BRM valvecover help

I pulled the valvecover off my BRM to do a cam inspection, put it back together and drove the car on the highway. Upon first startup there appeared to be no leaks but about an hour after I went out to move the car and there is a decent sized pool of oil under the car. I am figuring that the valvecover is still leaking and it appears wet on the back right side by the timing belt and running down by the control arm and oil pan. Are there any tricks to get this thing on so it won't leak? I am going to attempt to take this off and put it back on tomorrow, hopefully this time with no leaks.

See this post for valve cover bolt tightening pattern:
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=419676

INHO, it is tricky to get this on without knocking the seal out of position. I used masking tape to hold the bolts up and out of the way while carefully positioning it in place so as not to bump the seal. There are also supposed to be dabs of sealant applied at 4 places, where the gasket is sealing the four sharp corners.

Good luck.

It can be tricky to seat the VC without the gasket falling out of place. And, of course, we can't see the gasket position once it's on. There's really no other reason for the leak, so you'll need to remove it and try again. For me, it helps to thoroughly clean off the oil from gasket and VC channels.

MyAvocation said:

It can be tricky to seat the VC without the gasket falling out of place. And, of course, we can't see the gasket position once it's on. There's really no other reason for the leak, so you'll need to remove it and try again. For me, it helps to thoroughly clean off the oil from gasket and VC channels.

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Very true, except the part about not being able to see if the gasket is still in place after assembly. I have removed and replaced various PD VCs at least a hundred times with no leaks until a few months ago. I had a car that I inspected the cam on that came back with a significant oil leak. Upon its return I pulled the VC and found the gasket had folded under at the driver side rear corner. It was not damaged so I repositioned it, cleaned everything and reapplied the four dabs of RTV in the right places and reassembled. After, I found I could inspect both rear corners with a mechanic's mirror and flashlight after assembly. At the right angle the gasket is clearly visible when properly positioned. Now, I always inspect PD covers I install to make sure that never happens again.

BTW, the car that had the leak leaked no more after the reassembly.

I like to use a dab of bearing grease to "stick" the gasket into its channel when I reinstall these PD valve covers. thanks for the inspection tip for future use A5.