no headliner. It's not ratty or torn up. This is actually a well maintained car, just never garaged! I replaced the front seats a couple years ago with dual full-power Ninety-Eight Regency seats, so this is a regular luxo-boat on the inside, but no one knows from the outside! It's also fun to tune your own radio stations with those all-manual knobs. Plus the vin-9 motor is nice.
Is that station wagon a Cadillac?
Buick? Oldsmobile?
I don't get it!
LoL
What is it?
===
Yet I like the station wagon a lot!
My family had a 1979 Chevrolet Caprice Classic station wagon.
That was my brother's surf vehicle for a looong time.
Damn I would like that vehicle back.
a VIN 9 307 engine is the same as the standard 307 found in the late 80's cadillacs (VIN Y engines) except it has more power due to various different parts.
Someone had posted before how to convert a VIN Y into a VIN 9 but I don't remember all of the exact changes.
Cork works fine. You must have gotten ones that weren't made right.
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