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Sat Sep 24, 2005 10:40 pm

Looking around on line I see valve cover gaskets for 1300 1500 1600 (all the same gasket), but no mention of 1200 (34hp). Are they the same?

Thnx

Sun Sep 25, 2005 12:34 am

Sun Sep 25, 2005 7:36 am

Problemchild wrote: Looking around on line I see valve cover gaskets for 1300 1500 1600 (all the same gasket), but no mention of 1200 (34hp). Are they the same?

Thnx

No they are not all the same. 36 hp 1200cc gaskets are smaller( note the hp rated DIN or SAE and displacement.... In the U.S. from 1961 begining with 40 hp 1200cc all gaskets are same size through type 1 production....

Here's something few ever consider... Most folks use the cork gaskets and throw them away after each use, very wasteful to say the least.... Spend a few dollars and buy the Fel - Pro rubber gaskets which you can clean and reuse for years... In the long run rubberized gaskets are more cost effective and take up less space on the garbage truck..

Jim-

Sun Sep 25, 2005 9:53 am

Missed the 34 Bhp there and looked right at the 1200 - my mistake. Not an assumption, just hardly ever think of the 36er.

Sun Sep 25, 2005 10:43 am

Greg, you are not wrong.

The original question stated a "34hp" 1200. In Europe, the 61-65 1200 is called a 34bhp engine. We call the same engine a 40hp.

The 54-60 1200 that we call a 36hp is called a 30bhp engine over there.

Sun Sep 25, 2005 11:01 am

"In the U.S. from 1961 begining with 40 hp 1200cc all gaskets are same size through type 1 production.... "

Ok then, what of the 1970 and 1971 34hp 1200? That's with engine # D0593xxx. I should have been more clear. It is a U.S. 1970 34hp 1200. That is according to Rob and Dave's aircooled Volkswagen pages.

1970 (1 Aug 69 to 31 July 70)
Chassis 110,2000,001 - 110,3100,000
Engine D 0,525,050 - D 0,674,999 34bhp(DIN)1200

Then I also need to know if there is an easy way to tell if the heads are 1200 or some other size, if that's even possible. I didn't build this motor but as owner of the car I'm certainly charged with maintaining it.

Who thought just buying a valve cover gasket could present such a problem?

Mon Sep 26, 2005 7:15 am

The big difference in valve cover gaskets are how they are installed. If installed correctly we have never had a problem with any brand. We tried the Neoprene gaskets that advertised "they would be the last set you would ever buy". They were defiantly correct as we would never buy another set of the reusable vale cover gaskets. They might have been improved later but we still remember the old ones. See http://www.1800vw.bizhosting.com/OilLeaks.htm Bare metal to gasket to bare metal and check if valve cover is bent buy putting it on first without a gasket.

Mon Sep 26, 2005 7:39 am

I use the cork gaskets and reuse them until they either leak or shrink.

Bare metal to bare metal. I hate when I buy a car and they have siliconed the gaskets on. 1. It always seems like those are leaking. 2. I have to clean all that crap off.

Mon Sep 26, 2005 8:17 am

Problemchild wrote:
Ok then, what of the 1970 and 1971 34hp 1200? That's with engine # D0593xxx. I should have been more clear. It is a U.S. 1970 34hp 1200. That is according to Rob and Dave's aircooled Volkswagen pages.

There is no such thing as a US 34hp 1200 after 65. VWoA never sold 1200cc engines in Beetles after 65. Your car may have been a private import. VW made 1200cc engines well up into the mid 80s.

Problemchild wrote: Who thought just buying a valve cover gasket could present such a problem?[/b]
The problem is only in your mind. As you've been told before, gaskets to fit your engine are exactly the same as for a 1300, 1500, 1600. They are even the same to fit the 1.9 and 2.1 liter Vanagon waterboxer.
Despite what Herbie leads you to believe, the valve cover gasket from a New Beetle will not fit.

Mon Sep 26, 2005 8:44 am

I never cared for solid rubber gaskets - whenever I saw them on customers' cars, they'd be leaking almost every time. All the ones I ever saw seemed to be too thin and just fit poorly.

Now, cork gaskets also vary wildly in quality. Some are just too small overall. The ones I liked the best, which aren't around anymore that I know of, were the brazillian ones the SABO sold in 10 packs. German ones didn't fit as well and were more prone to leak. In the mid/late 90's, after the SABO ones went away, we had more and more problems with getting the seals that were subsequently available to seal reliably until we started gluing them to the valve covers, something we had not needed to do previously. However, we NEVER used any of that crap silicone sealant. I usually used Permetex #2, or Super 300 (which is no longer made either, the closest thing to which they sell now is their Aviation sealant which is good), and I've used that "Hi-Tack" Permetex gasket glue before as well. Just a light coat on the valve cover and on one side of the seal, air dry a bit, the pressed together, cleaning up any that got on the side of the gasket that faces the head.

On my cars, I'm with Everett - as long as they aren't leaking I don't mess with them and keep them as-is after valve adjustments.

andy

Tue Sep 27, 2005 3:33 pm

The key to leak free is in the assembly technique as stated... Using cork gaskets is fine if you're in a hurry and don't have the patience or skill to correctly clean and inspect a reuseable gasket.. Or if you don't care about how much garbage you create.. In the long run you'll spend more on the cork, but thats entirely your business.. By all means stay stuck in the 60s because most European and Asian car manufacturers went to rubber in the 70s-80s but I guess they are wrong as well.. It never ceases to amaze me that so called mechanics will refuse to upgrade and use technology as it becomes available but then again its easier and more comfortable to remain standing still.... Stand strong men.. hehehehehe :D

Jim-

Tue Sep 27, 2005 4:12 pm

Zundfolge1432 wrote: By all means stay stuck in the 60s because most European and Asian car manufacturers went to rubber in the 70s-80s

That may be true, but then again, those engines were likely designed around utilizing that style seal. I know that at least through the early 90's, VW used cork on everything for V/C gaskets, including all the watercooled cars - except ones with 16 Valve motors. These heads and valve covers were designed with that cork seal in mind, while the 16V valve cover is huge which was engineered with a matching rubber seal in mind. For my bugs, I could get a set of bolt-on aluminum valve covers with matching rubber channel seals if I wanted to - but I prefer the stock valve covers.

And it may be true that there are good and bad quality rubber ACVW V/C gaskets out there as well. But the ones I remember seeing always seemed too thin to me and I was not impressed. Especially since they would almost always be leaking. Show me a set that is thicker, made out of perhaps a slightly denser material, and fits perfectly inside the valve cover with no slop, then I might try them sometime.

andy

Tue Sep 27, 2005 4:43 pm

Funny I have adjusted my valves at least 4 times since I got my engine and no telling how long the gaskets were on there before I got it - and the good ole cork gaskets have never leaked. Probably pouring out now that I brag about it 8)

Tue Sep 27, 2005 6:03 pm

On my previous bug I used the bolt-on empi covers with reusable C gasket. On my current ride I have been using the same cork gaskets for almost a year. Seems to get better with age.

Tue Sep 27, 2005 9:07 pm

You should be able to still get genuine VW gaskets from the VW dealer. They were used up until 1990 on the Waterboxer.

I bought a stack of gaskets from the dealer in Mexico. They appear to be a mixture of cork and rubber. The great thing about them is they actually fit the valve covers. All others I have seen are way too small. I glue them to the valve cover and re-use them until they leak. Sometimes they go for years.

Wed Sep 28, 2005 5:03 pm

Has this subject been beat to death or what???? :D

Gentlemen I will concede cork gaskets work fine and I'll still use em too.

Jim-